Silence Beethoven, Tell Tchaikovsky to Be Careful, Chuck Berry is Here!

Once a journalist at the airport asked Chuck Berry, who was holding a suitcase containing his guitar, if he had a special relationship with his instrument like many of his colleagues. Berry calmly replied, 'No, it's my work tool. I buy a new guitar every year so I can deduct its cost from taxes.' He was straightforward and honest, just like the lyrics of the songs he sang. Bruce Springsteen and Berry were performing 'Johnny B. Goode'. Chuck Berry is a pioneer of rock and roll music and the first member of the Hall of Fame of this music genre. He rose to fame in the 1950s with works such as 'Johnny B. Goode', 'Sweet Little Sixteen', and 'Roll Over Beethoven'. The phrase 'roll over Beethoven', as he sings in his song, was not directed at the famous musician but was actually a revenge against his younger sister who always monopolized the piano at home for practicing classical music, not giving Chuck the opportunity to practice his beloved blues: 'Silence Beethoven, tell Tchaikovsky to be careful, Chuck Berry is here!' His music was a model for the greatest figures in beat, rock, and pop music. Elvis covered his songs, and without him, the Beatles would never have ventured into music. John Lennon of the British group The Beatles said about him: 'In the 1950s, when others were singing oh darling I love you, he was singing good and clever songs.' American singer Lenny Kravitz tweeted on the occasion of Chuck Berry's passing: 'Without you, none of us would be here.' Aging had not diminished his enthusiasm and activity. Last autumn, on his 90th birthday, he announced that after nearly four decades, he would release a new album. This album, simply titled 'Chuck', was set to come out in the coming months; although Berry did not reach 91 years of age... Nevertheless, if rock and roll is truly immortal as its fans claim, a significant part of its immortality is owed to this artist.