Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry (born October 18, 1926) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter and is one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" (1955), "Roll Over Beethoven" (1956), "Rock and Roll Music" (1957) and "Johnny B. Goode" (1958), Berry refined and developed rhythm and blues into the major elements that made rock and roll distinctive, with lyrics focusing on teen life and consumerism and music featuring guitar solos and showmanship that were a major influence on subsequent rock music.
A pioneer of rock and roll, Berry was a significant influence on the development of both the music and the attitude associated with the rock music lifestyle. He refined and developed rhythm and blues into the major elements that made rock and roll distinctive, with lyrics successfully aimed to appeal to the early teenage market by using graphic and humorous descriptions of teen dances, fast cars, high school life, and consumer culture, and utilizing guitar solos and showmanship that would be a major influence on subsequent rock music.
His records are a rich storehouse of the essential lyrical, showmanship and musical components of rock and roll. In addition to the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, a large number of significant popular-music performers have recorded Berry's songs. Though not technically accomplished, his guitar style is distinctive—he incorporated electronic effects to mimic the sound of bottleneck blues guitarists and drew on the influence of guitar players such as Carl Hogan, and T-Bone Walker to produce a clear and exciting sound that many later guitarists would acknowledge as an influence in their own style.
Berry's showmanship has been influential on other rock guitarists, particularly his one-legged hop routine, and the "duck walk", which he first used as a child when he walked "stooping with full-bended knees, but with my back and head vertical" under a table to retrieve a ball and his family found it entertaining; he used it when "performing in New York for the first time and some journalist branded it the duck walk."
The Pyramid Stage and Glastonbury Tor captured beautifully by Jill Furmanovsky at the 2000 Glastonbury Festival
The Cure on the road in Holland and Belgium during their 1980 'Seventeen Seconds' tour.
Limited edition of Morgan Howell's original painting of the cover of The Clash '(White Man) in Hammersmith Palais vinyl single
Jimmy Page playing his legendary bowed guitar solo during 'Dazed & Confused' whilst onstage with Led Zeppelin in Belfast in March 1971
Oasis were an English rock music band formed in Manchester in 1991, to date the band have sold over 70 million records worldwide.
David Bowie was a leading figure in popular music for over five decades & regarded by critics & musicians as a true innovator.
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band who were in the vanguard of the British music Invasion that became popular in the US in 1964–65.
Queen are a British rock band credited with making significant contributions to such genres as hard rock & heavy metal, among others.
Here are the very latest prints we have added to our collection. We hope you love them as much as we do.
When it comes to rock photography Michael Putland has done it all, having shot the biggest name in rock & pop from Abba to Zappa.
Album covers can define a band almost as much as the music itself. Now you can put this great art on your wall as well as your turntable
Jill Furmanovsky is one of the greatest ever rock & roll photographers with a huge archive of iconic shots of the world's best music artists
