Chuck Berry

Guitarist

1926-10-18 – 2017-03-18

American guitarist, singer, and songwriter who was a foundational figure in rock and roll. His guitar style and songwriting influenced generations of musicians.

Books by Chuck Berry

Chuck Berry
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Quotes by Chuck Berry

There has been a great laziness in my soul. Lots of days I could write songs, but I could also take my $400 and play the slot machines at the riverfront casino.
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One of my realizations is that if you revel over joy, you're going to ache over pain and get killed over hurt. Your span of feelings are going to go just as far one way as the other.
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The music played most around St. Louis was country-western and swing. Curiosity provoked me to lay a lot of the country stuff on our predominantly black audience. After they laughed at me a few times, they began requesting the hillbilly stuff.
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I added and deleted according to the audiences' response to different gestures, and chose songs to build an act that would constantly stimulate my audience.
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A contract is an ask game, and if it asks for an hour, and I submit to an hour, then it's an hour. When I look at a contract, I look at the obligation - where, when, how long, the compensation. If I agree to it, that's the way it is. I have an obligation. They have an obligation.
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My music is simple stuff. Anybody can sit down, look at a set of symbols and produce sounds the music represents.
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In a Toyota, the cops don't think about stopping you so much.
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It's amazing how much you can learn if your intentions are truly earnest.
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The Man Upstairs is taking care of me.
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My 12th was my most Christian and most boring year of my life. Try as I did, day after day, to cling to righteousness, I was washed down in suds of sinful surroundings.
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I wanted to play blues. But I wasn't blue enough. I wasn't like Muddy Waters, people who really had it hard. In our house, we had food on the table. We were doing well compared to many. So I concentrated on this fun and frolic, these novelties.
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My singing days have passed. My voice is gone. My throat is worn. And my lungs are going fast.
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