‘He lit up our teenage years’

‘HE LIT up our teenage years, and blew life into our dreams of being musicians and performers. His lyrics shone above others and threw a strange light on the American dream. Chuck you were amazing and your music is engraved inside us forever.’ MICK JAGGER ‘ONE of my big lights has gone out!’ KEITH RICHARDS ‘CHUCK BERRY was rock’s greatest practitioner, guitarist, and the greatest pure rock ’n’ roll writer who ever lived.’ BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN ‘JUST let me hear some of that rock ’n’ roll music any old way you use it I am playing I’m talking about you.’ RINGO STARR ‘HILLARY and I loved Chuck Berry for as long as we can remember. The man was inseparable from his music — both were utterly original and distinctly American. He made our feet move and our hearts more joyful. Along the way he changed our country and the history of popular music.’ BILL CLINTON ‘CHUCK BERRY rolled over everyone who came before him — and turned up everyone who came after. We’ll miss you, Chuck. Be good.’ BARACK OBAMA ‘IT STARTED with Chuck Berry. The first album I ever bought was Chuck’s Live At The Tivoli and I was never the same. He was more than a legend, he was a founding father. You can hear his influence in every rock ’n’ roll band from my generation on.’ SIR ROD STEWART ‘PROBABLY the most important musical influence in my life.’ DAVE DAVIES (THE KINKS) ‘ROCK and Roll grieves tonight as our hero Chuck Berry steps into the next world. We salute you Chuck.’ BRIAN MAY (QUEEN) ‘GOODBYE and thank you for the rocking good times.’ BETTE MIDLER ‘REST in Peace Chuck Berry. More than just a guitarist, he was the first rock ’n’ roll poet.’ BILLY IDOL ‘PROFOUND respect and admiration to one of the founding fathers of rock and roll.’ GENE SIMMONS (KISS)