The Documentary - Chuck Berry 1926 - 2017

***Rock 'n' roll superstar Chuck Berry joins BBC Radio 4 Extra's 100 Club – born 18th October 1926. He died in March 2017 aged 90***

Rock 'n' roll icon Chuck Berry recalls his early life, and how he was inspired to write hits like Johnny B Goode.

Mark Coles presents exclusive BBC interviews with Chuck Berry recounting his childhood upbringing and how his parents instilled in him a love of poetry by reciting verses aloud at home.

We hear about his early musical influences, especially blues music, and the important lessons he learned from musical idols like Muddy Waters. His first hit with Chess Records, Maybelline, tapped into a new zeitgeist – the youthful energy of an unsettled generation.

Many hits followed, including Roll Over Beethoven, School Days, Sweet Little Sixteen, and Johnny B Goode.

And of course there was his signature dance, the duckwalk, which the crowds loved. Berry's influence on a new generation of music artists cannot be underestimated, and his scepticism of the music industry paved the way for African-American artists setting up their own labels.

His original style of lyrical versatility and guitar twangs has changed popular music forever.

Presenter: Mark Coles

Producer: Nina Robinson

First broadcast on the BBC World Service in March 2017.