Chuck Berry, the unfounded absolute legend and major crafter of much of the archetypical sounds and styles of the genesis of rock and roll, was found dead today in St. Charles, MO. He was 90.

Without question, the superlatives that have been foisted upon Berry ever since he exploded onto the scene in the early 1950s have never been placed incorrectly. It’s a simple equation: Without Chuck Berry, there wouldn’t be rock and roll, period. He made a blueprint (born from his love of players like T-Bone Walker and the like who came before him) that plays out like a true blue American songbook of the rock and roll idiom. Those songs are as well known as any other in any genre in any sound any human being has ever made, and the influence has stretched long and wide, influencing a chain link of titans of the rock genre who followed, like John Lennon, Keith Richards, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, the list goes on and on endlessly.

Certain movie scenes live in the memory forever. Last Saturday night actor Michael J. Fox took the stage at a charity fundraiser in New York City for research into Parkinson’s disease. At the event, called A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Cure Parkinson’s, the actor took the stage to jam with the band on a rendition of the Chuck Berry classic “Johnny B. Goode,” just like Fox’s character did in Back to the Future.

You can watch the performance video here below.

Artist Maxim Dalton has created a new illustration called “Guitar Lessons” which features 35 rock guitar greats.

Dalton plans to offer up posters for this, and that there will be 50 hand-signed and numbered giclée prints at 19 x 25 inches. The cost will be around $40, plus $11 shipping for the U.S. and Europe. Visit the artist’s site for an up-close look at each guitarist, and to reserve a limited edition print.

Here’s a list of all the guitarists in the illustration…

Who Do You Love
Directed by: Jerry Zaks
Starring: Alessandro Nivola, John Abrahams, David Oyelowo, Chi McBride, Megalyn Ann Echikunwoke, Marika Dominczyk, Keb’ Mo’
Alexander/ Mitchell Productions
Release Date: April 9, 2010 (Limited)

“The Blues Had A Baby And They Named It Rock And Roll” — Muddy Waters

There is a name in music that many have forgotten over the years. This name is responsible for the discovery of some of the greatest musical talents this world has ever known. This name is responsible for the discovery of Rock and Roll itself. That name is Leonard Chess.

Who Do You Love is a biopic about Leonard Chess (Alessandro Nivola), who as a Jewish immigrant in Chicago realized that there was a new sound in music and that no one had jumped on it yet. He first opened up a new nightclub where musicians could play, but it was not long before he and his brother Phil Chess (John Abrahams) along with the help of songwriter Willie Dixon (Chi McBride) decided they needed to record this music and share it with the world.