Academy of Achievement Logo
Home
Achiever Gallery
Keys to Success
Achievement Podcasts
About the Academy
For Teachers

Search the site

Academy Careers

 
Chuck Berry, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Permalink: Email Video

Chuck Berry Audio

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Introduction

In the rock and roll pantheon, Chuck Berry stands alone. Every element of the music existed before he ever stepped onstage, but no one can deny he was the first writer and performer to put it all together. In the 1950s, he combined stinging guitar licks with a jumping rhythm section, sly lyrics and an audacious stage presence to create a sound and style that proved irresistible to both black and white audiences at a time when radio and performance venues were still largely segregated. His very first single, "Maybellene," went to number one on the R&B charts in 1955 immediately crossed over to the pop charts. Hit followed hit: "Sweet Little Sixteen," "Roll Over Beethoven," "Rock and Roll Music," and his signature song, "Johnny B. Goode." His trademark two-string riffs and patented duck-walk made him rock's first guitar hero. Chuck Berry's sound and attitude inspired a generation of rockers on both sides of the Atlantic; the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys and Bob Marley all recorded Chuck Berry songs, and his repertoire became required learning for aspiring pickers everywhere. A recording of "Johnny B. Goode" was placed on the Voyager I space probe to spread Chuck Berry's message of joy to the stars and beyond. This performance, recorded at the 2003 International Achievement Summit in Washington, D.C., is interspersed with rare interview footage of Chuck Berry recorded at the same event.



View More Podcasts
Jackson Browne 2011

Sheryl Crow & Robin Williams 2006

Vince Gill 2009

Amy Grant 2009

Lauryn Hill 2003 (Part 1)

Lauryn Hill 2003 (Part 2)

Taylor Swift 2008 (Part 1)

Each of the symposium presentations are excerpts from the 48-year history of International Achievement Summits. The audience is comprised of hundreds of promising young people selected to attend by the Academy.
Filter by: Most Recent, By Name
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 2007, Basketball Scoring Champion

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 2007

Basketball Scoring Champion
Andre Agassi 2007, Sportsman and Philanthropist

Andre Agassi 2007

Sportsman and Philanthropist
Dr. Peter Agre 2004, Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Dr. Peter Agre 2004

Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Dame Julie Andrews 2004, Legend of Stage and Screen

Dame Julie Andrews 2004

Legend of Stage and Screen
Rick Atkinson 2008, Pulitzer Prize-winning Journalist

Rick Atkinson 2008

Pulitzer Prize-winning Journalist
Rick Atkinson 2010 (Part 1), Pulitzer Prize-winning Journalist

Rick Atkinson 2010 (Part 1)

Pulitzer Prize-winning Journalist
Rick Atkinson 2010 (Part 2), Pulitzer Prize-winning Journalist

Rick Atkinson 2010 (Part 2)

Pulitzer Prize-winning Journalist
Ehud Barak and George Mitchell 2003 (Part 1), Former Prime Minister of Israel with the U.S. Envoy to the Middle East

Ehud Barak and George Mitchell 2003 (Part 1)

Former Prime Minister of Israel with the U.S. Envoy to the Middle East
Ehud Barak and George Mitchell 2003 (Part 2), Former Prime Minister of Israel with the U.S. Envoy to the Middle East

Ehud Barak and George Mitchell 2003 (Part 2)

Former Prime Minister of Israel with the U.S. Envoy to the Middle East
A. Scott Berg 2008<br />(Part 1), Pulitzer Prize for Biography

A. Scott Berg 2008
(Part 1)

Pulitzer Prize for Biography
A. Scott Berg 2008<br />(Part 2), Pulitzer Prize for Biography

A. Scott Berg 2008
(Part 2)

Pulitzer Prize for Biography
Chuck Berry, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Chuck Berry

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Jeff Bezos 2001, Founder & CEO, Amazon.com

Jeff Bezos 2001

Founder & CEO, Amazon.com
Benazir Bhutto 2002, Former Prime Minister of Pakistan

Benazir Bhutto 2002

Former Prime Minister of Pakistan
Bono 2002, Musician and Humanitarian

Bono 2002

Musician and Humanitarian
The Hon. William J. ClInton<br />and Bono 2002 (Part 1), Global Issues of Wealth & Poverty

The Hon. William J. ClInton
and Bono 2002 (Part 1)

Global Issues of Wealth & Poverty
The Hon. William J. ClInton<br />and Bono 2002 (Part 2), Global Issues of Wealth & Poverty

The Hon. William J. ClInton
and Bono 2002 (Part 2)

Global Issues of Wealth & Poverty
The Hon. William J. ClInton<br />and Bono 2002 (Part 3), Global Issues of Wealth & Poverty

The Hon. William J. ClInton
and Bono 2002 (Part 3)

Global Issues of Wealth & Poverty