Born on this day, one of the greatest songwriters, guitarists, and performers of the early rock & roll era: Chuck Berry. He has clearly had a profound influence on musicians across all genres:

“To me, Chuck Berry always was the epitome of rhythm and blues playing, rock and roll playing. It was beautiful, effortless, and his timing was perfection.” – Keith Richards

“[My mama] said, ‘You and Elvis are pretty good, but you’re no Chuck Berry.’” – Jerry Lee Lewis

“If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it ‘Chuck Berry’.” – John Lennon

“You are most certainly the inspiration for all of today’s rock ‘n’ roll guitarists. Your music is timeless.” – Smokey Robinson