Five Facts About the Late Great Legendary Chuck Berry

R.I.P. to an amazingly influential man

1. Chuck Berry has a Writing Credit on ‘The Beach Boys’ “Surfin’ USA”

The melody for “Surfin’ USA” is almost identical to the melody of Chuck’s 1958 classic “Sweet Little Sixteen”. To avoid a lawsuit, The Beach Boys gave him a co-writing credit.

2. His Famous ‘Duck Walk’ Dance Was An Accident

Chuck’s famous ‘duck walk’ dance originated in 1956 when he tried to hide wrinkles in his rayon suit by shaking them out with his now-signature movements.

3. His Music was Launched into Space

“Johnny B. Goode” is one of the 27 songs that was sent into space on the “Golden Record” attached to the Voyager 1 spacecraft. It was launched in 1977 and became the first human-made object to reach interstellar space in 2012.

4. Chuck Only Had One No. 1 Song

1972’s “My Ding-a-Ling” was Chuck Berry’s only number one song. It was a live recording of a novelty song he had written years earlier.

5. He Had a Huge Influence on Back to the Future

Chuck Berry’s track, “Johnny B. Goode” was hugely significant to the movie. It was the moment Marty McFly introduced the future to the past.