Fans and musicians around the globe mourned the death of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s wild founding father Chuck Berry at the age of 90.
Instead of a wish for Berry to rest in peace, the estate of famed guitarist Bo Diddley tweeted a message to the music legend to “rock in power.” The estate of John Lennon — whose own music was inspired by the rhythm pioneer — posted a quote from the late Beatle hailing Berry as “another name” for rock ‘n’ roll.
Berry’s rock anthems like “Johnny B.Goode,” “Roll Over Beethoven” and “Maybellene” set the stage for future generations of fans and countless budding musicians pinning their hopes on playing the guitar like Berry could.
Rocker Huey Lewis honored Berry as “maybe the most important figure in all of rock and roll. His music and his influence will last forever.”
Keith Urban thanked Berry for his “poetry, passion and potency.”
The Jacksons tweeted: “Chuck Berry merged blues & swing into the phenomenon of early rock ‘n’ roll. In music, he cast one of the longest shadows. Thank You, Chuck.”
Writer Stephen King said Berry’s death “breaks my heart.”
The Rolling Stones have said they are “deeply saddened” by the death of Chuck Berry, describing him as a “true pioneer of rock ‘n’ roll and a massive influence on us.”
Clarification: This article has been updated to reflect that Diddley’s Twitter account is not the guitarist himself (he died in 2008), but that of his estate.
The tweet for George Harrison (who died in 2001 ) was also posted by his estate.