His characteristic guitar riffs became staples of rock music, and his humorous storytelling lyrics were also emulated. He had a string of hits in the 1950s and 1960s beginning with Maybellene 1955. Born in St Louis, Missouri, Berry began as a blues guitarist in local clubs. Early songs like Roll Over Beethoven 1956, Rock 'n' Roll Music 1957, Sweet Little Sixteen 1958, and Johnny B Goode 1958 are classics of the genre, and one of them was chosen as a sample of Earth music for the Voyager space probes. Berry's later career was marred by trouble with the law, and he often seemed to have lost respect for his own work. He was the subject of a film tribute, Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll 1987.
