Chuck Berry: His colourful life in pictures

American rock and roll singer, songwriter and guitarist Charles "Chuck" Berry, one of the biggest influences on pre-Beatles pop.Evening Standard/Getty Images

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1926, Charles "Chuck" Berry was destined to become an icon. At times controversial, he served time in jail for armed robbery in his teens. Loved for his infectious guitar licks and signature "duck walk", Berry (pictured in 1965) became the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame's first ever inductee in 1986.

US rock singer Chuck Berry plays in concert in Vienne, France on 10 July, 1981AFP/Getty Images

Berry, seen in 1981, influenced bands including the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, and The Beach Boys with songs like Johnny B. Goode, Sweet Little Sixteen and Roll Over Beethoven. Though he was in his late 20s before his first major hit, his lyrics spoke to the teenagers of the 1950s - and remained fresh decades later.

1st August 1972: Rock 'n' roll legend, singer, songwriter and guitarist Chuck Berry arrives at Heathrow Airport with his wife Themetta.Evening Standard

A 1972 picture captures Berry at London's Heathrow Airport with his wife Themetta, who stayed by his side from 1948 to his death, despite his well-publicised indiscretions.

Chuck Berry, right, laughs with fellow guitarist Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones at New York's Studio 54 in February 1980.AP

Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones said of him: "It's very difficult for me to talk about Chuck Berry because I've lifted every lick he ever played. This is the gentleman who started it all."

Bruce Springsteen and Chuck Berry perform "Johnny B. Good" to open The Concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 2 September, 1995 at Cleveland Stadium.Reuters

Bruce Springsteen and Chuck Berry perform Johnny B. Goode at Cleveland Stadium in September 1995. Paying tribute to Berry online, Springsteen called him "rock's greatest practitioner, guitarist, and the greatest pure rock 'n' roll writer who ever lived".

Chuck Berry's star on the Hollywood Walk of FameGetty Images

Berry appeared in a dozen films, including Go Johnny Go (1958), Sweet Toronto (1971), and Let The Good Times Roll (1973) - and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Then US President Bill Clinton (L) and British Prime Minister Tony Blair (R) pose for photographers with blues guitar legend Chuck Berry on 22 June, 1997AFP/Getty Images

Berry poses for a shot with then US President Bill Clinton (left) and newly elected British Prime Minister Tony Blair in June 1997.

Musicians Chuck Berry (left), Little Richard (centre) and Bo Diddley attend the 50th Annual BMI Pop Awards May 14, 2002 in Beverly Hills, CAGetty Images

Berry pictured with fellow rock and roll showmen Little Richard (C) and Bo Diddley (R) in 2002.

Chuck Berry gestures to the audience at the 2012 Awards for Song Lyrics of Literary Excellence awarded to both him and Leonard Cohen at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, Massachusetts February 26, 2012.Reuters

Bob Dylan called Berry "the Shakespeare of rock 'n' roll", and he was one of the first popular acts to write as well as perform his own songs.

Singer Chuck Berry and his daughter Ingrid perform the national anthem before the St. Louis Cardinals play the Milwaukee Brewers on 14 October, 2011 in St Louis, Missouri.Getty Images

Berry, pictured in 2011 with his eldest daughter Ingrid, is survived by his wife Themetta ‘Toddy’ Suggs and their four children.

Chuck Berry performing during a concert in Montevideo, Uruguay, on 15 April, 2013AFP/Getty Images

Chuck Berry, seen here in 2013, marked his 90th birthday three years later by announcing he would release his first album for 38 years. He dedicated the LP to his wife - "my beloved Toddy" - saying: "My darlin', I'm growing old! I've worked on this record for a long time. Now I can hang up my shoes!"

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