[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 49 (Tuesday, March 21, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H2252]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING THE LEGENDARY CHUCK BERRY

  (Mr. CLAY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor a legendary American musical 
genius, an inaugural member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and a 
former neighbor and friend of the Clay family for six decades, the 
father of rock and roll, the immortal Chuck Berry, who died this past 
Saturday at the age of 90.
  I grew up just a few blocks away from the Berry residence. My sisters 
and I came up with his kids, and our families knew each other very 
well. Chuck Berry was one of the first Black superstars whose 
innovative music was not only popular with African-American audiences, 
but with young music fans around the world.
  Since his death, tributes from across every spectrum of music have 
poured in, including The Rolling Stones, U2, Sir Paul McCartney, Stevie 
Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, and hundreds of other internationally known 
artists who were deeply influenced by Chuck Berry's magical music.
  On behalf of my family, I want to express our deepest condolences to 
the Berry family; and on behalf of music fans everywhere, I want to 
give thanks for the life of this legendary American treasure whose 
legacy and unique sound will live on for generations, a true St. Louis 
original, the real king of rock and roll: Chuck Berry.

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