CLEVELAND (October 12, 2012) – The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and its Library and Archives are proud to present two special spotlight exhibitions devoted to rock and roll pioneer, Chuck Berry. The exhibits will open to the public on Thursday, October 18 to coincide with Berry’s 86th birthday and kick-off the 17th annual American Music Masters® series, Roll Over Beethoven: The Life and Music of Chuck Berry, beginning Monday, October 22 through Saturday, October 27.

See Chuck Berry’s stage clothes, a guitar and more at the museum at 1100 Rock and Roll Blvd. Highlights include:
Vest worn at the Toronto Rock and Roll Festival in 1969
An original photograph of three-year-old Chuck Berry in his St. Louis neighborhood called “The Ville” (c. 1929)
Chuck Berry/Chess Records recording contract (1958)
Handbill from a performance in Jamaica in 1961

See additional photographs, handbills and handwritten lyrics of Berry’s at the Library and Archives located at 2809 Woodland Avenue (five minutes from the museum). Highlights include:
1964 United Kingdom Tour program
Handbill for Chuck Berry with the Grateful Dead at the Carousel Ballroom 1968
Letter to Jann Wenner at Rolling Stone about an interview of Chuck Berry (1972)
The spotlight exhibits at the museum and the Library and Archives tell the story of the first artist to ever be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 by Rolling Stone icon Keith Richards. Berry has had a lifetime of brilliant musicianship and has inspired nearly every rock artist to date. The spotlight exhibits reveal nearly 40 exclusive artifacts from Berry’s life such as sheet music to his 1955 hit song “Maybellene” that helped ignite the rock and roll revolution and his 1998 Samick San 450 guitar that features his trademark double-string, semi-hollow electric acoustic style.

The spotlight exhibit at the museum will be open indefinitely and the exhibit at the Library and Archives will be open through the end of 2012.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s Library and Archives is located just five minutes from the museum on the campus of Cuyahoga Community College in the LiPuma Center for Creative Arts, 2809 Woodland Avenue. Hours of operation are: Tuesday – Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday and Monday: closed. Admission is FREE.

For more information visit rockhall.com.

About Chuck Berry

Chuck Berry is the poet laureate of rock and roll. In the mid-Fifties, he took a fledgling idiom, born out of rhythm & blues and country & western, and gave it form and identity. A true original, Berry crafted many of rock and roll’s greatest riffs and married them to lyrics that shaped the rock and roll vernacular for generations. He has written numerous rock and roll classics that have been covered by multitudes of artists and stood the test of time. In all essential ways, he understood the power of rock and roll – how it worked, what it was about and who it was for.

CLEVELAND (October 9, 2012) – The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and Case Western Reserve University are pleased to announce the full week of events that will honor Chuck Berry at the 17th annual American Music Masters® tribute Roll Over Beethoven: The Life and Music of Chuck Berry. The series begins on Monday, October 22 and culminates with an all-star tribute concert on Saturday, October 27.

Joining the tribute concert lineup are Steve Jordan and Malina Moye. Previously announced tribute concert performers scheduled to appear include Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Ernie Isley and Darryl DMC McDaniels, Joe Bonamassa, Rick Derringer, Rosie Flores, John Fullbright, Ronnie Hawkins, Merle Haggard, David Johansen, Lemmy Kilmister, JD McPherson, Chuck Prophet, Vernon Reid, Duke Robillard, Ray Sharpe, Earl Slick and M. Ward. Chuck Berry will appear to accept the American Music Masters honor and is scheduled to perform. Tickets to the October 27th tribute concert range from $30 – $80 and are available at the PlayhouseSquare box office, by calling (216) 241-6000, or by visiting www.playhousesquare.org. TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE, BUT ARE GOING FAST.

Roll Over Beethoven: The Life and Music of Chuck Berry, a weeklong celebration, will tell the story of the first artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Berry has had a lifetime of brilliant musicianship and has inspired nearly every rock artist to date. John Lennon once said, “If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it ‘Chuck Berry’.”

The series is sponsored by Republic Steel, Panasonic Automotive and ELS Surround.

The weeklong series of events:

FREE – Monday, October 22 at 7 p.m. – Rock and Roll Night School: A Spotlight on Chuck Berry in the Rock Hall’s Foster Theater on the 4th floor. Rock Hall educators will examine the scope and impact of Chuck Berry’s career, while focusing on select songs that spotlight Berry’s skills as a songwriter and guitar player. This event is free and reservations are not required. Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. This event will also be streamed live on rockhall.com.

FREE with RSVP – Tuesday, October 23 at 7 p.m. – An Evening with author Nadine Cohodas in the Library Reading Room, Rock Hall’s Library and Archives (2809 Woodland Avenue, Cleveland) Nadine Cohodas is the author of Spinning Blues into Gold: The Chess Brothers and the Legendary Chess Records. She will speak on the role Chess Records played in Chuck Berry’s career. This event is free with a reservation. Seating is limited. Reservations can be made through the Rock Hall website at https://tickets.rockhall.com or at the Rock Hall Box Office. Rock Hall Members can RSVP starting at 10 a.m. on Thursday, October 11. General public can RSVP starting at 10 a.m. on Friday, October 12.

FREE with RSVP – Wednesday, October 24 at 4:30 p.m. – Teachers Rock “Stop and Listen”: Using Spoken Word and Slam Poetry in the Classroom in the Rock Hall’s “Eat to the Beat” on the 3rd floor. Join us for a special teacher workshop inspired by Chuck Berry’s inventive wordplay. Learn how to bring spoken word and slam poetry into the classroom to help students connect with learning and with themselves. This workshop is appropriate for upper-elementary through high school teachers and is designed for educators around Northeast Ohio. This event is free with a reservation. Email education@rockhall.org or call 216.515.8426 to RSVP.

FREE with RSVP – Wednesday, October 24 at 7 p.m. – Film Screening: Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock ‘N’ Roll! (1987, 120 min) in the Rock Hall’s Foster Theater on the 4th floor. The unforgettable life and music of pioneering legend Chuck Berry are celebrated in this landmark feature film, capturing a once-in-a-lifetime gathering of rock and roll’s finest. In 1986, Keith Richards invited a roster of great musicians to honor Chuck Berry for an evening of music to commemorate Berry’s 60th birthday, including performances by Etta James, Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, and Julian Lennon, along with archival footage of an unforgettable duet by Chuck Berry and John Lennon. Directed by Taylor Hackford. This event is free with a reservation. Seating is limited. Reservations can be made through the Rock Hall website at https://tickets.rockhall.com or at the Rock Hall Box Office. Rock Hall Members can RSVP starting at 10 a.m. on Thursday, October 11. General public can RSVP starting at 10 a.m. on Friday, October 12.

FREE – Thursday, October 25 at 7:30 p.m. – Keynote Lecture by Greg Tate: “Oh, how we rock that American Hunger: Charles Edward Anderson / Chuck Berry and the history of our future” at Case Western Reserve University’s Harkness Chapel, 11200 Bellflower Ave
Greg Tate, author and musician speaks on the significance of Chuck Berry in American history. Tate is the author of many books, including Midnight Lightning: Jimi Hendrix and the Black Experience and Everything But the Burdun: What White People Are Taking From Black Culture. This event is free and reservations are not required. Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Friday, October 26 at 8:30 p.m. – Live Concert by the Rick Derringer Trio on the Rock Hall’s Main Stage.
Tickets are $15 and are available through the Rock Hall website at https://tickets.rockhall.com or at the Rock Hall Box Office.

Saturday, October 27 from 10:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. – American Music Masters Conference in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Foster Theater.
A reflection on the career of Chuck Berry and his impact on rock and roll music. The conference will feature rare film footage presented by documentary filmmaker and archivist Joe Lauro of Historic Films, as well as interviews with Marshall Chess, Ray Sharpe, Duke Robillard and more. Tickets are $25 ($10 lunch voucher included) and are available through the Rock Hall website at https://tickets.rockhall.com or at the Rock Hall Box Office. Admission to the Museum is free with the purchase of a conference ticket. Portions of this event will be streamed live on rockhall.com.

Saturday, October 27 at 7:30 p.m. – American Music Masters Tribute Concert at PlayhouseSquare’s State Theatre
Tribute concert performers scheduled to appear include Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Ernie Isley and Darryl DMC McDaniels, Joe Bonamassa, Rick Derringer, Rosie Flores, John Fullbright, Ronnie Hawkins, Merle Haggard, David Johansen, Steve Jordan, Lemmy Kilmister, Malina Moye, JD McPherson, Chuck Prophet, Vernon Reid, Duke Robillard, Ray Sharpe, Earl Slick and M. Ward. Chuck Berry will appear to accept the American Music Masters honor and is scheduled to perform. Tickets to the October 27th tribute concert range from $30 – $80 and are available at the PlayhouseSquare box office, by calling (216) 241-6000, or by visiting www.playhousesquare.org. TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE, BUT ARE GOING FAST.

Special programs for students:

Monday, October 22 at Noon – On the Road “Reelin’ and Rockin”: Chuck Berry and the Birth of Rock and Roll
Join us for a special class for students to be streamed LIVE on the Rock Hall’s website at www.rockhall.com/education. Rock Hall Educators will demonstrate how Chuck Berry drew from blues, country, and jazz to create the guitar style that came to define rock and roll. Students will also examine how Berry created a new lyric vocabulary in his songs that spoke directly to young people and to the integrated rock and roll audiences of the 1950s. Students will have the opportunity to email questions to Rock Hall educators during the live stream. There is no cost to connect. This class is appropriate for middle and high school classrooms.

Tuesday, October 23 and Thursday, October 25 at 9 a.m. – Toddler Rock
During the week of American Music Masters, Toddler Rock participants will focus on the letter “C” (for “Chuck”). Groups will listen to Chuck Berry songs and even learn some of his legendary dance moves – like the iconic duck walk.

For more information, visit rockhall.com.

About Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry is the poet laureate of rock and roll. In the mid-Fifties, he took a fledgling idiom, born out of rhythm & blues and country & western, and gave it form and identity. A true original, Berry crafted many of rock and roll’s greatest riffs and married them to lyrics that shaped the rock and roll vernacular for generations. He has written numerous rock and roll classics that have been covered by multitudes of artists and stood the test of time. In all essential ways, he understood the power of rock and roll – how it worked, what it was about and who it was for. While no individual can be said to have invented rock and roll, Berry arguably did more than anyone else to put the pieces together. For the complete Chuck Berry biography written by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, visit: http://rockhall.com/inductees/chuck-berry/bio/.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and Case Western Reserve University are pleased to announce additional artists that will honor Chuck Berry at the 17th annual American Music Masters® tribute concert on Saturday, October 27, 2012. at 7:30 p.m. at PlayhouseSquare’s State Theatre. Joining the tribute concert lineup are: Rick Derringer, Ronnie Hawkins, Merle Haggard, Vernon Reid and Ray Sharpe.

Tribute concert performers previously announced include Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Ernie Isley and Darryl DMC McDaniels, Joe Bonamassa, Rosie Flores, John Fullbright, David Johansen, Lemmy Kilmister, JD McPherson, Chuck Prophet, Duke Robillard, Earl Slick and M. Ward. Chuck Berry will appear to accept the American Music Masters honor and is scheduled to perform. Due to a scheduling conflicting, Bucky Pizzarelli will not be able to perform.

The series is sponsored by Republic Steel, Panasonic Automotive and ELS Surround.

The weeklong series of events will begin on Monday, October 22. Tickets go on sale to the following just announced events in a week. Additional events will be announced soon.

Friday, October 26 at 8:30 p.m. – Live Concert by the Rick Derringer Trio on the Rock Hall’s Main Stage. Tickets are $15 and are available through the Rock Hall website at https://tickets.rockhall.com or at the Rock Hall Box Office. Rock Hall Members can purchase tickets starting at 10 a.m. on Monday, October 8. General public can purchase tickets starting at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, October 9.

Saturday, October 27 from 10:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. – American Music Masters Conference in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Foster Theater. A reflection on the career of Chuck Berry and his impact on rock and roll music. The conference will feature rare film footage presented by documentary filmmaker and archivist Joe Lauro of Historic Films, as well as interviews with Marshall Chess and more. Tickets are $25 ($10 lunch voucher included) and are available through the Rock Hall website at https://tickets.rockhall.com or at the Rock Hall Box Office. Rock Hall Members can purchase tickets starting at 10 a.m. on Monday, October 8. General public can purchase tickets starting at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, October 9. Admission to the Museum is free with the purchase of a conference ticket. Portions of this event will be streamed live on rockhall.com.

Saturday, October 27 at 7:30 p.m. Tribute Concert at PlayhouseSquare’s State Theatre. Tribute concert performers scheduled to appear include Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Ernie Isley and Darryl DMC McDaniels, Joe Bonamassa, Rick Derringer, Rosie Flores, John Fullbright, Ronnie Hawkins, Merle Haggard, David Johansen, Lemmy Kilmister, JD McPherson, Chuck Prophet, Vernon Reid, Duke Robillard, Ray Sharpe, Earl Slick and M. Ward. Chuck Berry will appear to accept the American Music Masters honor and is scheduled to perform. Tickets to the October 27th tribute concert range from $30 – $80 and are available at the PlayhouseSquare box office, by calling (216) 241-6000, or by visiting www.playhousesquare.org. TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE, BUT ARE GOING FAST. A limited number of Friends of American Music Masters VIP packages are available beginning at $250 by contacting the Rock Hall’s development office at (216) 515-1201 or development@rockhall.org.

Roll Over Beethoven: The Life and Music of Chuck Berry, a weeklong celebration, will tell the story of the first artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Berry has had a lifetime of brilliant musicianship and has inspired nearly every rock artist to date. John Lennon once said “If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it ‘Chuck Berry’.”

The full schedule of the 17th annual American Music Masters series events will feature additional performances, interview programs and films the week of October 22 – 27. A full schedule will be announced soon.

About Chuck Berry

Chuck Berry is the poet laureate of rock and roll. In the mid-Fifties, he took a fledgling idiom, born out of rhythm & blues and country & western, and gave it form and identity. A true original, Berry crafted many of rock and roll’s greatest riffs and married them to lyrics that shaped the rock and roll vernacular for generations. He has written numerous rock and roll classics that have been covered by multitudes of artists and stood the test of time. In all essential ways, he understood the power of rock and roll – how it worked, what it was about and who it was for.

While no individual can be said to have invented rock and roll, Berry arguably did more than anyone else to put the pieces together. For the complete Chuck Berry biography written by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, visit: http://rockhall.com/inductees/chuck-berry/bio/.

Each year, the American Music Masters® series explores the legacy of a pioneering rock and roll figure in a range of events that includes Museum exhibits, lectures, films, a major conference and a tribute concert benefiting the Rock Hall’s education programs. Drawing together experts, artists, fans and friends, these events provide new perspectives on the most beloved and influential musicians of the past century.

The tribute concert brings together a diverse mix of artists and musical styles, and as a result, many magical moments have taken place over the years. In 2004, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss performed onstage together for the first time to honor Lead Belly. The pair was awarded the highest honors of Album of the Year for Raising Sand and Record of the Year for “Please Read the Letter” at the 51st annual Grammy awards. Honoree Jerry Lee Lewis, who was not scheduled to perform at the 2007 concert, was moved to take the stage at the end of the show. Lewis tenderly played the piano and sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. At the first American Music Masters tribute concert, Bruce Springsteen set the bar high and performed in honor of Woody Guthrie. The most star-studded and unique performance by a trio was Aretha Franklin, Solomon Burke and Elvis Costello paying tribute to Sam Cooke in 2005. In 2008, a 93-year-old Les Paul took the stage with his trio and then led an epic jam with some of rock and roll’s greatest guitarists, from Jennifer Batten to Slash. Janis Joplin was honored in 2009 by Grammy winner Lucinda Williams with a song she composed especially for the occasion, and in 2010, Dave Bartholomew brought down the house with a performance in tribute of honorees Fats Domino and Bartholomew himself. In 2011, Aretha Franklin was not planning to perform, but at the last minute she requested a piano and took the stage to perform Leon Russell’s “A Song for You,” with fellow Inductees Jerry Butler, Dennis Edwards, and Ronald Isley, along with Cissy Houston.

The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment of all Ohioans.

CLEVELAND (September 6, 2012) – The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and Case Western Reserve University are pleased to announce the initial lineup of artists that will honor Chuck Berry at the 17th annual American Music Masters® tribute concert on Saturday, October 27, 2012. at 7:30 p.m. at PlayhouseSquare’s State Theatre. Chuck Berry will appear to accept the American Music Masters honor and is scheduled to perform.

Tribute concert performers scheduled to appear include Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Ernie Isley and Darryl McDaniels, Joe Bonamassa, Rosie Flores, John Fullbright, David Johansen, JD McPherson, Lemmy Kilmister , Bucky Pizzarelli, Chuck Prophet, Duke Robillard, Earl Slick and M. Ward. Additional guests will be announced soon.

Tickets to the October 27th tribute concert range from $30 – $80. Tickets go on sale to Rock Hall members on Monday, September 17 at 10 a.m. via online sale only at www.playhousesquare.org. Tickets to the public go on sale Wednesday, September 19 at 11 a.m. Public tickets are available at www.playhousesquare.org, by calling (216) 241-6000 and at the PlayhouseSquare ticket office. A limited number of Friends of American Music Masters VIP packages are available beginning at $250 by contacting the Rock Hall’s development office at (216) 515-1201 or development@rockhall.org.

Roll Over Beethoven: The Life and Music of Chuck Berry, a weeklong celebration, will tell the story of the first artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Berry has had a lifetime of brilliant musicianship and has inspired nearly every rock artist to date. John Lennon once said “If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it ‘Chuck Berry’.”

The full schedule of the 17th annual American Music Masters series events will feature additional performances, interview programs and films the week of October 22 – 27. A full schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.

The series is sponsored by Republic Steel and Panasonic Automotive.