Did one of the first Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees actually gain his musical abilities
by selling his soul to the devil?
Talk about being metal!
For many people, Chuck Berry was the definition of rock and roll.
Born in 1926 in St. Louis, Missouri, Berry first found success in the 1950s on the back
of hits like "Maybellene," "Johnny B. Goode," and "Roll Over Beethoven."
His virtuoso guitar skills, iconic "duck walk," and relatable lyrics made him an instant staple
among rock and rollers.
Berry managed to break color barriers with his music, and he is widely considered one
of the progenitors of modern rock and roll.
For decades, guitarists have idolized Berry and his incredible ability to create memorable
rhythms and awe-inspiring leads.
Keith Richards, the guitarist of the Rolling Stones, was Berry's presenter for the hall.
During his speech, Richards spoke with admiration and respect, though he later revealed to Jimmy
Fallon that it wasn't always cordial between the two after Richards was once caught playing
Berry's guitar without permission.
"He walked in and goes, 'nobody touches my guitar.'
BONG!
One of Chuck's biggest hits, baby."
Despite some problematic legal troubles, Berry kept rocking for many years following his induction.
He regularly played shows and collaborated with many different artists, and he even wrote an autobiography.
Berry was planning on releasing another studio album when he died in 2017 at the age of 90.
Known as the "Godfather of Soul" and the "Hardest Working Man in Show Business," James Brown
was one of the true legends of rock and roll.
Brown was born in 1933 in Barnwell, South Carolina, but spent much of his life impoverished
and growing up in Augusta, Georgia.
As a kid, he learned how to perform gospel music, and he formed his first group as a teenager.
By the late 1950s, Brown was one of the top-billing acts in music, and had massive singles like
"Please, Please, Please," "Try Me," and "Think."
His 1963 album "Live at the Apollo" was a huge success, and fans loved his incredible
voice or "scream," catchy music, impeccable work ethic, and his outstanding dance moves.
His inductor for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was Steve Winwood, who spoke about Brown's
incredible impact on the entire music industry.
Always the showman, after his acceptance speech, Brown gave the audience a quick show of his
dance moves, before departing the stage and giving the crowd a kiss goodbye.
During his career, Brown created more than 50 albums despite serious legal troubles,
and his final album was 2002's "The Next Step."
Brown died in 2006 at the age of 73, but before his death he was also honored with both a
Kennedy Center Honor and a Grammy lifetime achievement award.
Few stories in music history are as amazing and inspirational as that of Ray Charles.
Born in 1930, Charles lost his vision as a child, and had lost both his parents by the
time that he was 14.
Resilient, he used his musical abilities to support himself, and he signed with Atlantic
Records in his 20s.
It was during his time with Atlantic that Charles is credited with inventing "soul"
music, which was a new hybrid of gospel and the blues.
His biggest hits included "What I'd Say," "Hit the Road Jack," "Georgia on My Mind"
about his home state, and "I Got a Woman."
Longtime music industry executive Quincy Jones inducted Charles, and during his acceptance
speech, Charles said he was "touched" and "overwhelmed" by the honor.
Charles continued to put out music following his induction into the hall in 1986, and he
received the National Medal of Arts in 1993.
He died in 2004 at the age of 73.
Though he was most well known for soul, jazz, and rock, Charles' music transcended many
different genres and boundaries.
He supplemented his music skills with occasional acting appearances, and many people still
know him today as the "father of soul."
His career was short, but Sam Cooke will forever be remembered for his incredible impact on
rock and roll.
Cooke was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, in 1931 during a time of heavy segregation and racism.
He first began his music career as a gospel singer in the early-1950s, switched to pop
by the end of the decade, and by the time of his death, was one of the progenitors of rock music.
He was an important member of the Black community and broke many racial boundaries with his
delicate brand of pop music.
Unfortunately, Cooke's career came to a tragic end when he was shot to death under mysterious
circumstances at just 33.
In addition to being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Cooke also posthumously
received a Grammy lifetime achievement award.
For his induction, since Sam could not be there himself, his widow Barbara Cooke and
his father, Rev. Charles Cook, accepted the award on his behalf.
It's truly a tragedy that Cooke's life ended so prematurely, but the fact that he still
made the hall despite such a short career is a testament to his rock and roll genius and impact.
Born in 1928 in New Orleans, Louisiana, Fats Domino was one of the most influential piano
players in R&B and rock and roll history.
He learned how to play the piano by himself in the 1930s–1940s, and soon began his music
career performing in local clubs.
He became widely known for his "boogie-woogie" style of piano playing, which brought his
music a unique sound to pair with his soulful voice.
In the 1950s, he started to first taste commercial success, and soon he was selling records by
the tens of millions.
Domino was one of the early creators of rock and roll, and he broke racial barriers with
his music and performances.
He also appeared in movies in the 1950s, and some of his biggest hits were "Blueberry Hill,"
"Blue Monday," and "Ain't That A Shame."
Domino's presenter for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was Billy Joel.
An influential piano player and singer in his own right, Joel credited Domino with inspiring
him to play rock and roll piano.
Following his induction, Domino continued to perform for many years, though pretty much
exclusively in his home state of Louisiana.
Domino died in 2017 near his home in the Big Easy; he was 89 years old.
The Everly Brothers were Don and Phil Everly, and in the late-1950s and early-1960s, they
were some of the best representations of southern-inspired rock and roll.
The Everlys first hit their peak in 1957 after signing with Cadence Records, and they soon
moved to Warner Bros. in 1960.
While their commercial success did not last long stateside, they remained popular overseas
and at one time had their own TV show before breaking up in 1973.
They reunited in 1983, just a few years before their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction,
but mostly stuck to playing old hits for the rest of their careers.
Neil Young was their presenter for the hall, and he explained how much they influenced
him, something singer Graham Nash echoed to The Wall Street Journal.
"It changed my life."
Both of the Everlys have since passed, with Phil dying in 2014 due to chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease.
After Phil's death, Don still performed up until his own death in 2021.
Still beloved today, the Everly Brothers' music is truly as timeless as it gets.
One of the most important disc jockeys in early rock and roll was Alan Freed, who popularized
the new form of music in the early 1950s.
In 1950, he started his new show in Cleveland, Ohio, after moving from Akron the previous year.
Within two years, he inadvertently began starting riots with his choice of music.
Nicknamed "King of the Moon Doggers," Freed played Black artists on his radio shows at
a time of strict segregation, drawing the ire of critics.
But his work breaking down racial barriers was immensely important for the foundation
of rock and roll.
Indeed, Freed was responsible for popularizing the term "rock and roll," which he used frequently
on his radio show.
"Alan Freed called it 'the beat.'
You gotta have 'the beat.'"
Unfortunately, Freed's career and reputation were tarnished for his role in the payola
scandal, where he admitted he accepted bribes in return for playing and promoting certain
records on the radio.
Freed died in 1965 at the age of 43, long before he was inducted into the Rock & Roll
Hall of Fame.
Few talent scouts were as legendary as John Hammond.
Without Hammond's keen eye for talent, rock and roll would sound completely different
than it does today, as he's credited with discovering the talents of Bob Dylan, Aretha
Franklin, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Seeger, and Billie Holiday among many others.
Born in 1910 and a dropout of Yale, Hammond began his career in the 1930s and quickly
found success.
He played a big role in breaking down early racial color barriers in music, and was one
of the few white executives to work for integration.
While Hammond was alive for his induction, he died a short time later in 1987, at the age of 76.
He might not have the most recognizable name in rock and roll, but it's impossible to doubt his impact.
For fans of rock and roll across the world, few things are sadder than the death of icon Buddy Holly.
Holly's career was just beginning when he died along with other greats Ritchie Valens
and The Big Bopper in a tragic 1959 plane crash.
The crash was later immortalized in the Don McLean song "American Pie," and is known as
"The Day The Music Died."
Instantly recognizable from his large spectacles, Holly was born in 1936 in Lubbock, Texas,
and his career began in the 1950s.
However, things would not take off until the release of his single "That'll Be the Day"
in 1957, which shot him into rock superstardom and influenced a generation of new musicians
by changing how the guitar was used.
In 2017, Queen guitarist Brian May explained to the BBC how things were prior to Holly.
"The guitar, if it was there, would be in the background just chugging away acoustically.
You didn't have a guitar just kicking in at the beginning of the record, electrified."
With his band The Crickets, Holly changed the face of rock and roll with his unique
and catchy guitar lines and inspired vocals.
The band became internationally acclaimed on the back of '50s hits like "Peggy Sue,"
"Oh Boy," and several others.
Holly's peak lasted less than two years, but his work is widely revered today, and is some
of the most memorable in all of rock and roll history.
Holly was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by John Fogerty, and he credited Holly
with inspiring him to first pick up a guitar.
Holly was only 22 years old at the time of his death, and was one of the brightest young
rock and rollers to have his career cut short.
Few legends carry the respect of Robert Johnson.
Born in 1911, Johnson was one of the finest blues guitarists of the 1930s, and his music
heavily influenced the generation that would become the first rock and rollers.
He was not particularly successful commercially during his lifetime, but after death he finally
got the recognition he deserved: he is the only musician to be inducted in the inaugural
classes of both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Blues Hall of Fame.
It has long been said that to write his songs Johnson had made a deal with the devil, early
in his career at "The Crossroads," and the folklore has always added to his mythical stature.
Johnson died in 1938 of unknown causes at just 27 years old.
But despite his short career, it's not much of an overstatement to say that without Johnson,
there would be no rock and roll.
If it wasn't for some of his more controversial personal choices, we might today be looking
at Jerry Lee Lewis the same way we look at legends like Elvis Presley or Little Richard.
Born in 1935 in Ferriday, Louisiana, Lewis became a sensation in his early 20s due to
his virtuoso rockabilly piano playing and energetic theatrics.
He was known for going wild on stage, and some of his antics gave new meaning to his
song "Great Balls of Fire."
Yet, for as much success as Lewis experienced in 1957 with his string of top-10 hits, within
two years, everything would come crashing down.
When word got out about his marriage to his adolescent cousin, the press had a field day,
and his comments in defense only made things worse.
Lewis never again reached the success in rock music that he had before the scandal broke,
but he did, however, manage to find a lot of success in country music.
Lewis' presenter for the hall was country music star Hank Williams Jr., and as part
of the celebration, Lewis joined fellow inductee Chuck Berry on a performance of "Roll Over Beethoven."
Lewis also made it into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2022, just months before dying
at the age of 87.
He will forever be remembered as an important part of rock's creation, and few pianists
are as deserving of inclusion into the hall as himself.
It's rare for a music executive to reach the level of fame that performers do, but then
again, nothing was exactly normal about the career of Sam Phillips.
Phillips is most renowned for founding one of the greatest and most famous record labels
in rock and roll history: Sun Records.
Based in Memphis, Tennessee in the 1950s, Phillips was instrumental in recording some
of the best-selling albums in rock and roll history, working with stars like Johnny Cash,
Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Roy Orbison.
"If I'd have let him start out with anything but 'Oobie Doobie' or some rhythm song for
the young people, you might have never heard of Roy Orbison."
But perhaps Phillips' best work was reserved for his time with Elvis Presley.
Phillips was the one who discovered Presley, and he helped bring his music to millions
and millions.
Without Phillips, we might not have Presley.
For his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Phillips' presenter was Ahmet Ertegun,
the hall's co-founder.
Besides being a rock hall inductee, Phillips is also a member of the Alabama Music Hall
of Fame, Country Music Hall of Fame, Blues Hall of Fame, and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
Phillips died in 2003 from respiratory failure; he was 80 years old.
If there was one absolute shoo-in for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's inaugural class,
it had to be Elvis Presley.
There is probably no name in American history as synonymous with rock and roll as Presley,
and for good reason, too.
A native of Tupelo, Mississippi and born in 1935, Presley was the true "King of Rock and Roll."
After being discovered by Sam Phillips at Sun Records as a teenager, within a few years
Presley was creating his own new brand of music — which became known as rockabilly.
Presley's music propelled him into superstardom, but that wasn't the only thing fans adored.
In addition to his guitar playing and smooth voice, Presley also infatuated audiences — especially
girls and women — with his evocative performances that featured sensual crooning combined with
spirited hip-gyrations.
Countless songwriters and musicians have since labeled Presley as one of their biggest influences,
and he was the first true rock and roll star.
However, by the mid-1970s Presley was a shell of his former self, and he died in 1977 from
a heart attack.
Sean and Julian Lennon, the sons of John Lennon, inducted Presley into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Looking back today, it's almost impossible to quantify how much of an impact Presley
made on rock and roll, and America, during his career.
As B.B. King told Charlie Rose,
"He had everything.
The looks.
He had the talent."
Along with Elvis Presley, few men can claim to have had the impact on rock and roll as
Little Richard has.
Richard was responsible for recording such huge hits as "Long Tall Sally," "Tutti Frutti,"
and "Good Golly Miss Molly," which are some of the most widely covered songs in music history.
He was born in Macon, Georgia, in 1932, and first found success in the 1950s.
Besides his incredible piano playing, Richard was most well known for his eccentric and
wild vocals, which combined shrieks and yells with beautiful singing.
Yet, for a time beginning in 1957, Richard seemed to give up rock and roll, as he found
religion and started a new career as a preacher — following in his family's tradition.
He still created music, but it was a much different gospel style.
He returned to the fold in 1964 when bands like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and
Bob Dylan began to play his songs, bringing his music to a newer and younger generation.
Though he was no longer as popular as he was during his heyday in the mid-1950s, Richard
still performed up until his retirement in 2013.
Richard died in 2020 at the age of 87 from bone cancer.
His presenter for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was Roberta Flack, and she noted the
incredible impact Richard made in rock and roll for Black performers.
Richard opened new doors for many with his rock, and his impact will be forever everlasting.
Country music star Jimmie Rodgers was one of the most influential songwriters and singers
of all time.
Rodgers was born in 1897 and was known as the "Singing Brakeman" during his career due
to his time spent working the railroads.
Tragically, Rodgers died in 1933 from tuberculosis.
His career lasted only about 6 years, but his impact was felt for decades.
His guitar playing and songwriting served as inspiration for countless future rockers,
leading to his Hall of Fame induction in the Early Influences category.
Rodgers is the only person inducted in the inaugural classes of both the Rock & Roll
and Country Music Halls of Fame, showing just how important his influence has been in American music.
The final inductee of the inaugural 1986 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class was blues legend Jimmy Yancey.
Yancey made it into the hall in the Early Influences category, and his presenter was
hall co-founder Ahmet Ertegun.
Yancey is believed to be born around 1898 in Chicago, and he was giving performances
for the king of England when he was just a teenager.
His big contribution to music was his major role in creating the "boogie-woogie" style
of piano playing, which would later be used by other pianists, like fellow hall inductee Fats Domino.
As an adult, Yancey split his time between playing music and playing professional baseball
in the Negro Leagues.
He died in 1951 from diabetes just a few weeks after suffering a stroke.