Chuck Berry featured in PBS ‘In Their Own Words’

Episode premieres July 27th

Chuck Berry’s extraordinary life will be explored in an episode of PBS’s new primetime special, In Their Own Words, premiering today (Tues, July 27th). The series, which kicked off last week with Pope Francis, the Argentian cardinal who made histoty by being the first pope from the Americas, examines the lives and impact of some of the most intriguing figures in recent history. Combining exclusive interviews with archival footage and each subject’s own words to help tell the story, In Their Own Words sheds light on these compelling personalities and examines their continuing influence.

Berry’s incredible life story spans more than seven decades, beginning in the clubs and bars of a deeply segregated St. Louis. In 1955, his “Maybellene” rose to No. 1 on the R&B chart. It then miraculously crossed over, reaching No. 5 on the top 100 Pop chart, ultimately birthing a renaissance in popular music we now call rock and roll. To his family, Berry was a sensitive poet and devoted family man. To others, he was a demanding and difficult artist, a “diabolical genius” driven by a voracious appetite for money and a deep desire for respect and control. This episode takes a riveting ride on the Chuck Berry train, exploring the life, the legend, the music and the man. Featured are interviews with his widow, son and grandson, along with colleagues and musicians who idolize him, including Keith Richards, Robert Cray, Slash, Darius Rucker and more.

The series will stream simultaneously with broadcast and be available on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS Video app, available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV and Chromecast.

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com