The Chris Moeller Archives

Chuck Berry's funeral

Fateful circumstances-- that is, a Cardinals game and a Chris Rock concert-- led me to St. Louis this past weekend and to the public viewing tribute to Chuck Berry as he lied in state at the Pageant Theater on Sunday. The Father of Rock and Roll died on March 18th, and his family opened up the doors of this theater to the general public for a viewing of the body five hours before the private funeral service on Sunday afternoon.

It was an interesting mix of people in line around my brother and me. It seemed to be largely local people. We were the outliers as visitors from out of town and out of state. Directly behind us in the line, which wrapped about two city blocks early in the morning, were the proprietors of the city’s most iconic music store, Vintage Vinyl, which is located down the street from the Pageant and directly across from Berry's star on the city's Walk of Fame and a statute of Berry. Next to them happened to be the mother of a college football coach that just signed on as a graduate assistant with my alma mater, Iowa State University, for the 2017 season. You find out that it's a small world when you talk to people.

A team of limousines were lined up on a closed off block of Delmar Boulevard even six hours before the funeral. Inside the venue, Berry was laid out in a casket just below the theater’s stage. He was to be buried in his signature Captain’s hat and with his red Gibson ES-335 guitar. I must say that the body looked magnificent. The casket was flanked on either side by a pair of well-dressed guards in white gloves. Imposing is the wrong word for their appearance, impressive is the right one. We were encouraged to sign a guest book, which we did, and a program was handed out. During our time passing by the body, “Maybellene” played overhead. That was Berry's first hit record in 1955. Near the casket, a large floral arrangement in the shape of an upright guitar was a gift from the Rolling Stones. The first 300 members of the public in an auxiliary line at 11 am were given entry passes for the private service, but we were destined to be on the road by that time. Had we waited, we would have easily made the cut. Among the luminaries that would be on hand for that event were the frequent Berry collaborator Johnny Rivers, KISS’s Gene Simmons, and TV’s Paul Shaffer.

Chuck Berry was committed to the earth late in the day on Sunday. He already belonged to the ages.

posted by CM @ 7:08 PM