The musician Chuck Berry, whose songs blended blues, rockabilly and jazz into some of the most timeless rock and roll songs of the 20th century, has died at the age of 90.
Police responded to an emergency call from Berry's home at 12.40pm local time on Saturday.
The musician was unresponsive when emergency services arrived.
A statement from the St. Charles County Police Department said Berry could not be revived.
He was declared dead at 1.26pm local time.
The statement added: "The St. Charles County Police Department sadly confirms the death of Charles Edward Anderson Berry Sr., better known as legendary musician Chuck Berry.
"The family requests privacy during this time of bereavement."
Berry was one of rock and roll’s most influential guitarists.
He was the creator of raucous anthems that defined its early sound and heartbeat, died on Saturday at his Missouri home.
Although Elvis Presley was called the king of rock'n'roll, that crown would have fit just as well for Berry.
He was present in rock's infancy in the 1950s and emerged as its first star guitarist and lyricist.
Berry composed hits such as Johnny B. Goode, Roll Over Beethoven, Sweet Little Sixteen, Maybellene and Memphis.
His songs melded elements of blues, rockabilly and jazz into some of America's most timeless pop songs of the 20th century.
Chuck Berry performs at the Major League Baseball All Star Gala in 2009. Source: EPA
He was a monumental influence on just about any child who picked up a guitar with rock star aspirations - Keith Richards, Paul McCartney, John Lennon and Bruce Springsteen among them.
Bob Dylan called Berry "the Shakespeare of rock and roll," and he was one of the first popular acts to write as well as perform his own songs.
They focused on youth, romance, cars and good times, with lyrics that were complex, humorous and sometimes a little raunchy.
Both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, as well as the Beach Boys and scores of others acts - even Elvis - covered Berry's songs.
"If you tried to give rock and roll another name," Lennon once said, "you might call it 'Chuck Berry'."
When Richards inducted Berry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, he said: "It's very difficult for me to talk about Chuck Berry because I've lifted every lick he ever played. This is the gentleman who started it all."
Berry, who marked his 90th birthday in 2016 by announcing he would release his first album in 38 years, listed T-Bone Walker, Carl Hogan of Louis Jordan's band and Charlie Christian from Benny Goodman's band as his guitar influences.
He said he performed his signature bent-knee, head-bobbing "duck walk" across more than 4000 concert stages.
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