Chuck Berry, the guitarist who merged blues and swing into the phenomenon of early rock'n'roll and in the process influenced generations of musicians, died on Saturday (March 18). He was 90, according to Missouri police.

St Charles County police said in a Facebook post that they responded to a medical emergency at a home at approximately 12.40pm local time. Berry died in the St Louis area, where he built his career.

With indelible riffs and lyrics about cars, youth and adventure, he helped define the language of rock. His body of work remains a foundation for nearly everything that followed in the genre.