On October 18^th, 1926, the world gained a man named Chuck Berry—a man who would go on to be one of the great pioneers of music, a fiery soul whom Bob Dylan once called “the Shakespeare of Rock ‘n’ Roll”. And on Saturday, March 18^th of 2017, the world lost him: Berry passed away in his home near Wentzville, Mo. at the age of 90.

Berry was a man who, as the New York Times fittingly describes, “Understood what the kids wanted before they knew themselves.” Interested in music from an early age, Berry gave his first public performance while still in high school, never letting up until he found himself with a No. 1 on the R&B charts with “Maybellene,” which he took to executives at Chess Records in 1955.

This song, one that told a story through a blend of sounds that pulled from both blues and country music, is widely considered to be the beginning of rock ‘n’ roll.

Berry wasted no time in following up with a barrage of still-famous singles between 1955 and 1958, such as “Roll Over, Beethoven,” “Sweet Little Sixteen,” “Brown Eyed Handsome Man,” and “Johnny B. Goode” that found success with every demographic—Berry described his compositions as being made “…for people who would buy them. No color, no ethnic, no political—I don’t want that, never did.”

Berry’s biggest hit came in 1972, with the interestingly-titled “My Ding-a-Ling,” which was simultaneously his first and only No. 1 pop single, and the last hit of his career. With his subsequent albums declining in popularity, Berry’s later works failed to sell well. Despite this, the musician stayed active well into the 1990s.

It is always unconventional people who create the greatest change, and Berry’s life was no different—his music shrugged off racial and class divides, satirized icons, and combined sounds in a way that had never been done before. His music was fun, young, and irreverent—it was the soul of rock ‘n’ roll.

Because of his status as the most influential musician of his genre, Berry received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1985, and a year later became the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s first member.

But perhaps the best measure of Berry’s greatness can be seen in his legacy. Bands from all over the world, including the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, and the Beach Boys have both covered and have been heavily influenced by Berry’s sound and style.

Rolling Stones band member Keith Richards once said that “It’s very difficult for me to talk about Chuck Berry ‘cause I’ve lifted every lick he ever played. This is the man that started it all!”

So great was Berry’s importance to the cultural landscape of his time that his music was sent out on a voyage to other worlds—“Johnny B. Goode” was included on golden records aboard the Voyager I and II spacecraft which were launched in 1977 in hopes of introducing human culture to alien species.

Berry is survived by his wife of 68 years, Themetta, whom he affectionately called Toddy. Mere months before his death, Berry announced plans to release a new album dedicated to Themetta, saying in an 2016 press release that “This record is dedicated to my beloved Toddy. My darlin’, I’m growing old! I’ve worked on this record for a long time. Now I can hang up my shoes!”

Berry will be remembered as one of the founders of rock ‘n’ roll, and a musician who defined the sound of a generation, and influenced many, many more.

You can finally hang up those shoes, Mr. Berry. You’ve earned a good rest.