Chuck Berry – the first who outlived most

There’s been an outpouring of adulation as the venerable Chuck Berry dies. ‘He was one of the undisputed, all-time greats of rock and roll, a founding father of the music that shook and shaped the world. He was rock’s first great songwriter and first guitar hero. His influence on Elvis Presley, The Beatles and the Rolling Stones (as well as every other star of the rock ‘n’ roll firmament, from Buddy Holly to Bruce Springsteen) is enough to guarantee musical immortality,’ wrote one music commentator. Mick Jagger said that Berry “lit up our teenage years and blew life into our dreams”. Singer Bruce Springsteen called him “a giant for the ages”.

Born 18 October 1926 at 6.59am St Louis, Missouri, he had a 12^th house Sun Venus in Libra; but what really dominated his chart was a Fixed Grand Cross of musical Neptune in flamboyant Leo in the 10^th opposition Jupiter square Mars in Taurus opposition Mercury and Saturn in Scorpio – so formidably enduring. 1926 has thrown up a fair number of prominent figures who stood the test of time including HM Queen and David Attenborough amongst many others.

Berry also had an artistic Water Grand Trine of Pluto in Cancer trine a Pisces Moon in the performing 5^th trine Mercury in the 1^st – custom built to create and entertain, a healer for others if not for himself. He also had Uranus in the 5^th which is a classic, rebellious rock/pop music placing.

He wasn’t the easiest or indeed nicest of men. Born in the tough southern states during racial discrimination, he ended up in juvvie for robbing cars at gunpoint, spent more time in prison for underage sex and later settled a lawsuit with 59 women who accused him of secretly filming them in the ladies bathroom of a restaurant he owned. Part of that may have been his Pluto square Venus and trine his Moon; plus his sexually-charged, though not sensitive Mars in Taurus which was quincunx his Venus.

His get-it-together 5^th Harmonic was strong; even more so his inspirational 7^th Harmonic. His ‘obsessive dream’ 11H was heavily aspected; also his leaving-a-legacy-for-history 17H; and his super-star 22^nd.

An over-weighting of Fixed signs makes for great stubbornness, acquisitiveness and the ability to plough on long after more flexible souls have given up.