Keith Richards Once Got Punched by Chuck Berry for Committing a Grave Rock & Roll Offense

There are just some things you don’t do as a rock musician. Chief among them is touching someone else’s instrument without asking. A guitar is a sacred piece of equipment to most rockers (although Pete Townshend would disagree). You can’t go around willy-nilly picking up the item another rocker holds most dear. However, Keith Richards once defied this most salient rock rule. Moreover, he did it to one of the grandfathers of the genre as a whole. Talk about a grave offense. Find out more below.

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Why Chuck Berry Punched Keith Richards for Touching His Guitar

Like any other rockers, The Rolling Stones gave Chuck Berry credit where it was due. This rock legend was the building block for every one of our favorite classic rockers. Naturally, his influence can’t be denied.

So, when Richards got the chance to run in the same circle, he got a little frenzied, understandably so. According to the guitarist, he once got a little too comfortable with Berry’s guitar, causing a rift.

“He punched me once, years ago, in the 60s, I think,” Richards once said. “We were in his dressing room, I was having a peek at his guitar, and I was just about to stroke it, and he went: ‘Nobody touches it!’ And bam! Quite right, Chuck! I would have done the same.”

At least, he’s self-aware about it. Despite suffering his anger, Richards’ admiration for Berry has endured for decades. He and his bandmates have constantly spoken about how Berry and his bluesy riffs have influenced their career.

Chuck Berry’s Influence on The Rolling Stones

“To me, Chuck Berry always was the epitome of rhythm and blues playing, rock and roll playing… his timing was perfection,” Richards once said, with Mick Jagger adding, “I want to thank him for all the inspirational music he gave to us. He lit up our teenage years, and blew life into our dreams of being musicians and performers…his music is engraved inside us forever.”

Clearly, the band holds Berry’s influence dear. Not a single rocker would be here without Berry paving the way. He turned blues into rock thanks to a few powerhouse riffs that energized listeners out of the dark.

Bands like The Rolling Stones and The Beatles, who were massively influenced by American blues, had to look to Berry for cues. If they didn’t give proper credit, then they weren’t worth their salt.

(Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)

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