Charles Berry Jr. offered a poetic look into the history of rock ‘n’ roll Saturday at the opening of an exhibit dedicated to his father.

Berry and sister Melody Berry-Eskridge were in Joliet for the Chuck Berry exhibit at the Illinois Rock and Roll Museum on Route 66.

Chuck Berry’s renown includes being called the “Father of Rock and Roll.”

His son compared the music to a baby that grew with the influence of a variety of genres and musicians, many of whom came from Illinois.

He described the influence of blues, gospel, country and jazz music, noting Illinois bands and musicians, while outlining the development of rock ‘n’ roll music.

The museum, he said, is a place where visitors “see in an interesting setting the wonders of Illinois rock and roll.”

“If my dad was still alive, he would be standing here today and enthusiastically sharing his thoughts,” Berry said.

Charles and Melody, like their father did, live in the St. Louis area.

But Charles described how his father’s career was launched by a visit to Chicago in 1955 when he met the owners of Chess Records.

The museum has an exhibit devoted to Chess Records just around the corner from the new Chuck Berry exhibit.

Chess Records recorded “Maybellene,” a song that became a No. 1 hit and launched Berry’s career.

“My dad was on the road from 1955 to 2014,” Charles said in an interview after his speech.

Charles mingled with museum visitors, talking about his father and music.

It was the second visit to the Joliet museum for Charles and Melody.

“We came up in 2022 when dad was inducted,” Melody said.

Berry is in the Illinois Rock and Roll Museum on Route 66 Hall of Fame. He was among the first musicians inducted into the national Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when it opened in Cleveland in 1986.

His son commented on the importance of the Joliet museum in telling the history of rock ‘n’ roll in Illinois.

“There’s only one place dedicated to celebrating Illinois’s own rock and roll history,” Charles Berry said.

Charles was accompanied at the ceremony by his wife, Cheryl.

Not at the ceremony was Chuck Berry’s widow, Themetta, who at age 99 was not able to make the trip.

But it was considered, Charles said, commenting on the family response to an invitation to the event from museum board member Jim Murphy.

“When Jim asked if my family would come and participate in the festivities,” he said, “it was not whether we would participate but if our 99-year-old mother would be able to come with us.”

The museum is located at 9 W. Cass St. in downtown Joliet.