Celebrating Chuck Berry's Birthday and Carl Sagan's Timeless Tribute, Heard Across the Universe

Chuck Berry, the legendary rock and roll pioneer, celebrated his 60th birthday on October 18, 1986. Among the many tributes and congratulations he received, one stood out for its cosmic significance. It was a letter from Carl Sagan, the renowned astronomer and science communicator, who informed Berry that his music had been sent to the stars.

Sagan was the chairman of a committee that selected the contents of the Voyager Golden Records, two identical phonograph records that were attached to NASA’s Voyager spacecrafts, launched in 1977. The records contain sounds and images that represent the diversity of life and culture on Earth, intended for any intelligent extraterrestrial life form who may find them. The records are expected to last for at least a billion years, as they travel through interstellar space.

Among the 27 musical selections from different cultures and eras, one song was chosen to represent rock and roll: “Johnny B. Goode” by Chuck Berry. Sagan wrote in his letter: “When they tell you your music will live forever, you can usually be sure they’re exaggerating. But Johnny B. Goode is on the Voyager interstellar records attached to NASA’s Voyager spacecraft - now two billion miles from Earth and bound for the stars.

Sagan also expressed his admiration for Berry’s music, which he described as “the music of the human species”.

Berry was touched by Sagan’s letter, and replied: “I was so surprised and honored when I received your letter informing me of what you had done to make my song ‘Johnny B. Goode’ a part of history forever.

Berry’s music has influenced generations of musicians and fans, and has been recognized as one of the greatest achievements of American culture. But perhaps his greatest legacy is that his music has transcended the boundaries of time and space, and has reached out to the unknown wonders of the universe.