Chuck Berry statue approved in St Louis

After a controversial planning process, St Louis has approved the construction of a statue of rock n' roll pioneer Chuck Berry.

Reuters reports that the eight-foot statue of Chuck Berry is to be erected on a public bikeway that intersects with a shopping strip that includes the Blueberry Hill club where Berry has played over 160 shows.

The club owner Joe Edwards helped raise the $100,000 to build the statue, but at the last minute a petition was presented to oppose the construction.

One hundred signatures agreed with 86-year-old former city council member Elsie Glickert, who said, "This man is a felon and not a friend of women. It is a misuse of tax dollars to honour him on public property".

Edwards responded that Berry is the city's "most famous musical native son, who through his music changed race relations and culture around the world."

The University City council rejected the petition drive and approved the statue, which will be installed later this week and dedicated at a ceremony on July 29 with the 84-year-old Berry in attendance.

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