This Wheeling native was one of the top jazz saxphonists of the Swing Era, often compared to Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young. Inspired by Hawkins, Berry started playing the sax and in college bands at West Virginia State College (now University).

Known for his smooth tone and fast playing, Berry worked with top musicians such as Bessie Smith and Lionel Hampton. In the late 1930s, he played with Cab Calloway’s band, along with young trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. The two often joined late-night jam sessions that helped create a new jazz style called bebop.

Berry’s best-known songs include Ghost of a Chance and On the Sunny Side of the Street. Sadly, he died in a car accident in 1941 at age 31. In 2007, he was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame.