Chuck Berry

Artist Image: Chuck Berry
Attribution
Image Credit: Universal Attractions (management) ( photo front photo back), Public domain

Biography

Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry (born October 18, 1926) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" (1955), "Roll Over Beethoven" (1956), "Rock and Roll Music" (1957) and "Johnny B. Goode" (1958), Chuck Berry refined and developed rhythm and blues into the major elements that made rock and roll distinctive, with lyrics focusing on teen life and consumerism and utilizing guitar solos and showmanship that would be a major influence on subsequent rock music. Born into a middle-class family in St. Louis, Missouri, Berry had an interest in music from an early age and gave his first public performance at Sumner High School. While still a high school student he served a prison sentence for armed robbery between 1944 and 1947. On his release, Berry settled into married life and worked at an automobile assembly plant. By early 1953, influenced by the guitar riffs and showmanship techniques of blues player T-Bone Walker, he was performing in the evenings with the Johnnie Johnson Trio. His break came when he traveled to Chicago in May 1955, and met Muddy Waters, who suggested he contact Leonard Chess of Chess Records. With Chess he recorded "Maybellene"-Berry's adaptation of the country song "Ida Red"-which sold over a million copies, reaching No. 1 on Billboard's Rhythm and Blues chart. By the end of the 1950s, Berry was an established star with several hit records and film appearances to his name as well as a lucrative touring career. He had also established his own St. Louis-based nightclub, called Berry's Club Bandstand. But in January 1962, Berry was sentenced to three years in prison for offenses under the Mann Act-he had transported a 14-year-old girl across state lines. After his release in 1963, Berry had several more hits, including "No Particular Place to Go", "You Never Can Tell", and "Nadine", but these did not achieve the same success, or lasting impact, of his 1950s songs, and by the 1970s he was more in demand as a nostalgic live performer, playing his past hits with local backup bands of variable quality. His insistence on being paid in cash led to a jail sentence in 1979-four months and community service for tax evasion. Berry was among the first musicians to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on its opening in 1986, with the comment that he "laid the groundwork for not only a rock and roll sound but a rock and roll stance." Berry is included in several Rolling Stone "Greatest of All Time" lists, including being ranked fifth on their 2004 list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll included three of Chuck Berry's songs: "Johnny B. Goode", "Maybellene", and "Rock and Roll Music". Today - at the age of 85 - Berry continues to play live.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 1955
Number of Albums 30
Record Label
Website www.chuckberry.com
Wikipedia Chuck Berry on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

What occupation did Berry's father Henry work in?

flour mill

...influence on 20th century popular music. His father Henry worked in a flour mill and his mother Martha was a college graduate. Despite his middle clas...
What was Berry's family background?

middle class

...flour mill and his mother Martha was a college graduate. Despite his middle class family background, Berry as a teenager joined two high school friend...
In what year did Berry spend time in prison?

1947

...nd Berry was convicted and served three years in prison between 1944 and 1947 . The couple had two children and Berry settled into family life while wo...
How many children did Berry and his wife have?

two

...ed and served three years in prison between 1944 and 1947. The couple had two children and Berry settled into family life while working at an automobi...
What instrument did Berry pursue in his free time?

guitar

...ather. In his free time Berry finally pursued an early fascination with guitar , taking lessons from Ira Harris, a local jazz guitarist. By 1952 Berry ...
What was Ira Harris' profession?

jazz guitarist

...ly fascination with guitar, taking lessons from Ira Harris, a local jazz guitarist . By 1952 Berry was playing professional engagements in St. Louis cl...
What group did Berry join in 1952?

St. Johns Trio

...ofessional engagements in St. Louis clubs and eventually joined the St. Johns Trio , led by pianist Johnnie Johnson and including drummer Eddy Hardy. I...
Who led the St. Johns Trio?

Johnnie Johnson

...ouis clubs and eventually joined the St. Johns Trio, led by pianist Johnnie Johnson and including drummer Eddy Hardy. In 1955 Berry traveled to Chicag...
Who was Berry's drummer?

Eddy Hardy

... St. Johns Trio, led by pianist Johnnie Johnson and including drummer Eddy Hardy . In 1955 Berry traveled to Chicago, Illinois where he had a chance me...
Where did Berry meet Muddy Waters in 1955?

Chicago, Illinois

...ohnson and including drummer Eddy Hardy. In 1955 Berry traveled to Chicago, Illinois where he had a chance meeting with Muddy Waters and asked him for...
What record label did Berry see Leonard Chess work for?

Chess Records

...ice about getting to record. Waters sent him to see Leonard Chess at Chess Records who listened to Berrys home recording of Ida Mae, a popular country...
Who listened to Berrys home recording of Ida Mae?

Leonard Chess

...asked him for advice about getting to record. Waters sent him to see Leonard Chess at Chess Records who listened to Berrys home recording of Ida Mae, ...
What popular country tune did Berry record?

Ida Mae

...Leonard Chess at Chess Records who listened to Berrys home recording of Ida Mae , a popular country tune. By the late 1950s Berry was an established st...
By what decade was Berry an established star?

1950s

...to Berrys home recording of Ida Mae, a popular country tune. By the late 1950s Berry was an established star with several hit records, film appearance...
What is the best measure of Berry's influence?

the extent to which other popular artists have copied his work

...ps the best measure of Berry's influence is the extent to which other popular artists have copied his work . The Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones and the...
Who introduced Chuck Berry at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

Keith Richards

...f their music. Introducing Berry at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones said, It's very difficult for me to talk abou...
What is another name for Chuck Berry?

Charles Berry

...For other uses, see Chuck Berry (disambiguation) and Charles Berry (disambiguation). Writing lyrics that focused on teen life and consumerism, and dev...
What was the focus of Chuck Berry's lyrics?

teen life and consumerism

...Charles Berry (disambiguation). Writing lyrics that focused on teen life and consumerism , and developing a music style that included guitar solos and ...
Where was Chuck Berry born?

St. Louis

...ence on subsequent rock music. Born into a middleclass black family in St. Louis , Berry had an interest in music from an early age and gave his first ...
What race was Berry born into?

black

... was a major influence on subsequent rock music. Born into a middleclass black family in St. Louis, Berry had an interest in music from an early age a...
Where did Berry perform his first public performance?

Sumner High School

... music from an early age and gave his first public performance at Sumner High School . While still a high school student he was convicted of armed robb...
What was Berry convicted of while still a high school student?

armed robbery

...r High School. While still a high school student he was convicted of armed robbery and was sent to a reformatory, where he was held from 1944 to 1947....
Where was Berry held from 1944 to 1947?

a reformatory

...igh school student he was convicted of armed robbery and was sent to a reformatory , where he was held from 1944 to 1947. After his release, Berry sett...
Where did Berry work after his release?

automobile assembly plant

... his release, Berry settled into married life and worked at an automobile assembly plant . By early 1953, influenced by the guitar riffs and showmanshi...
What blues musician inspired Berry to perform in 1953?

TBone Walker

...by the guitar riffs and showmanship techniques of the blues musician TBone Walker , Berry began performing with the Johnnie Johnson Trio. His break cam...
What was the name of his nightclub?

Berry's Club Bandstand

... several hit records and film appearances and a lucrative touring career. He had also established his own St. Louis nightclub, Berry's Club Bandstand ....
Whos music has transcended generations?

Chuck Berrys

... Chuck Berrys music has transcended generations. He earns respect to this day because he is truly an entertainer. For this reason, tunes like Johnny B....
Chuck Berry earns respect to this day because he is truly what?

an entertainer

...ended generations. He earns respect to this day because he is truly an entertainer . For this reason, tunes like Johnny B. Goode, Maybellene and Memphi...
What have become anthems to an integrated American youth and popular culture?

Johnny B. Goode, Maybellene and Memphis

...he is truly an entertainer. For this reason, tunes like Johnny B. Goode, Maybellene and Memphis have become anthems to an integrated American youth an...
Who was Berry's idol?

Nat King Cole

... together in song. He emulated the smooth vocal clarity of his idol, Nat King Cole , while playing blues songs from bands like Muddy Waters. He got a t...
When did Berry begin playing guitar?

1952

...uitar that would become the foundation of Berrys original sound. Then in 1952 , he began playing guitar and singing in a club band whose song list rang...
What was Chuck Berry's career and life known as?

the father of rock and roll

...erican singer, musician, and songwriter Chuck Berry, known as the father of rock and roll , has been a major influence on popular music. Though his car...
What was Charles Edward Anderson Berry's birth year?

1926

...ished. Early years Charles Edward Anderson Berry was born on October 18, 1926 , in San Jose, California. Shortly after his birth, the family (he had th...
Where was Berry born?

San Jose, California

...s Charles Edward Anderson Berry was born on October 18, 1926, in San Jose, California . Shortly after his birth, the family (he had three sisters and t...
How many sisters did Berry have?

three

...26, in San Jose, California. Shortly after his birth, the family (he had three sisters and two brothers) moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where they live...
When was Berry released from prison?

October 1947

...d served three years in a reform school. A year after his release in October 1947 , he was married and started a family. Music career Berry worked as a...
What was the name of the club where the band played?

Cosmopolitan Club

... Johnson called and asked him to play a New Year's Eve show at the Cosmopolitan Club in St. Louis. The band would play steadily at the club for the ne...
How long did Berry serve for armed robbery?

three years

...ol when he was sent to a Missouri prison for young offenders to serve three years for armed robbery. After his release and return to St. Louis, he wor...
What profession did Berry study?

hairdressing

...release and return to St. Louis, he worked at an auto plant, studied hairdressing , and played music in small nightclubs. Berry traveled to Chicago in ...
How did Berry travel to Chicago?

in search of a recording contract

...layed music in small nightclubs. Berry traveled to Chicago in search of a recording contract , and Muddy Waters directed him to the Chess brothers. Leo...
What city did Berry travel to in search of a recording contract?

Chicago

...d hairdressing, and played music in small nightclubs. Berry traveled to Chicago in search of a recording contract, and Muddy Waters directed him to th...
Who signed Berry for their Chess label?

Leonard and Phil Chess

... contract, and Muddy Waters directed him to the Chess brothers. Leonard and Phil Chess signed him for their Chess label, and in 1955 his first recordi...
What was Maybellene originally called?

Ida Red

...ne (a countryandwesterninfluenced song that Berry had originally titled Ida Red ), which stayed on the pop charts for 11 weeks, cresting at number five...
How long did maybellene stay on the pop charts?

11 weeks

...rry had originally titled Ida Red), which stayed on the pop charts for 11 weeks , cresting at number five. His vivid descriptions of consumer culture a...
What number did maybelene reach?

five

...da Red), which stayed on the pop charts for 11 weeks, cresting at number five . His vivid descriptions of consumer culture and teenage life, the distin...
Who was Berry's piano player?

Johnny Johnson

...uitar, and the rhythmic and melodic virtuosity of his piano player ( Johnny Johnson ) made Berrys songs staples in the repertoire of almost every rockan...
What did the Mann Act allege Berry transported an underage female across state lines for?

immoral purposes

...ging that he transported an underage female across state lines for immoral purposes . After two trials tainted by racist overtones, Berry was convicted...
What was Berry's first number one hit?

My DingALing

...remanded to prison. In 1972 Berry achieved his first number one hit, My DingALing . Although he recorded more sporadically in the 1970s and 80s, he con...
When did Berry record more sporadically?

1970s and 80s

...one hit, My DingALing. Although he recorded more sporadically in the 1970s and 80s , he continued to appear in concert, most often performing with back...
What was the name of Berry's 1987 book?

Chuck Berry: The Autobiography

...rrys public visibility increased in 1987 with the publication of his book Chuck Berry: The Autobiography and the release of the documentary film Hail!...
In what year was the documentary film Hail! released?

1987

... bands comprising local musicians. Berrys public visibility increased in 1987 with the publication of his book Chuck Berry: The Autobiography and the ...
Chuck Berry established what type of music?

rock and roll

...n youth and popular culture. Berry is a musical icon who established rock and roll as a musical form and brought the worlds of black and white togethe...
When was Chuck Berry's first public performance in public?

1941

...ying music at an early age. He performed in public for the first time in 1941 as a student at Sumner High School. He sang Jay McShann's Confessin' the...
Who wrote The Guitar?

Gene Santoro

... single fountainhead for rock guitar, Chuck Berry would be it, wrote Gene Santoro in The Guitar. Indeed, the list of artists influenced by the father ...
What is the list of artists influenced by Chuck Berry?

nearly endless

...d, the list of artists influenced by the father of rock and roll is nearly endless . From the Beach Boys and the Beatles to Jimi Hendrix and on to Van ...
Who said there was no other way to play rock and roll?

Eric Clapton

...ician knows the impact that Chuck Berry has had on popular music. As Eric Clapton stated, there's really no other way to play rock and roll. Took up G...
How many years later did Berry take up the guitar?

thirteen

...26, Berry didn't take up the guitar until he was in junior high school thirteen years later. With the accompaniment of a friend on guitar, the two you...
What did Berry learn from his partner?

guitar chords

...t audience. The reaction from the crowd prompted Berry to learn some guitar chords from his partner and he was hooked from then on. He spent his teen ...
What song did Berry play with a friend on guitar?

Confessin' The Blues

...of a friend on guitar, the two youths played a steamy version of Confessin' The Blues which surprised, and pleased, the student audience. The reaction...
What did he do with his father?

carpentry

...ar chords from his partner and he was hooked from then on. He spent his teen years developing his chops while working with his father doing carpentry ....