Chuck Berry Biography

Chuck Berry is one of the main founders of rock’n’roll. An American songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist he will be remembered as one of the greatest performers of our time.

Early Life and Career

Charles Edward Anderson “Chuck” Berry was born in St. Louis, Missouri on October 18, 1926. He was raised in a middle-class family of six children. His father was a deacon at a Baptist church which allowed Charles to get more familiar with music and songwriting. He was mentored by a barber, who taught him guitar. Chuck was soon a name in the local scene. He brought something new, as Berry would play hillbilly music accompanied by a unique flair and originality to old songs. He was brought in as a replacement to one of the pianists at the Cosmopolitan Club. Soon after the Chuck Berry Trio was formed as the main attraction for the African-American audience.

Solo Career and Success

Berry, yearned for a solo career and making music on his own. He approached record label Chess Records and after a session of his demo, he was signed and his first single was made, Maybellene. The song was a major influence on rock’n’roll although it did not have a great commercial success at first. The record would introduce and transcend into white audiences, a tremendous feat at the time. The first white DJs to promote the song were Alan Freed and Chess. Freed made sure that Chuck would be credited for his work and invited him to perform in Hollywood. At this time, Chuck became on of the founders of a new pop music genre called rock’n’roll.

Iconic Accomplishments

Classics were made as part of his repertoire with songs like Roll Over Beethoven, Thirty Days, Too Much Monkey Business, Brown Eyed Handsome Man, You Can’t Catch Me, School Day, Carol, Back in the U.S.A., Little Queenie, Memphis, Tennessee, and Johnny B. Goode. As his success grew and grew, appearing on TV and film, performing all around the country, Berry’s fame was put on hold after being sent to prison for transporting a minor over state line. During his absence, pop phenomena the Beatles and the rock giants the Rolling Stones were becoming very popular after re-using his sound and influence in their material.

Setbacks and Comeback

Somewhat disappointed he still managed to release a series of hits and toured Britain along with his admirers in 1964. With the arrival of the hippie movement, Chuck had to change as well in order to appeal to the public. Following 5 unsuccessful live albums with Mercury Records and a difficult period as a performer, Berry returned to Chess Records in 1970. He was able to score one hit with a live rendition of the nursery rhyme, My Ding a Ling, his first gold certification. By late 70s he was performing his classics on TV and was invited at numerous festivals and concerts. However, at the same time, he encountered trouble, when he was sent to prison for tax evasion. After his release from prison, Chuck seemed to have stopped finding excitement in music. Despite his bad reputation, Berry was inducted into Hollywood’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He announced in 2017 that he would release his first album in almost 40 years, simply called Chuck. Sadly, the greatest of rock and rollers was never able to do so, as he was pronounced dead on March 18, 2017, at 90 years old.

Photo credit: Chuck Berry