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Chuck Berry Biography

in full Charles Edward Anderson Berry

(1926–)

Related Works

Albums
1958 After School Session
1958 One Dozen Berrys
1959 Chuck Berry Is On Top

1960 Rockin' At The Hops
1961 New Juke Box Hits
1962 Chuck Berry Twist
1963 More Chuck Berry
1963 Chuck Berry On Stage
1964 The Latest and Greatest
1964 Two Great Guitars (with Bo Diddley)
1964 St Louis To Liverpool
1965 Chuck Berry in London
1965 Fresh Berrys
1967 Golden Hits
1967 Chuck Berry In Memphis
1967 Live at the Fillmore Auditorium
1968 From St Louis to Frisco
1969 Concerto in B. Goode
1970 Back Home
1971 San Francisco Dues
1972 The London Chuck Berry Sessions
1973 Bio
1975 Chuck Berry
1978 Live in Concert
1979 Rockit
1980 Rock! Rock! Rock 'N' Roll
1987 Hail, Hail Rock 'N' Roll (soundtrack)
1993 On The Blues Side
Compilations
1964 Chuck Berry's Greatest Hits
1967 Chuck Berry's Golden Decade
1973 Golden Decade, Volume 2
1974 Golden Decade, Volume 3
1977 Motorvatin'
1980 Spotlight on Chuck Berry
1983 Chess Masters
1984 Reelin' and Rockin' (Live)
1986 Rock 'N' Roll Rarities
1986 More Rock 'N' Roll Rarities
1988 Chicago Golden Years
1988 Decade '55 to '65
1989 Chuck Berry Box Set
1990 The Great Twenty-Eight
1990 Chess Box
1994 Oh Yeah!
1995 Poet of Rock 'N' Roll

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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

(born Oct. 18, 1926, St. Louis, Mo., U.S.) singer, songwriter, and guitarist who was one of the most popular and influential performers in rhythm-and-blues and rock-and-roll music in the 1950s, '60s, and '70s.

Raised in a working-class African-American neighbourhood on the north side of the highly segregated city of St. Louis, Berry grew up in a family proud of its African-American and Native-American ancestry. He gained early exposure to music through his family's participation in the choir of the Antioch Baptist Church, through the blues and country-western music he heard on the radio, and through music classes, especially at Sumner High School. Berry was still attending high school when he was sent to serve three years for armed robbery at a Missouri prison for young offenders. After his 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 search of a recording contract; Muddy Waters directed him to the Chess brothers. Leonard and Phil Chess signed him for their Chess label, and in 1955 his first recording session produced “Maybellene” (a country-and-western-influenced song that Berry had originally titled “Ida Red”), which stayed on the pop charts for 11 weeks, cresting at number five. Berry followed this success with extensive tours and hit after hit, including “Roll Over Beethoven” (1956), “School Day” (1957), “Rock and Roll Music” (1957), “Sweet Little Sixteen” (1958), “Johnny B. Goode” (1958), and “Reelin' and Rockin'” (1958). His vivid descriptions of consumer culture and teenage life, the distinctive sounds he coaxed from his guitar, and the rhythmic and melodic virtuosity of his piano player (Johnny Johnson) made Berry's songs staples in the repertoire of almost every rock-and-roll band.

At the peak of his popularity, federal authorities prosecuted Berry for violating the Mann Act, alleging that he transported an underage female across state lines “for immoral purposes.” After two trials tainted by racist overtones, Berry was convicted and remanded to prison. Upon his release he placed new hits on the pop charts, including “No Particular Place to Go” in 1964, at the height of the British Invasion, whose prime movers, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, were hugely influenced by Berry (as were the Beach Boys). In 1972 Berry achieved his first number one hit, “My Ding-A-Ling.” Although he recorded more sporadically in the 1970s and '80s, he continued to appear in concert, most often performing with backing bands comprising local musicians. Berry's public visibility increased in 1987 with the publication of his book Chuck Berry: The Autobiography and the release of the documentary film Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n' Roll, featuring footage from his 60th birthday concert and guest appearances by Keith Richards and Bruce Springsteen.