Chuck Berry
There is much confusion surrounding the actual birth date of rock
legend Chuck Berry. Most informed sources agree on October 18, 1931,
yet some have put the year at 1926. His actual birthplace is also
shrouded in confusion, though most people have settled for St Louis,
Mississippi.
Charles Edward Berry has had a profound influence on the history of
rock & roll, inspiring musicians such as The
Beatles, The Rolling
Stones and The Who. And his self-penned songs - Roll Over
Beethoven, Sweet Little Sixteen, Johnny B Goode, Rock 'n' Roll Music,
Maybelene, School Days, No Particular Place To Go and many many
more - have all become rock classics. Indeed, the Berry repertoire is
one of the most recorded catalogs in rock music.
Berry started singing at the age of six, in the Antioch Baptist
Church choir, and taught himself to play the guitar as a youngster.
His rebellious nature culminated in a conviction for attempted robbery
at the age of 14, followed by three years spent in a reform school.
 Back
in circulation, Berry took a job with General Motors in 1947, and
later worked as a hairdresser. During his spare time however, Chuck
formed his own trio and played the blues in clubs and at private
functions around St Louis in order to earn extra money to support his
wife and two children. Around this time he began writing his own
songs.
In 1955, he left St Louis for Chicago where he played with the
legendary blues singer Muddy Waters, who was so impressed with the
young guitarist that he introduced him to Chess Records.
The label
gave him a contract and released his debut single, Maybelene. Within weeks it became an American Top Ten hit and Chuck Berry was
on his way to superstardom and a place in rock music history.
Berry was charged in 1959 with violating the American Mann Act by
transporting a minor (a 14-year-old native American prostitute) over a state line for
immoral purposes. The trial lasted two years and put Berry in prison,
ruining his marriage and destroying his career. A retrial was granted
following the conviction because the judge had repeatedly referred to
Berry as "this negro". But the appeal court upheld the
sentence.
Berry was released in
1964 and set about trying to re-establish himself, releasing Memphis
Tennessee.
In 1972 he clocked up his first British and American Number 1 hit
with the risqué novelty track, My Ding-A-Ling. Berry continues
to perform regularly, playing throughout the United States and
overseas. He performs one Wednesday every month at Blueberry Hill, a
restaurant and bar located in the Delmar Loop neighbourhood of St.
Louis.
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