Chuck Berry

1926-1955

Chuck Berry was born in a large black middle-class family (his father was a contractor and a deacon of the Baptist church, his mother - a school principal), and fond of music since childhood. After high school, for 10 years, spoke on the clubs, playing blues. In one of them, in St. Louis, he began to perform country music, blues techniques painted. This innovative mix of styles (each of which was characterized by an audience divided along racial lines) brought him local fame. In May 1955, Berry, on the advice of Muddy Waters, went to Leonard Chess, the owner of blues label Chess Records. Those interested in guitar, and it was his experiments with the country than his blues, to the surprise of the Berry. May 21 at the studio was the company recorded the first single, Chuck Berry, 'Maybellene', pressure combined the rhythm & blues and country style. The single won 1 st place in the American charts category rhythm & blues.
. 1955-1963

. Finder definitely my style, . Berry began to issue one after the other hit singles, . have become classics of rock music: 'Thirty Days' (1955), . 'Roll Over Beethoven' (1956), . 'Brown Eyed Handsome Man' (1956), . 'Rock'n'Roll Music' (1957), . 'Sweet Little Sixteen' (1958), . 'Johnny B,
. Goode '(1958) and other. Berry as the author stood out among the figures of early rock 'n' roll: the texts of his songs were a kind of little story, full of unexpected turns and irony, not in vain, he was named 'poet of rock' n 'roll'. Since 1958, began to emerge and LPs singers in their principal place occupied blues. Berry has toured extensively and also took part in the shootings of two rock-n-roll feature films - 'Rock, Rock, Rock' (1956) and 'Go, Johnny, Go' (1959).

. At the end of 1959, Berry was involved in a trial related to the former cloakroom his St. Louis club, which was engaged in prostitution
. As a result of the trial Berry was fined $ 5000 and sentenced to 5 years in prison. He was released early, however, spent three years in prison.
1963-1975

Suspended Berry's career suddenly took revenge in the face 'British invasion' mid-1960. Cover versions of songs Berry made almost all the new British bands including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Animals, The Yardbirds, etc.. At this wave, Berry once again began to write rock and roll, writing such famous songs as' No Particular Place To Go ',' You Never Can Tell '(the song has become a second life thanks to the stage of the film' The Boulevard Fiction ') and' Promised Land '. Then, in 1966, the singer moved to Mercury Records, which overwrote their hits and released several new albums. Transition to a new label, marked a new nuances in the work of Berry: the singer has brought elements of psychedelia in their presentations. In 1970, Berry returned to Chess, but again left the label after five years. During this period he released several singles, one of which - 'My Ding-A-Ling' (1972) - paradoxically, for the first time brought Chuck Berry, 1-st place in the national U.S. charts, despite the fact that it was polushutochnaya concert cover version.
. 1975 --

. Since its withdrawal from the Chess, Berry finally switched to concerts, traveled on tours all over the world (Berry traveled to Russia several times)
. Singer still appears weekly on Wednesdays at his club 'Blueberry Hill' in St. Louis and occasionally leaves the tour.
Interesting facts

Chuck Berry was not just the major problems with the law. The first time he was arrested for car theft in adolescence. Then a scandal in 1959 (cm. above), which almost destroyed the career of the singer (Berry eventually served 3 years in prison). In 1979, Berry was against a new criminal case for tax evasion. Sentence: 4 months in prison and 1000 hours of labor for public. In 1990 a scandal erupted over obscene: Berry sued several women who accused the singer in the installation of secret cameras in the ladies' room of his own club. It was decided not to bring to trial (presumably Berry has paid 1.2 million dollars to the plaintiffs).

. There is a bike that Berry was enough to take with you on a tour a 'Gibson', - accompanying ansabl familiar with his songs, he was convinced he could find in any city where he played
. In addition, they recruited musicians often do not receive program performance, as expected, that they themselves should determine what the song begins to play Berry. Among the accompanists Berry at one time was Bruce Springsteen.

. Song of The Beatles 'Back In The USSR' (1968) was both a parody of the song Berry's 'Back In The USA' (1959) and pastishem the style of The Beach Boys, . career success are, . in turn, . owed their single 'Surfin' USA '(1962), . entirely removed from 'Sweet Little Sixteen' Berry (1958; changed only words).,

. In the movie 'Back to the Future' scenario protagonist Marty Makflay performed at the ball 'Johnny B
. Goode '. At this time, lead singer of Marvin Berry calls his cousin Chuck and makes listening to speech, thus making the idea of sound itself Berry.