The American guitarist and singer Chuck Berry (photos are presented in the article) is rightfully considered one of the most influential rock musicians of all time. He stood at the origins of the birth of rock and roll, in addition, he was the first musician of this genre who performed his own songs. Chuck Berry, whose biography will be reviewed by us today, and now sometimes speaks to an audience who loves his work, despite the fact that he is 88 years old! What was the life of a popular artist? What hardships of life did he have to go through? How does he live now? Read about this and much more in the article.
Childhood and the beginning of the creative path
The real name of the musician sounds like Charles Edward Anderson Berry. He was born back in 1926, on October 18, in a Negro large family. His parents were middle class: his mother worked as a school principal, and his father worked as a deacon of the Baptist church. While still a boy, he was seriously interested in music. He performed at all school events, held his first concert back in 1941, and once even won one of the contests by singing Jay McShann's Confessin 'the blues song.
Punishment for misconduct
Chuck Berry was rapidly approaching success, but in 1944, due to his own stupidity, he had to forget about his childhood dream. Together with friends, he robbed three stores in Kansas and stole a car. It is interesting that the guys used non-working pistols, but no one knew about this. For his rash act, Chuck Berry and his friends paid with their own freedom, as they were sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Despite the fact that there was a “sky in the box” above Chuck, he did not stop making music. Chuck Berry organized a quartet and delighted the prisoners with amateur rock and roll. Fortunately, the musician was released ahead of schedule in 1947, when he was 21 years old.
A family
After his release from prison, Chuck Berry "took up his mind" and decided to marry. His wife was Temetta Suggs, who in October 1950 gave birth to a daughter, Darlene Ingrid Berry. The creation of a family favorably influenced the hooligan Chuck, he did not disdain any work - he was also a cleaner, and a worker in an automobile factory, and a hairdresser and cosmetologist. Soon, the family, with the money Chuck earned, was able to buy a small brick house on Whittier Street.
First successes
Even mired in everyday problems and troubles, Berry did not forget about music. In the early fifties, he begins to play with local bands in clubs in St. Louis. Chuck hoped to do what he loved and earn extra money for his family. Once in one of the clubs where he usually performed, Chuck performed country music with blues elements, which the audience really liked. He began to practice the performance of such compositions, while playing the guitar. This mixture of styles allowed the musician to attract the attention of various audiences, divided by race. They began to recognize Chuck on the street.
And in 1953, he joined the Johnnie Johnson Trio team and began working with Johnny Johnson. The created team played blues ballads with country elements and was popular with both the “white” and “black” audiences. The guitar of Chuck Berry fascinated the audience, and the texts he wrote sang in all corners of the country.
Fame
In 1955, the artist went to Chicago and met his idol there, venerable bluesman Muddy Waters, who directed Chuck to Leonard Chaz, the owner of the record company. Chuck Berry introduced him to the best of his blues compositions, but, to his surprise, Chazz was more interested in his country guitar experiments. On May 21, the first single of the musician, Maybellene, was recorded. It was a real sensation - the single scattered across the country in a million copies and won first place in the rhythm and blues charts of the United States. Already in September, the single Chuck Berry took fifth place in the US national charts.
Finally found his style Chuck Berry. The guitarist’s discography with enviable speed began to replenish with new works. In 1955, another single of his was released called Thirty Day, in the next, 1956, the third - Roll Over Beethoven - and the fourth - Brown Eyed Handsome Man. Three more albums - Johnny B. Goode, Rock and Roll Music and Sweet Little Sixteen Chuck presented to the audience in 1957 and 1958.
The tests of his songs were innovative, as they were some life stories with unexpected twists of fate and sometimes irony. Chuck Berry is rightly called the "Rock and Roll Poet." Later in the musician’s albums began to appear not only rock and roll compositions, but also blues and even instrumental ones.
Concert activity
In the late fifties, the American guitarist began touring. The audience was delighted with his playing the guitar and the legendary duck duck gait. For several years (1957-1960) his songs occupied top positions in American charts dozens of times. During this period, he starred in several films, such as Jazz on a summer's day, Go Johnny, go !, Rock, rock, rock.
Back to jail
In 1959, another scandal erupted around the artist - he was accused of rape. The lawsuit was filed by the cloakroom of one of the St. Louis clubs where he performed. According to some reports, she was engaged in prostitution. Nevertheless, Chuck was found guilty, fined five thousand dollars and imprisoned for five years. After three years in prison, the musician was released ahead of schedule. It is noteworthy that while Chuck was in prison, Chess Records continued to release his records. So, in 1960, the album Rockin 'at the Hops was released, and in 1961, the New Juke-Box Hits.
The British Invasion
After his release, Berry began to restore his good name, and he began with Great Britain. In 1964, he first visited this country, where, with the help of Bo Diddley, he recorded another album called Two great guitars. For four years (from 1966 to 1970), Chuck tried to change the record company and moved from Chess Records to Mercury records. At this time, the artist also brings elements of psychedelia to his music. The experiments were unsuccessful, record sales and popularity fell, so in the early 70s, Berry resumed cooperation with an old proven company. Several new albums were recorded on Chess Records: Back Home, The London Chuck Berry Session, San Francisco Dues, Bio.
In the mid-70s, Chuck Berry toured extensively, he came several times to Russia.
At this time, cover versions of Chuck's compositions were made by almost all well-known British groups, including The Yardbirds, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks and The Beatles, The Animals.
In the seventies, the popularity of rock and roll began to subside, but Berry remained an honored guest at various "revival" events.
Third time in jail
In 1979, the musician was again imprisoned, this time he was accused of tax evasion. The court sentenced Berry to four months in prison and one thousand hours of forced labor. This state of affairs finally knocked the musician out of the saddle, he stopped recording new albums and performing.
And in 1990, a scandal broke out around the person of Chuck Berry. Several women sued, accusing the musician of installing hidden camcorders in the ladies' restrooms of his club. Fortunately, this time, Chuck managed to prove his innocence, but he still had to pay the plaintiffs with material compensation in the amount of a million dollars.
The merits of Chuck Berry in the field of rock music were recognized only in 1986 - his name was included in the "Composers Hall of Fame."
Present
Now the musician is 88 years old, and he still performs every week in his club in St. Louis, called Blueberry Hill. Very rarely, but still Berry goes on tour. As part of a farewell tour of the world, he recently visited Moscow.
In 2004, according to Rolling Stone magazine, Chuck Berry entered the top 50 greatest musicians of all time.