Rolling Stone magazine ranked the first rock-and-roll guitarist and songwriter Chuck Berry as the fifth greatest artist of all time. His legendary peer, John Lennon, once aptly summed up his significance: “If you had to give rock and roll another name, you might call it Chuck Berry.”
A Disharmonious Beginning
Chuck Berry was born on October 18, 1926, in St. Louis, into a large African American family led by a Baptist deacon. Music captivated him from a young age, and he gave his first concert in 1941 while still in school. However, just three years later, he found himself in a troubling situation: he and some friends were arrested for robbing several stores in Kansas and stealing a car, which landed them a ten-year prison sentence (his mother, the school principal, had failed to keep a close eye on her wayward son).
Even behind bars, the talented young man didn’t abandon his passion; he formed a musical quartet. He was released early at the age of 21.
After getting married and welcoming a daughter, the responsible family man worked as a factory laborer and even as a cosmetologist. Eventually, he purchased his first modest three-bedroom house—small but made of brick.
Everything in Its Time
In the early 1950s, Chuck began performing with various bands in local clubs, initially playing country blues. His debut single, “Maybellene,” topped the American charts, selling an unprecedented million copies at the time. Soon after, he produced major hits that would sustain him throughout his life: “Roll Over Beethoven,” “Sweet Little Sixteen,” “Rock And Roll Music,” and “Johnny B. Goode.” But once again, their creator found himself behind bars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKCt8ssC7c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKCt8ssC7c
In December 1959, Chuck was arrested again, this time for his involvement with a minor. He faced a potential five-year sentence for having sex with a club coat check girl who was engaged in prostitution. After appealing, his sentence was reduced to a year and a half and a $5,000 fine (according to other reports, he was released after three years).
Before his departure, the musician managed to record another hit, “Come On,” and upon his release in 1963, he was astonished by his own popularity. While he was incarcerated, his music gained exposure thanks to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones—young members of the so-called “British Invasion” in the U.S. Berry only needed to record a few fresh hits (including “Nadine”) and bask in the glory while collecting cash on tour.
The Price of Fame
The prison experience shattered the musician’s faith in human decency, leading Chuck to meticulously regulate his concerts: he not only refused to start a performance without payment but would also abruptly cut off a song mid-verse if the paid time ran out. Rumors circulated about how “gracefully” Berry would leave the stage: he would check his watch, stop singing in the middle of a song, unplug his guitar, and exit the stage.
Chuck Berry, 1958
In 1979, a third criminal case was opened against the musician—this time for tax evasion. The court sentenced him to four months in prison and a thousand hours of community service.
In 1990, several women accused Chuck Berry, the club owner, of secretly installing surveillance cameras in the women’s restroom. The case never went to trial; this time, Berry reportedly settled, paying the plaintiffs $1.2 million. By then, the musician was wealthy enough that someone might want to take advantage of him.
The Author Will Forgive
At the height of his talent, Chuck Berry didn’t even bother with his own band: he arranged for instrumental accompaniment at each venue. He would arrive at the club alone and, an hour before the concert, recruit local musicians to perform with him, as sharing the stage with a renowned artist was a professional honor. Sheet music and rehearsals were unnecessary: who doesn’t know his timeless compositions!
Chuck Berry at a concert, 2013
During performances, the mischievous artist in his captain’s cap might mix up the lyrics of his own songs and, to the audience’s applause, joke, “The author will forgive!” And indeed, what difference did it make what he wrote and where…
Throughout his long life, Chuck Berry created 51 compositions, one of which, 30 years later, was chosen as the main theme for the Oscar-winning film “Pulp Fiction” (1994) by American director Quentin Tarantino. The unforgettable dance between Uma Thurman and John Travolta in the film is set to Berry’s immortal hit from 1964, “You Never Can Tell.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-Q3ADnJKp https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-Q3ADnJKp