Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was a pioneering American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. With songs like “Maybellene” (1955), “Roll Over Beethoven” (1956), “Rock and Roll Music” (1957), and “Johnny B. Goode,” he refined and developed rhythm and blues into the major elements that made rock and roll distinctive (1958). Berry was a major influence on subsequent rock music, writing lyrics about teen life and consumerism and developing a music style that included guitar solos and showmanship.
Berry traveled to Chicago in May 1955, where he met Muddy Waters, who suggested he contact Leonard Chess of Chess Records. Berry thought his blues music would interest Chess, but Chess was a larger fan of Berry’s take on “Ida Red”.
Berry recorded “Maybellene,” an adaptation of “Ida Red,” on May 21, 1955, with Johnnie Johnson on piano, Jerome Green (from Bo Diddley’s band) on maracas, Ebby Hardy on drums, and Willie Dixon on bass. “Maybellene” sold over a million copies and peaked at number one on Billboard’s rhythm and blues chart and number five on the magazine’s Best Sellers in Stores chart on September 10, 1955. “It came out at the right time when Afro-American music was spilling over into mainstream pop,” Berry explained.
How old was Chuck Berry when he did his last concert?
Chuck Berry performed his final concert at Blueberry Hill in St. Louis on October 15, 2014, three days before his 88th birthday. However, it was a rough performance, as have many of his recent ones. Berry had hearing problems, which caused him to play off-key and forget lyrics.
