An early champion of Berry's was influential New York disc jockey Alan Freed, who received half a writer's credit for his efforts. This was a well spent piece of payola, however, since Freed became the first white concert promoter to feature Berry in his new "Rock 'n' Roll" showcase stageshows. He also got Berry into Hollywood teen movies Rock! Rock! Rock!, Go, Johnny, Go!, and Mister Rock'n'Roll, greatly raising Berry's profile.
Berry managed sixteen hits over the next 4 years, each one a classic since re-written a thousand times by everyone from the Rolling Stones to Foghat. "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" "Roll Over Beethoven" "Too Much Monkey Business" in 1956, "Rock & Roll Music" and "School Days" in 1957, "Carol" "Johnny B. Goode" "Sweet Little Rock and Roll" "Sweet Little Sixteen" (his biggest hit from his classic period, reaching #2 on the Billboard charts, and his third #1 on the Black charts) in 1958, among them.
His star continued to rise to unprecedented heights for a black musician in the late 1950's. He made frequent TV appearences and played in racially mixed package tours, plus he had his movie appearences. He became rich; and invested in real estate and nightclubs around St. Louis, he drove a ostentatious Cadillac, he dressed in expensive, flashy clothes. All this in what was still a racially segregated South; he drew the attentions of elements who did not want to see a black man weild such influence.
He was finally stopped in an unsavoury frame-up for violation of the Mann Act: transporting a minor across state lines. Berry had hired a hatcheck girl for a racially integrated nightclub, Club Bandstand, he had opened in St. Louis in 1958. It turned out the girl was underaged and was working as a prostitute at a nearby hotel. He was sent to prison for two years.
This had the effect of killing his career, and leaving Berry broke and without a future. Yet, while he languished in prison, a bunch of young musicians in England had discovered his records, and began covering him to excess. When the Beatles and Rolling Stones arrived in America in 1964, they were veritable human Chuck Berry jukeboxes. The Beach Boys' hit "Surfin USA" was a re-worked Berry tune.
Article comments
1 - DJRadiohead
This is an excellent post. I wrote a quick bit yesterday about the passing of Johnnie Johnson and I could not do it without going back and listening to my Chuck Berry anthology. Artists are still using the rock and roll dictionary he wrote more than 50 years ago. His music still stands tall. The shame of it is all the great songs he has probably written and will never record. I do not believe that well ran dry.
2 - Johan Hasselberg
Great to find this Chuck Berry overview. But the last years has not been so bad. He still make recordings in his studio and still put out great live shows around the world. He has been in Europe three times in 2005 and will be back in June. He also comes up with new guitar riffs, not heard on records. Chuck Berry will hold a tribute concert for Johnnie Johnson, the man Berry has called his "best piano player". The performance in Johnson's honor will take place the night of April 29th at The Pageant in St. Louis. Proceeds raised from the event will go to Johnnie Johnson's wife and family. Chuck is donating his time and has inspired many of the biggest names in Blues from the St. Louis area, including Henry Townsend. This is a great opportunity for families to see this legend at one of the country's premier venues. Tickets are only $10. Tickets can be purchased online through www.ticketmaster.com - Check also the venue's website www.thepageant.com for more information.