See more
When was Chuck Berry's first hit?
1972In 1972 Berry achieved his first number one hit, “My Ding-A-Ling.” Although he recorded more sporadically in the 1970s and '80s, he continued to appear in concert, most often performing with backing bands comprising local musicians.
What was Chuck Berry's first hit in 1955?
MaybelleneIt was released in July 1955 as a single by Chess Records, of Chicago, Illinois. Berry's first hit, "Maybellene" is considered a pioneering rock and roll song.
Why is Chuck Berry important to the history of music?
Chuck Berry was one of the most significant early rock and roll artists, contributing to the growth and evolution of rock and roll music. He was the first African-American rock and roll artist to acquire a national hit.
Did Chuck Berry invent rock and roll?
Chuck Berry Didn't Invent Rock n' Roll, But He Turned It Into an Attitude That Changed the World. Chuck Berry, who died at 90 on March 17, 2017, is rightly hailed as the forefather of rock n' roll, a distinctly American art form that significantly impacted culture and music across the globe.
Was Elvis influenced by Chuck Berry?
Chuck Berry — “Memphis, Tennessee” Like Elvis, Berry has been considered the king of rock and roll and was a big inspiration for Elvis, who sang a few of his hits, including “Memphis, Tennessee”, “Johnny B Goode” and “Maybelline”.
What year was the first rock number 1 hit?
19551955 brings Rock and Roll's first #1 hit - as Bill Haley and His Comets top the Pop Chart with the single "Rock Around The Clock". Teenagers are quick to pick up on the new "rock" sound.
Who Really Invented rock and roll?
Yes, Chuck Berry Invented Rock 'n' Roll — and Singer-Songwriters. Oh, Teenagers Too. The American legend, who died March 18 at age 90, endured racism even as he seemed to transcend skin color and struggled to enjoy his genius even as he enshrined fun in pop music.
Who invented music?
No one knows exactly who first invented music or when music came about but we can say that music was an essential part of early human life. What was music like before it became what we know today?
What was the first rock song?
"It's Too Soon to Know", written by Deborah Chessler and performed by The Orioles, was number one on the American rhythm and blues charts in November 1948 and is considered by some to be the first "rock and roll" song.
Who was the first rock musician?
The first rock'n'roll record was 'Rocket 88', recorded by Jackie Brenston And His Delta Cats at Sam Phillips' Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee.
Who Invented rock music?
Rock and roll historians typically regard Chuck Berry as the one artist who came the closest to fitting all the elements of rock and roll together and creating rock and roll as a songwriter's genre.
What did Chuck Berry think of Elvis?
Chuck Berry "I identified a lot with Elvis, yeah. I love his style of singing, he was a very loyal guy - he was a little misled, but in the big picture he was a good guy." "Elvis Presley is like the 'Big Bang' of Rock 'n' Roll.
What is Chuck Berry's most famous song?
Chuck Berry made it into the Billboard Hot 100 many times, but surprisingly, his only No. 1 single was the 1972 song "My Ding-a-Ling." Nadine (Is It You?)
What is Chuck Berry's best song?
MaybeleneSchool Day (Ring, Ring Goes The...Rock And Roll MusicSweet Little SixteenJohnny B GoodeMemphisThe Best... Chuck Berry/Songs
When was Chuck Berry most popular?
1950sIt cemented his place in rock history and led to fame in the 1950s. His popularity garnered him television and movie appearances and he toured frequently. Berry's incredible success is due to his ability to articulate the concerns and attitudes of his audience in his music.
What hit songs did Chuck Berry write?
Almost single-handedly fashioned rock-and-roll through his highly individualized and pace-setting songs by giving us hits “Johnny B. Goode," "No Money Down," "Back in the USA," "Roll Over, Beethoven," "Rock and Roll Music," and "Sweet Little Sixteen".
When did Chuck Berry start producing?
He began producing hits in the 1950s, including 1958's "Johnny B. Goode," and had his first No. 1 hit in 1972 with "My Ding-a-Ling.". With his clever lyrics and distinctive sounds, Berry became one of the most influential figures in the history of rock music.
Where was Chuck Berry born?
Chuck Berry was born Charles Edward Anderson Berry on October 18, 1926, in St. Louis, Missouri. His parents, Martha and Henry Berry, were the grandchildren of enslaved people, and are among the many African Americans who migrated from the rural South to St. Louis in search of employment during the World War I era. Martha was one of the few Black women of her generation to gain a college education, and Henry was an industrious carpenter as well as a deacon at the Antioch Baptist Church.
What is Chuck Berry famous for?
Chuck Berry was one of the most influential rock 'n' roll performers in music history. He's known for songs including "Maybellene" and "Johnny B. Goode.".
How long did Chuck Berry serve in the Reformatory?
Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images. Berry served three years in the Intermediate Reformatory for Young Men outside of Jefferson, Missouri, before gaining release on good behavior on October 18, 1947, which was his 21st birthday.
What high school did Berry attend?
Berry also showed an early talent for music and began singing in the church choir at the age of six. He attended Sumner High School , a prestigious private institution that was the first all-Black high school west of the Mississippi.
How long did Berry spend in jail?
However, he fired her only weeks later, and when she was then arrested for prostitution, charges were pressed against Berry that ended with him spending yet another 20 months in jail. When Berry was released from prison in 1963, he picked up right where he left off, writing and recording popular and innovative songs.
What was Berry's song called?
A few weeks later, Berry wrote and recorded a song called "Maybellene" and took it to the executives at Chess. They immediately offered him a contract; within months, "Maybellene" had reached No. 1 on the R&B charts and No. 5 on the pop charts.
Where did Chuck Berry grow up?
Raised in a working-class African American neighbourhood on the north side of the highly segregated city of St. Louis, Berry grew up in a family proud of its African American and Native American ancestry. He gained early exposure to music through his family’s participation in the choir of the Antioch Baptist Church, through the blues and country-western music he heard on the radio, and through music classes, especially at Sumner High School. Berry was still attending high school when he was sent to a Missouri prison for young offenders to serve three years for armed robbery. After his release and return to St. Louis, he worked at an auto plant, studied hairdressing, and played music in small nightclubs.
What was Chuck Berry's first number one hit?
In 1972 Berry achieved his first number one hit, “ My Ding-A-Ling.”. Although he recorded more sporadically in the 1970s and ’80s, he continued to appear in concert, most often performing with backing bands comprising local musicians.
Why was Chuck Berry in jail?
Chuck Berry. At the peak of his popularity, federal authorities prosecuted Berry for violating the Mann Act, alleging that he transported an underage female across state lines “for immoral purposes.”. After two trials tainted by racist overtones, Berry was convicted and remanded to prison.
What did Chuck Berry do for rock and roll?
A distinctive if not technically dazzling guitarist, Berry used electronic effects to replicate the ringing sounds of bottleneck blues guitarists in his recordings. He drew upon a broad range of musical genres in his compositions, displaying an especially strong interest in Caribbean music on “ Havana Moon” (1957) and “Man and the Donkey” (1963), among others. Influenced by a wide variety of artists—including guitar players Carl Hogan, Charlie Christian, and T-Bone Walker and vocalists Nat King Cole, Louis Jordan, and Charles Brown —Berry played a major role in broadening the appeal of rhythm-and-blues music during the 1950s. He fashioned his lyrics to appeal to the growing teenage market by presenting vivid and humorous descriptions of high-school life, teen dances, and consumer culture. His recordings serve as a rich repository of the core lyrical and musical building blocks of rock and roll. In addition to the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Linda Ronstadt, and a multitude of significant popular-music performers have recorded Berry’s songs.
What did Chuck Berry do after he was released from prison?
After his release and return to St. Louis, he worked at an auto plant, studied hairdressing, and played music in small nightclubs.
When did Chuck Berry get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
In 1984 he was presented with a Grammy Award for lifetime achievement. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. Chuck Berry. Chuck Berry performing at the inauguration of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland on September 2, 1995. Ron Kuntz—Reuters/© Archive Photos.
Who is Chuck Berry's piano player?
His vivid descriptions of consumer culture and teenage life, the distinctive sounds he coaxed from his guitar, and the rhythmic and melodic virtuosity of his piano player ( Johnny Johnson) made Berry’s songs staples in the repertoire of almost every rock-and-roll band. Chuck Berry.
How old was Chuck Berry when he started singing?
At the height of his success, Berry was a 30-year-old black man singing to a mostly white, teenage audience.
Why is Chuck Berry so famous?
Chuck Berry’s music has transcended generations. He earns respect to this day because he is truly an entertainer. Berry, also known as “The Father of Rock & Roll," gained success by watching the audience’s reaction and playing accordingly, putting his listeners’ amusement above all else.
What song did Chuck Berry sing?
For his first stage performance, Berry chose to sing a Jay McShann song called “Confessin’ the Blues. ”. It was at his high school’s student musical performance, when the blues was well-liked but not considered appropriate for such an event.
What did Chuck Berry learn from his guitar?
Berry took up the guitar after that, inspired by his partner in the school production. He found that if he learned rhythm changes and blues chords , he could play most of the popular songs on the radio at the time. His friend, Ira Harris, showed him techniques on the guitar that would become the foundation of Berry’s original sound. Then in 1952, he began playing guitar and singing in a club band whose song list ranged from blues to ballads to calypso to country. Berry was becoming an accomplished showman, incorporating gestures and facial expressions to go with the lyrics.
When did Chuck Berry join the Sir John's Trio?
Berry was becoming an accomplished showman, incorporating gestures and facial expressions to go with the lyrics. It was in 1953 that Chuck Berry joined the Sir John’s Trio (eventually renamed the Chuck Berry Combo), which played the popular Cosmopolitan Club in St. Louis.
When did Chuck Berry get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Berry had a number of comeback recordings and in 1972 had the first and only #1 Pop Chart hit of his career with “My Ding-A-Ling. 1986 fittingly saw him inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as the very first inductee in history.
Who is Chuck Berry?
Berry is a musical icon who established rock and roll as a musical form and brought the worlds of black and white together in song. Born in St. Louis on October 18, 1926 Berry had many influences on his life that shaped his musical style.
When did Chuck Barris start his production company?
Barris formed his production company Chuck Barris Productions on June 14, 1965. His first success came in 1965 with The Dating Game, which aired on ABC. This show was hosted by Jim Lange and featured three contestants who competed for a date with a person blocked from their view.
What was Chuck Barris' show?
This left Barris with only one show, his weekly syndicated effort The New Treasure Hunt. But the success of The Gong Show in 1976 encouraged him to revive the Dating and Newlywed games, as well as adding the $1.98 Beauty Show to his syndication empire. He also hosted a short lived primetime variety hour for NBC from February to April 1978, called The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show, essentially a non-competitive knock-off of Gong .
What happened to Chuck Barris?
Chuck Barris sold his shares of Barris Industries, Inc. in 1987 to Burt Sugarman and left to move back to France and was no longer directly involved in his media company. In 1988, Barris Industries acquired the Guber-Peters Company. On September 7, 1989, Barris Industries was renamed as the Guber-Peters Entertainment Company. After the shows' runs ended, Sony Corporation acquired Guber-Peters Entertainment (formerly Barris Industries) for $200 million on September 29, 1989, a day after Sony Corporation of Japan acquired Columbia Pictures Entertainment. The sale was completed on November 9, 1989 after Sony's acquisition of Columbia Pictures Entertainment a day earlier. Sony revived Dating and Newlywed from 1996 to 1999. Sony also revived The Gong Show in 1998, this time as Extreme Gong, a Game Show Network (GSN) original production. Three's a Crowd would be revived as All New Three's a Crowd, which, like Extreme Gong, was a GSN original. A few years after Extreme Gong ended, Sony planned to revive the show again under its classic name and format for The WB Television Network, but this version was never realized. Sony and MTV Networks ' Comedy Central collaborated on a fourth Gong Show revival as The Gong Show with Dave Attell in 2008; this did sell and aired on Comedy Central from July to September 2008.
How long was the Barris show?
The show is the longest lasting of any developed by his company, broadcast until 1985, for a total of 19 full years on both "first run" network TV and syndication.
Where was Harry Barris born?
Early life. Barris was born to a Jewish family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 3, 1929, the son of Edith (née Cohen) and Nathaniel Barris, a dentist. His uncle was singer, songwriter and actor Harry Barris. He graduated in 1953 from Drexel University where he was a columnist for the student newspaper, The Triangle .
When did Treasure Hunt come back?
After a year's inactivity, Barris revived Treasure Hunt again in 1981 in partnership with the original 1950s version's producer, Budd Granoff, who had become his business partner (the show itself was created by its original host, Jan Murray ). Unlike with the 1970s version of Treasure Hunt, Barris did not have direct involvement with the production of the show itself. This revival, a five-day-a-week strip, lasted only one year.
Who is Chuck Barris?
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Jump to navigation Jump to search. American game show creator, producer, and host (1929-2017) Chuck Barris. Barris in 1977. Born.
When did Chuck Berry move to Chicago?
In 1955 , he moved to Chicago to pursue music full-time, and he got the attention of Muddy Waters, who told him to try Chess Records. It gave Berry a deal, and by the end of the year, the label had released his first single, "Maybellene.".
What did Chuck Berry do to inspire him?
Since Chuck Berry helped devise rock music as we know it, he found his inspiration in different musical genres. According to his website, Berry tried to ape the silky vocal stylings of crooner Nat "King" Cole and wanted to play the blues guitar like Muddy Waters. The latter style would propel Berry to get up on stage for the first time. At a high school talent show in the early 1940s, Berry sang Jay McShann's jazzy, bluesy "Confessin' the Blues." Though performing the blues was slightly risqué for a teenager in that era, Berry was reportedly met by a rapturous ovation from his peers and so liked the way it felt that it was a foregone conclusion he'd continue performing.
Why was Chuck Berry sued?
Chuck Berry was sued for some very gross acts. While racism played a part in Berry's conviction in the 1960s, casting doubt on if he'd truly done the things he was accused of, his culpability in a 1990 legal matter was less questionable, owing to a mountain of evidence.
How old was Chuck Berry when he met Janice Escalanti?
According to " The Trial of Chuck Berry " by J.P. Robinson, Berry said that in 1959, he met 14-year-old Janice Escalanti in a bar in Juarez, Mexico, and offered her a job working the hatcheck booth at the St. Louis nightclub he owned.
What time did Berry and Richards start?
Concerts scheduled to start at 6:45 and 9:45 didn't begin until 7:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m., and the documentary still didn't turn out as planned.
What song did Berry sing in the 1940s?
At a high school talent show in the early 1940s, Berry sang Jay McShann's jazzy, bluesy "Confessin' the Blues.".
Why did Chuck Berry play two strings at a time?
He created his unique playing technique — playing two strings at a time to mimic the sound of two guitarists — because he didn't want to spend the money on hiring a second guitarist.
What was Chuck Berry's first hit?
The Story Of Chuck Berry's 'Maybellene' With his first hit, Berry began a career that would reinvent rock 'n' roll with each new song. Special Series.
What hit did Chuck Berry make?
In the years following "Maybellene," Chuck Berry produced an astonishing string of hits: "Roll Over Beethoven," "School Days," "Sweet Little Sixteen," "Johnny B. Goode," to name just a few, more or less inventing rock 'n' roll as he went along. That's pretty much the consensus; everyone from The Beatles to The Rolling Stones has said it.
What guitar did Chuck Berry use in Maybellene?
The rock 'n' roll guitar was supposed to be a rhythm instrument, polite and unobtrusive, but a little over a minute into "Maybellene," Chuck Berry, wielding his yellow Gibson ES-350T, shattered that image forever. In the years following "Maybellene," Chuck Berry produced an astonishing string of hits: "Roll Over Beethoven," "School Days," "Sweet ...
What song did Chuck Berry sing "As I was motor vatin"?
It was the way his words stayed so close to the beat, yet still managed to sound like real speech. And there were the puns. From the opening line in "Maybellene" where he sang "motor-vatin'," as in "As I was motor-vatin' over the hill," Chuck Berry's clever wordplay would change rock lyrics forever.
Where did Chuck Berry perform?
Chuck Berry performing at the Birmingham Odeon in England. Chuck Berry performing at the Birmingham Odeon in England. In 1955, a sort of undefined, get-you-in-the-belly music was named rock 'n' roll, though as John Lennon once put it, "If you tried to give rock 'n' roll another name, you might have called it Chuck Berry .".
Who was the first rock and roll artist?
He says Berry was not only a rock 'n' roll pioneer, he was its first great poet. "Chuck Berry was the first artist that really did it all, like wrote the songs, he wrote the lyrics of the music, he choreographed the stage show. And no one did that.
Who was the first black rock artist to find national success performing his own music?
Berry was also the first black rock artist to find national success performing his own music. From his experience in St. Louis, he knew what that took. And while he still listed black guitarists like Charlie Christian and T-Bone Walker as his main influences, Berry was more careful with his own image, making his diction, as he described it, harder and whiter. Johnnie Johnson remembers that this could cause problems on the road.
Overview
Career
Barris got his start in television as a page and later staffer at NBC in New York City. Following his stint at NBC, Barris worked as a standards-and-practices person at the television music show American Bandstand for ABC. Barris produced pop music for records and television, and wrote "Palisades Park," which was recorded by Freddy Cannon and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks (June 23–30, 1962) to become the biggest hit of Cannon's career. Barris als…
Early life
Barris was born to a Jewish family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 3, 1929, the son of Edith (née Cohen) and Nathaniel Barris, a dentist. He was raised in Lower Merion Township and attended Lower Merion High School. His uncle was singer, songwriter and actor Harry Barris. He graduated in 1953 from Drexel University where he was a columnist for the student newspaper, The Triangle.
CIA career claims
In 1984, Barris wrote an autobiography, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. In the book he states that he worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as an assassin in the 1960s and the 1970s. A 2002 feature film version, directed by George Clooney and starring Sam Rockwell, depicts Barris killing 33 people. Barris wrote a sequel to Confessions of a Dangerous Mind in 2004 called Bad Grass Never Dies.
Personal life and death
Barris' first wife was Lyn Levy, the niece of one of the founders of CBS. Their marriage lasted from 1957 to 1976, ending in divorce. Together they had a daughter, Della, who frequently appeared on The Gong Show, usually introducing her father. Della died of an alcohol and cocaine overdose in 1998 at the age of 36. At the time of her death, she was HIV positive. In 1980, Barris married Robin Alt…
Shows
• The $1.98 Beauty Show
• Bamboozle (unsold pilot)
• Camouflage
• The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show
• Comedy Courtroom (unsold pilot)
Discography
Barris composed music and released them on the following 45 rpm records. Songs with an asterisk (*) are songs not composed by Barris, yet featured on the recordings:
• Too Rich / I Know A Child (Capitol Records)
• Baja California / *Donnie (Dot Records)
• Why Me Oh Lord / Sometimes It Just Doesn't Pay To Get Up (MCA Records)
Books
• You and Me, Babe (1974)
• Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (1984)
• The Game Show King (1993)
• Bad Grass Never Dies (2004)