Richard Berry American rhythm and blues musician Date of Birth: 11.04.1935 Country: USA

Biography of Richard Berry

American rhythm and blues musician Richard Berry achieved his greatest fame as a composer and original performer of the rock standard "Louie Louie". The song was covered by various artists, including The Kingsmen. Another one of Berry's works, "Have Love, Will Travel", spawned numerous cover versions.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Richard Berry Jr. was born on April 11, 1935, just south of Monroe, Louisiana. His family moved to Los Angeles when Richard was very young. In his childhood, he suffered a hip injury, which required him to use crutches until the age of six. His first instrument was a Hawaiian guitar, which he discovered while attending a summer camp for children with special physical needs. Richard attended Jefferson High School, where he and many other students enjoyed singing vocal harmonies in the hallways. Over time, Berry began singing and performing with local doo-wop groups and recording material with bands such as The Penguins, The Cadets, The Chimes, The Five Hearts, and The Dreamers. In 1953, he became a full member and one of the most prominent members of the group The Flairs. He contributed his bass to The Flairs' composition "She Wants To Rock" released on the "Modern Records" label in 1953. A few months later, when songwriting duo Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller needed a low male voice for The Robins' recording of "Riot In Cell Block #9", they enlisted Berry. Although his voice is heard in the ominous intro to the song, Richard is not credited as one of the contributors to "Riot In Cell Block #9".

Career and Success with "Louie Louie"
In 1954, Berry left The Flairs to form his own group, The Pharaohs, and continued to work with other bands as a vocalist and songwriter. One of these bands was "Rick Rillera and the Rhythm Rockers", which played rhythm and blues and Latin rhythms. Inspired by the cover of "El Loco Cha Cha" by The Rhythm Rockers and Chuck Berry's composition "Havana Moon", Richard wrote a new song in the calypso style, "Louie Louie". He also mentioned that Frank Sinatra's "One For My Baby" was on his mind when creating the lyrics for "Louie Louie".

Richard Berry and The Pharaohs recorded and released "Louie Louie" on the B-side of their record, with the main track being a cover of the song "You Are My Sunshine". This 1957 release had modest success, selling 130,000 copies. Later, "Louie Louie" was reissued as a standalone single. When The Pharaohs toured the Pacific Northwest, several local bands adopted "Louie Louie" and used it to increase their popularity. The Kingsmen's version of the song became a national and international hit in 1963.

Controversy and Legacy
Interestingly, the almost unintelligible and harmless lyrics of "Louie Louie" were often interpreted as indecent. The song was banned from radio stations, and even the Federal Bureau of Investigation became interested in its lyrics. The international hit "Louie Louie" was covered approximately 1000 times. However, Berry earned very little from the song, as he sold the rights for $750 in 1959 to pay for his wedding. Later, in 1993, he stated, "In those days, everyone sold their songs. I never had any animosity toward the record companies. They gave the opportunity for five young black guys to make a record."

Despite not achieving commercial success himself, Berry continued to write new songs in the early 1960s. One of these songs, "Have Love, Will Travel", later became a local hit for The Sonics. Another one of his compositions, "Crazy Lover", was featured on The Rollins Band's debut album in 1987.

In the mid-1980s, while receiving social assistance, Berry lived in his mother's house in South Central. The alcoholic beverage brand "California Cooler" wanted to use "Louie Louie" for advertising purposes but discovered they needed Richard's signature. The company asked the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) to locate Berry, and soon an attorney contacted the author of "Louie Louie".

The attorney mentioned that if Berry took action, he could regain the rights to his song. Music publishing companies wanted to settle the matter without involving the court system, and Richard suddenly became a millionaire.

In the early 1980s, Berry recorded the song "The World Needs Peace" with his ex-wife, which was later reworked. The gospel version, titled "What We Need", featured vocal harmonies from their six children. Throughout the 1980s, "Louie Louie" received numerous awards, was released on CD compilations in various versions, and played on radio marathons.

Richard continued to participate in various projects in his later years. In 1993, he performed two sets at the "100 Club" in London. The last time Berry took the stage was in February 1996 when he reunited with The Pharaohs and The Dreamers for a charity concert in Long Beach, California.

Shortly after that, Richard's health deteriorated significantly. He passed away from heart failure on January 23, 1997.

"Louie Louie" is considered the most famous rock song of all time and is ranked 54th on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

Personal Life
In 1957, Berry married Dorothy Adams, his high school sweetheart. The couple had two children. However, the marriage ended in 1968.

Richard had a total of six children. His daughter, Kristi, born in 1969, helped promote her father's career in later years. His son, Marcel, played bass guitar with him on stage in the 1980s.