Remembering Chuck Berry: Interesting facts about his life and career

Hidden cameras - In 1990, several women filed suit against Berry on accusations he hid cameras in the women’s restroom of one of his restaurants. He contested that he installed the camera to catch an employee he suspected was stealing from the restaurant. The charges were dropped after he agreed to financially compensate the women.

7 / 31 Fotos

His favorite foods were... - Beef, seafood, peaches, home fries, candied yams, chili, grape soda, orange juice, Snickers bars, and Dutch apple pie.

8 / 31 Fotos

He hated these foods - Liver, okra, gumbo, celery, carrots, cooked onions, grapefruit, salami, and liquor.

9 / 31 Fotos

He worked as a janitor - To support his family, Berry worked as a janitor at the Fisher Body auto assembly plant for some time between 1947 and 1955.

10 / 31 Fotos

A man of many talents - Besides supporting his family by working as a beautician and janitor, he also freelanced as a photographer and helped his father in carpentry for some time.

11 / 31 Fotos

The origin of his 'duck walk' dance - Berry's signature dance originated in 1956 when he attempted to hide wrinkles in his rayon suit by shaking them out with his body movements. The audience loved it, and the rest is history.

12 / 31 Fotos

'Johnny B. Goode' is the only rock and roll song included on the Voyager Golden Record - In 1977, NASA launched Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 into space, each carrying a 12-inch gold-plated record with music, images, and noises from a variety of the world's cultures and genres. The intention was to communicate a story of our world to extraterrestrials.

13 / 31 Fotos

Chuck Berry wrote dozens of hit songs that were covered by other artists - Examples include 'Roll Over Beethoven,' 'Brown Eyed Handsome Man,' 'Rock and Roll Music,' 'Little Queenie,' 'Memphis, Tennessee,' and 'Promised Land.'

14 / 31 Fotos

To save the costs of touring with a full band, he hired local musicians - This means that for years he toured alone with his guitar. But because of the lack of rehearsal, these shows were generally disappointing, so he stopped the practice.

15 / 31 Fotos

He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1985 - A year later, Keith Richards inducted him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame saying, “It’s very difficult for me to talk about Chuck Berry ’cause I’ve lifted every lick he ever played.”

16 / 31 Fotos

President Clinton was a huge fan - Berry played at Clinton's first and second inauguration ceremonies. He also played at the 25th Georgetown reunion at the White House.

17 / 31 Fotos

Berry's only #1 single is 'My Ding-a-Ling' - In 1972, Chess Records released a live recording of the song, which was a novelty song Berry had recorded as a different version called 'My Tambourine' on his 1968 LP 'From St. Louie to Frisco.'

18 / 31 Fotos

He played a monthly gig in St. Louis for 18 years - Berry played at a Blueberry Hill restaurant every month between 1996 and 2014. He performed 209 shows, with his last one on October 15, 2014.

19 / 31 Fotos

He always got paid in cash - Due to being burned early on in his career, he always insisted on getting his royalties in cash before he’d go on stage.

20 / 31 Fotos

But his favoring cash had consequences - In 1979, he was arrested for tax evasion.

21 / 31 Fotos

'Maybellene' - His famous hit is spelled like that to avoid a lawsuit from the cosmetics brand 'Maybelline.'

22 / 31 Fotos

Also about 'Maybellene' - Berry originally named it 'Ida May,' but Leonard Chess of Chess Records thought it sounded too rural and suggested they rename it.

23 / 31 Fotos

Indian food fan - When performing, Berry would choose venues near Indian restaurants.

24 / 31 Fotos

He never sold merch at his shows - Most artists sell T-shirts, CDs, and other merchandise at concerts to make more money, but Berry never did.

25 / 31 Fotos

His first performance - The moment came in 1941, when he first performed 'Confessin’ the Blues' in front of his entire high school. The song choice was considered crude at the time and offended the adults. The students, however, were elated.

26 / 31 Fotos

'Chuck Berry: The Autobiography' - Berry wrote his autobiography without the help of a ghost writer, which was the common practice among artists.

27 / 31 Fotos

'Chuck Berry: The Autobiography' - As it turns out, he didn't need his guitar to write beautiful words, as this passage shows: “Try as I did, day after day, to cling to righteousness, I was washed down in suds of sinful surroundings.”

28 / 31 Fotos

'Johnny B. Goode' is autobiographical - The song's original line was "that little colored boy could play,” which he later changed to "that little country boy" because otherwise it couldn't be played on the radio.

29 / 31 Fotos

Wild Man Berry -

While serving time in prison the first time around, he took up boxing. He fought under the name Wild Man Berry.

30 / 31 Fotos

Getty Images

0 / 31 Fotos

He didn't encounter a white person until he was three - That's because he spent his formative years in a segregated, middle class neighborhood in northern St. Louis (known as "The Ville").

1 / 31 Fotos

He had a degree in cosmetology - Following in the footsteps of his sister, he graduated with a degree in hairdressing and cosmetology from the Gibbs Beauty School.

2 / 31 Fotos

Beautician career - He was employed as a beautician in St. Louis when Muddy Waters discovered him.

3 / 31 Fotos

4 / 31 Fotos

5 / 31 Fotos

6 / 31 Fotos

7 / 31 Fotos

His favorite foods were... - Beef, seafood, peaches, home fries, candied yams, chili, grape soda, orange juice, Snickers bars, and Dutch apple pie.

8 / 31 Fotos

He hated these foods - Liver, okra, gumbo, celery, carrots, cooked onions, grapefruit, salami, and liquor.

9 / 31 Fotos

He worked as a janitor - To support his family, Berry worked as a janitor at the Fisher Body auto assembly plant for some time between 1947 and 1955.

10 / 31 Fotos

A man of many talents - Besides supporting his family by working as a beautician and janitor, he also freelanced as a photographer and helped his father in carpentry for some time.

11 / 31 Fotos

12 / 31 Fotos

13 / 31 Fotos

14 / 31 Fotos

15 / 31 Fotos

16 / 31 Fotos

President Clinton was a huge fan - Berry played at Clinton's first and second inauguration ceremonies. He also played at the 25th Georgetown reunion at the White House.

17 / 31 Fotos

18 / 31 Fotos

He played a monthly gig in St. Louis for 18 years - Berry played at a Blueberry Hill restaurant every month between 1996 and 2014. He performed 209 shows, with his last one on October 15, 2014.

19 / 31 Fotos

He always got paid in cash - Due to being burned early on in his career, he always insisted on getting his royalties in cash before he’d go on stage.

20 / 31 Fotos

But his favoring cash had consequences - In 1979, he was arrested for tax evasion.

21 / 31 Fotos

'Maybellene' - His famous hit is spelled like that to avoid a lawsuit from the cosmetics brand 'Maybelline.'

22 / 31 Fotos

Also about 'Maybellene' - Berry originally named it 'Ida May,' but Leonard Chess of Chess Records thought it sounded too rural and suggested they rename it.

23 / 31 Fotos

Indian food fan - When performing, Berry would choose venues near Indian restaurants.

24 / 31 Fotos

He never sold merch at his shows - Most artists sell T-shirts, CDs, and other merchandise at concerts to make more money, but Berry never did.

25 / 31 Fotos

26 / 31 Fotos

'Chuck Berry: The Autobiography' - Berry wrote his autobiography without the help of a ghost writer, which was the common practice among artists.

27 / 31 Fotos

28 / 31 Fotos

29 / 31 Fotos

Wild Man Berry -

While serving time in prison the first time around, he took up boxing. He fought under the name Wild Man Berry.

30 / 31 Fotos

Remembering Chuck Berry: Interesting facts about his life and career

The legendary guitarist passed away on March 18, 2017

17/03/23 | StarsInsider

CELEBRITY Retrospective

"I learned more from Chuck Berry about America than I could have from the U.S. Information Service in London," said British musician Eric Burdon in an 1967 interview. As one of the pioneers of rock and roll, Chuck Berry really was the embodiment of America. With songs like 'Maybellene' (1955), 'Roll Over Beethoven' (1956), 'Rock and Roll Music' (1957), and 'Johnny B. Goode' (1958), Berry refined R&B and gave us rock and roll. As John Lennon said, "If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it Chuck Berry."

The legendary guitarist died March 18, 2017, at age 90, leaving behind a trajectory that forever changed American—and world—music. To honor his life and career, click through this gallery for a true music lesson.