Did You Know...

Chuck Berry was born Charles Edward Anderson Berry on October 18, 1926, and grew up in St. Louis. The first time Berry performed was in high school at the All Men's Review in 1941. After an enthusiastic response from the audience, Berry knew he wanted to be onstage. He taught himself to play guitar by emulating the songs he heard on the radio. However, at the age of 18, Berry was arrested and convicted for armed bank robbery. In prison he continued making music and joined a gospel group.

Released at the age of 21, Chuck Berry started playing at small clubs and bars. He performed everything from blues to calypso to country. At this time, Chuck was struggling and held many odd jobs. In 1952, he got his break when he was asked to join the Sir John's Trio. The group consisted of pianist Johnnie Johnson and drummer Ebby Hardy. With his incredible knack for showmanship, Berry eventually took over the band and renamed it the Chuck Berry Combo. Berry put a country-western twist on the blues and R&B for which the band was known.

In 1955, while Berry was on a trip in Chicago, he met up with his idol Muddy Waters and asked him who to see about a recording contract. Waters replied with the name Leonard Chess. Chess was impressed with the band's sound, especially their original song 'Maybellene.' Berry had his first hit, which sold over one million copies, reached number 1 on the R&B charts, and made number 5 on pop charts. Berry was 30 years old.