Richard Berry (musician)
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Richard Berry, Jr. (April 11, 1935 – January 23, 1997) was an American singer, songwriter and musician, who performed with many Los Angeles
doo-wop Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chica ...
and
close harmony A chord is in close harmony (also called close position or close structure) if its notes are arranged within a narrow range, usually with no more than an octave between the top and bottom notes. In contrast, a chord is in open harmony (also c ...
groups in the 1950s, including
The Flairs The Flairs (or Flares) were an American doo-wop group known for their 1961 hit "Foot Stompin', Pt. 1." Based in Los Angeles, they went through several lineup changes during their existence. Their notable members included Richard Berry (writer of ...
and
The Robins The Robins were a successful and influential American R&B group of the late 1940s and 1950s, one of the earliest such vocal groups who established the basic pattern for the doo-wop sound. They were founded by Ty Terrell, and twin brothers Bi ...
. He is best known as the composer and original performer of the rock standard "
Louie Louie "Louie Louie" is a rhythm and blues song written and composed by American musician Richard Berry in 1955, recorded in 1956, and released in 1957. It is best known for the 1963 hit version by the Kingsmen and has become a standard in pop and r ...
". The song became a hit for
The Kingsmen The Kingsmen are a 1960s rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States. They are best known for their 1963 recording of R&B singer Richard Berry's "Louie Louie", which held the No. 2 spot on the ''Billboard'' charts for six weeks and ha ...
and others, and it is one of the most recorded songs of all time; however, Berry received little financial benefit for writing it until the 1980s, having signed away his rights to the song in 1959. In the same year, he wrote and released "
Have Love, Will Travel "Have Love, Will Travel" is a 1959 song written and recorded by Richard Berry. While the song may have been recorded before the end of 1959, the correct release date appears to be January, 1960. The title is based on a popular television/radi ...
", which has been recorded by many other artists.


Early life

Berry was born in
Extension Extension, extend or extended may refer to: Mathematics Logic or set theory * Axiom of extensionality * Extensible cardinal * Extension (model theory) * Extension (predicate logic), the set of tuples of values that satisfy the predicate * E ...
, south of Monroe, Louisiana, and moved with his family to Los Angeles as a baby. As a child, he suffered a hip injury and had to walk on crutches until he was six."Louise History"
''The Louie Louie Pages'', accessed 2009-11-11
His first instrument was the
ukulele The ukulele ( ; from haw, ukulele , approximately ), also called Uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings. The tone and volume of the instrumen ...
, which he learned when attending a summer camp for crippled children. Berry attended Jefferson High School in Los Angeles, and with many other pupils practiced singing vocal harmonies in the corridors.


Musical career

He began singing and playing in local
doo-wop Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chica ...
groups, recording with a number of them including
The Penguins ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
, The Cadets and the Chimes, the Crowns, the Five Hearts, the Hunters, the Rams, the Whips, and the Dreamers, an otherwise all-female quartet from Fremont High. He then joined
The Flairs The Flairs (or Flares) were an American doo-wop group known for their 1961 hit "Foot Stompin', Pt. 1." Based in Los Angeles, they went through several lineup changes during their existence. Their notable members included Richard Berry (writer of ...
(who also recorded as the Debonaires and the Flamingoes) in 1953.


With the Flairs

The Flairs' 1953 record "She Wants to Rock" on
Modern Records Modern Records (Modern Music Records before 1947) was an American record company and label formed in 1945 in Los Angeles by the Bihari brothers. Modern's artists included Etta James, Joe Houston, Little Richard, Ike & Tina Turner and John Lee ...
featured Berry's bass vocals, and was an early production by
Leiber and Stoller Lyricist Jerome Leiber (April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011) and composer Michael Stoller (born March 13, 1933) were American songwriting and record producing partners. They found success as the writers of such Crossover music, crossover hit songs ...
. A few months later, when the producers needed a bass voice for
The Robins The Robins were a successful and influential American R&B group of the late 1940s and 1950s, one of the earliest such vocal groups who established the basic pattern for the doo-wop sound. They were founded by Ty Terrell, and twin brothers Bi ...
' " Riot In Cell Block #9" on
Spark Records Spark Records was a record label started by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller around 1954 in Los Angeles, California. Artists released on Spark Records included Willy & Ruth, The Sly Fox, Ervin "Big Boy" Groves, and The Robins. Leiber and Stoller even ...
, they recruited Berry to provide the menacing lead vocal on the song – uncredited because he was contracted to Modern. The Robins later split. Three members remained with the Robins and two went to New York with Leiber & Stoller to form the Coasters. The Robins continued to record (with two new members) in California for other labels, including Whippet, Lavender, Arvee, and others. Berry's voice was used at Modern, again uncredited, as the counterpoint to
Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer who performed in various genres, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul. Starting her career in 1954, sh ...
on her first record and big hit "
The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry) Wallflower or ''Erysimum'' is a genus of flowering plants. Wallflower may also refer to: * Wallflower (people), a shy person Films * ''Wallflower'' (film), a 1948 American comedy film * ''Wallflowers'' (film), a 1928 American drama film * ''T ...
" and several of its less successful follow-ups. Berry also recorded with several other groups on the Modern and Flair labels, including Arthur
Lee Maye Arthur Lee Maye (December 11, 1934 – July 17, 2002) was an American Major League Baseball player. He played eleven seasons in the majors as an outfielder for the Milwaukee Braves (1959–1965), Houston Astros (1965–1966), Cleveland Indians ...
and the Crowns, and the Dreamers (who later became
The Blossoms The Blossoms are an American girl group that originated from California. During their height of success in the 1960s, the group's lineup most famously consisted of Darlene Love, Fanita James, and Jean King. Although the group had a recording ...
). By the end of 1954, Berry left the Flairs to form his own group, the Pharaohs, as well as continued to work with other groups as a singer and songwriter.


"Louie Louie"

One of the groups Berry played with after leaving the Flairs was Rick Rillera and the Rhythm Rockers, a Latin and R&B group. In 1955, Berry was inspired to write "
Louie Louie "Louie Louie" is a rhythm and blues song written and composed by American musician Richard Berry in 1955, recorded in 1956, and released in 1957. It is best known for the 1963 hit version by the Kingsmen and has become a standard in pop and r ...
", a calypso-style song, based on the Rhythm Rockers' version of
René Touzet René Touzet y Monte (September 8, 1916 in Havana, Cuba – June 15, 2003 in Miami, Florida) was a Cuban-born American composer, pianist and bandleader. Career as bandleader Living in the city of Cojimar, he learned classical piano from the ag ...
's "El Loco Cha Cha", as well as influenced by
Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the " Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and developed rhythm and blues into th ...
's "Havana Moon". Berry also stated he had
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...
's "
One for My Baby "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)" is a hit song written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer for the movie musical '' The Sky's the Limit'' (1943) and first performed in the film by Fred Astaire. Background Harold Arlen described the ...
" in mind when writing the lyrics. One night waiting backstage at the Harmony Club Ballroom, Berry took the rhythm of "El Loco Cha Cha" and began to add lyrics, writing them on toilet paper. Richard Berry and the Pharaohs recorded and released the song as the B-side to his cover of "
You Are My Sunshine "You Are My Sunshine" is a song published by Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell on January 30, 1940. According to Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), the song has been recorded by over 350 artists and translated into 30 languages. In 1977, the Louisi ...
" on Flip Records in 1957. It became a minor regional hit, selling 130,000 copies. It was re-released as an A-side, and when the group toured the Pacific Northwest, several local R&B bands began to adopt the song and established its popularity. "Louie Louie" finally became a major hit when
The Kingsmen The Kingsmen are a 1960s rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States. They are best known for their 1963 recording of R&B singer Richard Berry's "Louie Louie", which held the No. 2 spot on the ''Billboard'' charts for six weeks and ha ...
's raucous version – with little trace of its calypso-like origins other than in its lyrics – became a national and international hit in 1963.
Paul Revere & the Raiders Paul Revere & the Raiders (also known as Raiders) were an American rock band formed in Boise, Idaho, in 1958. They saw considerable U.S. mainstream success in the second half of the 1960s and early 1970s. The band was known for including Revolu ...
also recorded the tune in the same studio the week after the Kingsmen, but their version was not a hit. The nearly unintelligible (and innocuous) lyrics were widely misinterpreted as obscene, and the song was banned by radio stations and even investigated by the
Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...
. The song has been recorded over 1,000 times. However, Berry received little financial reward for its success for many years, having sold the copyright for $750 in 1959 to pay for his wedding. Berry said in 1993 "Everybody sold their songs in those days. I never was bitter with the record companies. They provided a vehicle for five young black dudes to make a record." Berry continued to write and record into the early 1960s, including "
Have Love, Will Travel "Have Love, Will Travel" is a 1959 song written and recorded by Richard Berry. While the song may have been recorded before the end of 1959, the correct release date appears to be January, 1960. The title is based on a popular television/radi ...
" (which later became a local hit for
The Sonics The Sonics are an American garage rock band from Tacoma, Washington that formed in 1960. Their aggressive, hard-edged sound has been a major influence on punk and garage music worldwide, and they have been named inspirations to the White Str ...
), but with little commercial success, and also continued as a performer. Other songs included "Crazy Lover", recorded by the
Rollins Band Rollins Band was an American rock band formed in Van Nuys, California. The band was active from 1987 to 2006 and was led by former Black Flag vocalist Henry Rollins. They are best known for the songs "Low Self Opinion" and " Liar", which both e ...
and "Oh! Oh! Get Out of the Car", covered by
The Treniers The Treniers (pronounced /trəˈniərz/) were an American R&B and jump blues musical group led by identical twins Cliff and Claude Trenier. They were originally billed as the Trenier Twins, who performed alongside the Gene Gilbeaux Quartet, ...
. For
Rhino A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...
's 1983 ''The Best of Louie, Louie'' compilation album, Berry created a note-for-note re-recording of "Louie Louie" because licensing could not be obtained for the original version. Backup vocals were provided by doo wop revival group Big Daddy. The original version was not legitimately re-released until the Ace Records ''Love That Louie'' compilation in 2002.


Settlement of rights to "Louie Louie"

In the mid-1980s, Berry was living on
welfare Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specificall ...
at his mother's house in
South Central Los Angeles South Los Angeles, also known as South Central Los Angeles or simply South Central, is a region in southwestern Los Angeles County, lying mostly within the city limits of Los Angeles, south of downtown. It is "defined on Los Angeles city maps as a ...
. Drinks company
California Cooler California Cooler is a brand of alcoholic beverage. The product is a sangria packaged in a 12 fl. oz. glass bottle. Although sangria's existence predates wine, the California Cooler formula and packaging was the first to be known as a wine coole ...
wanted to use "Louie Louie" in a commercial, but discovered it needed Berry's signature to use the song. The company asked the Artists' Rights society to locate him, and a lawyer visited Berry. The lawyer mentioned the possibility of Berry's taking action to gain the rights to his song. The publishers settled out of court, making Berry a millionaire.


Later years

In the early 1980s, Berry recorded a duet with his ex-wife Dorothy titled 'The World Needs Peace'. He re-recorded it a few years later in a gospel version retitled "What We Need", with his six children providing backup harmony vocals. During the 1980s, "Louie Louie" received a number of accolades, with hundreds of cover versions issued on CD compilations and played on radio marathons. He continued to play shows and in 1993 played two sets at the
100 Club The 100 Club is a music venue located at 100 Oxford Street, London, England, where it has been hosting live music since 24 October 1942. It was originally called the Feldman Swing Club, but changed its name when the father of the current owner ...
in London.


Death

In February 1996, Berry performed for the final time, reuniting with the Pharaohs and the Dreamers for a benefit concert in Long Beach, California. His health declined shortly after this, and he died of heart failure in 1997. He was interred in the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California.


Songwriting legacy

"Louie Louie" is the most recorded rock song of all time, and was ranked at No. 54 on ''Rolling Stone'' magazine's "
The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" is a recurring survey compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and industry figures. The first list was published in December 2004 in ...
".


Personal life

Berry married Dorothy Adams, a girl with whom he attended high school, in 1957, and they had two children, Pam and Marcel. They divorced in 1968. Dorothy pursued a music career, recording for
Garpax Records Garpax Records was an American record label, established by Gary S. Paxton, which first issued the song "Monster Mash" by Bobby "Boris" Pickett in 1962. It was distributed by London Records London Recordings (or London Records and London Mu ...
, Challenge Records,
Little Star Records Little Star Records was an independent label that was founded by music industry veteran H. B. Barnum in 1961. Among the artists that recorded for the label include Jimmy Cavallo, The O'Jays The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canto ...
and
Tangerine The tangerine is a type of citrus fruit that is orange in color. Its scientific name varies. It has been treated as a separate species under the name ''Citrus tangerina'' or ''Citrus'' × ''tangerina'', or treated as a variety of ''Citrus retic ...
. She was a
Raelette The Raelettes (or occasionally The Raelets or The Raeletts) were an American girl group formed in 1958 to provide backing vocals for Ray Charles. They were reformed from the group The Cookies. Between 1966 and 1973, the Raelettes recorded on T ...
for
Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...
until the early 1980s. Berry had six children in total, Pamela, Richard Marcel, Stephani, Karen, Linda and Christy. Christy, who was born in 1969, handled his career in his later years. Marcel played bass on stage with his father in the 1980s.


Partial discography


Albums

* ''Richard Berry & The Dreamers'' (1963) -
Crown Records Crown Records was a budget albums record label founded as a subsidiary of Modern Records in 1957. It has been the name of several different record labels, listed below. Discography Mono Stereo Other Crown Records * United Kingdom ** Crown Reco ...
* ''Wild Berry! (1969) - with the Soul Serchers '' - Pam Records


Singles

Recordings with Richard Berry credited as the main artist * ''I'm Still in Love with You / One Little Prayer'' (1953) * ''Bye Bye / At Last'' - The Dreamers featuring Richard Berry (1954) * ''The Big Break / What You Do to Me'' - Arthur Lee Maye & The Crowns backing (1954) * ''Please Tell Me / Oh! Oh! Get Out of the Car'' - Arthur Lee Maye & The Crowns backing (1955) * ''Daddy Daddy / Baby Darling (Baby Baby)'' - with The Dreamers (1955) * ''Don't Cha' Go / God Gave Me You'' (1955) * ''Next Time / Crazy Lover'' (1955) * ''Jelly Roll / Together'' - with The Dreamers (1955) * ''Rockin' Man / Big John'' (1955) * ''I Am Bewildered / Pretty Brown Eyes'' (1956) * ''Yama Yama Pretty Mama / Angel of my Life'' (1956) * ''Wait For Me / Good Love'' (1956) * ''Take The Key (And Open Up My Heart) / No Kissin' And A Huggin - with the Pharaohs (1957) * ''You Are My Sunshine /
Louie Louie "Louie Louie" is a rhythm and blues song written and composed by American musician Richard Berry in 1955, recorded in 1956, and released in 1957. It is best known for the 1963 hit version by the Kingsmen and has become a standard in pop and r ...
'' - with the Pharaohs (1957) * ''Rock Rock Rock / Sweet Sugar You'' - with The Pharaohs (1957) * ''You Look So Good/You're The Girl'' - with The Pharaohs (1958) * ''Heaven on Wheels / The Mess Around'' - with The Lockettes (1958) * ''Besame Mucho / Do I Do I'' (1958) * ''
Have Love, Will Travel "Have Love, Will Travel" is a 1959 song written and recorded by Richard Berry. While the song may have been recorded before the end of 1959, the correct release date appears to be January, 1960. The title is based on a popular television/radi ...
/ No Room'' - with The Pharaohs (1960) * ''I'll Never, Ever Love Again / Somewhere There's A Rainbow'' - with The Pharaohs (1960) * ''Walk Right In / It's All Right'' (1960) * ''Give It Up / I Want You To Be My Girl'' (1960) * ''I'm Your Fool / In a Really Big Way'' (1961) * ''My Lyin' Uncle Ben / I Can't Help It'' (1962) * ''Everybody's Got A Lover But Me / What Good Is A Heart'' (1962) * ''I'm Learnin' / Empty Chair'' (1963) * ''Little White Lies / Monkeybuck'' - with The Soul Searchers (1963) * ''Ain't That Somethin' Part I / Ain't That Somethin' Part II'' - with The Soul Searchers (1967) * ''Thank You Love / Ain't That Somethin' Part II'' - with The Soul Searchers (1967) * ''Jan / Jan (instrumental)'' (1967) * ''Soulin' in C-Minor Part I / Soulin' in C-Minor Part II'' - with The Soul Searchers (1967) * ''Something / Frito Bandito'' - with The Soul Searchers (1970) * ''Trackin' Machine / Doin' It'' (1973) * ''Let Your Love Show To Everyone (with The Silks) / The World Needs Peace (with Dorothy Berry)'' (1981) Recordings where Richard Berry appears uncredited or as part of a group With the Flairs * ''I Had a Love / She Wants to Rock Me'' (1953) * ''Rabbit on the Log / Down at Hayden's'' (1953) - under the name 'The Hunters' * ''You Should Care for Me / Tell Me You Love Me'' (1953) * ''Lonesome Desert / I Smell a Rat (1954) - released under the name Young Jessie * ''Love Me Girl / Gettin' High'' (1954) * ''Baby Wants / You Were Untrue'' (1954) * ''This Is the Night for Love / Let's Make with Some Love'' (1954) With Arthur Lee Maye & The Crowns * ''Set My Heart Free / I Wanna Love'' (1954) * ''Love Me Always / Loop De Loop De Loop'' (1955) * ''Please Don't Leave Me / Do the Bop'' (1955) * ''Gloria / Oh Ruby Lee (1956) With The Robins * '' Riot in Cell Block #9'' (1953) With Jennell Brown (Ricky and Jennell) * ''This Time It's Real / Each Step'' (1954) - The Flairs on backing vocals) With the Rams (Richard Berry, Arthur Lee Maye and
Johnny Coleman Johnny is an English language personal name. It is usually an affectionate diminutive of the masculine given name John (given name), John, but from the 16th century it has sometimes been a given name in its own right for males and, less commonly ...
* ''Sweet Thing / Rock Bottom'' (1955) With Etta James * '' The Wallflower (Roll with Me, Henry)''(1955)


References


External links


Richard Berry page at LouieLouie.net
*
Billboard magazine obituary, February 8 1997.
*

* ttp://www.uncamarvy.com/Flairs/flairs.html Article on Berry's time in The Flairsbr>Photos of Berry from The Doo-Wop Society of Southern California's website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Berry, Richard 1935 births 1997 deaths People from Franklin Parish, Louisiana African-American songwriters American male singer-songwriters American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters American rock musicians American rock singers American rock songwriters Flair Records artists RPM Records (United States) artists Smash Records artists Modern Records artists Burials at Inglewood Park Cemetery 20th-century African-American male singers The Flairs members Jefferson High School (Los Angeles) alumni Singer-songwriters from Louisiana