Talk:Chuck Berry/Archive 3

Genres
Should adding "Country Music" to the list of Genres be considered, based upon the following statement from the article?: Berry wrote, "Curiosity provoked me to lay a lot of our country stuff on our predominantly black audience and some of our black audience began whispering 'who is that black hillbilly at the Cosmo?' After they laughed at me a few times they began requesting the hillbilly stuff and enjoyed dancing to it."[8]

Bitterness
I saw Hail Hail Rock and Roll a couple times, and don't recall Berry revealing bitterness about Richards covering his songs. The two had a tense working relationship (most notably when they played the 'Carol' guitar intro in rehearsal), but bitterness over Richards covering his songs? I don't think so. In many interviews, Berry openly discusses (in modest fashion) how his own music is "nothing new under the sun." The link to the article is also broken. I'm removing the portion in a few days if noone objects. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 155.33.226.231 (talk) 15:02, 18 October 2013 (UTC)
 * I added an archiveurl to the reference so you can read the source before you decide whether to delete. GoingBatty (talk) 03:03, 23 October 2013 (UTC)

Thanks, that's a very interesting article. After reading it, I am of the same opinion that the portion should be removed. Hackford's interpretation of the Berry-Richards "Carol pissing contest" is that Berry was lashing out because he himself was not as famous as Richards. In itself, this is questionable, but nowhere does Hackford state Berry was bitter because of the fame and money Richards earned on the back of Berry's songs. I suppose a statement could be made that Hackford found Berry "maddening" and a challenge to work with, but for now I'm going to remove the second part of the sentence and leave the source in. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 155.33.226.231 (talk) 17:12, 24 October 2013 (UTC)

Actually, the article is protected. Could someone put a period after Richards, delete "in which Berry reveals his bitterness at the fame and financial success that Richards achieved on the back of Berry's songs.", and keep source #47? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 155.33.226.231 (talk) 17:22, 24 October 2013 (UTC)
 * ✅ -GoingBatty (talk) 01:50, 31 October 2013 (UTC)

The 1990 raid on Berry's home
I think there should be some coverage of the 1990 raid on Mr. Berry's home. I have found a link that follows the story through news stories and would lays out the events. The website is " http://www.chuckberry.us/CB1990.html " It would also be nice to know the outcome of lawsuits, unrelated to D.A. Bill Hannah which seems settled, since they should be settled by now.

71.23.202.147 (talk) 21:01, 26 November 2013 (UTC)


 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done: please make your request in a "change X to Y" format. --Stfg (talk) 22:32, 26 November 2013 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 28 March 2014
My ding-a-ling was his only #1 pop hit.

Bronzebuckaroo (talk) 03:31, 28 March 2014 (UTC)
 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. Cannolis (talk) 12:24, 28 March 2014 (UTC)

winner of the Polar Music Prize in 2014
http://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/kultur/pop-und-jazz/Koeniglicher-Eklat-bei-PreisVergabe-in-Stockholm/story/11953612 reference inside: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_prize --  80.245.147.81 (talk) 07:13, 28 August 2014 (UTC)


 * Thanks for mentioning this. It has been added to the "Legacy" section with an english language source.--JayJasper (talk) 17:14, 28 August 2014 (UTC)

Voyager Gold Record
It seems to me that the honors/legacy section should include mention that a song by Chuck Berry is included on the Voyager Gold Disk. A rather singular honor! I mean that gold disk is still going to be floating out there in 10000 years, so who gives a rat's posterior about his inclusion in some mickey mouse hall of fame? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 109.150.32.239 (talk) 11:54, 27 April 2015 (UTC)

Time in Chicago before Chess
R. L. Burnside made an interesting comment on the time he knew Berry in Chicago before his success. I don't knowhow that goes with the rest of the sources, and the weight of themes, so take a look.

. trespassers william (talk) 11:48, 20 June 2015 (UTC)

External links modified
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Deeper Into the Lyrics of Johnny B Goode
The Lyrics of most Chuck Berry’s are chosen very carefully and strategically, Berry’s songs hold meaning while also telling a story. The song Johnny B. Good was recorded in 1957 in December. [2] The meaning of the song can be found in the lyrics.

Located in the title of the song is the word “Goode” which is the street in St Louis where Chuck Berry grew up.[2] Also, the name Johnny is thought to either give recognition his Grandfather Johnson, who was a slave or Johnson his pianist who he worked very closely with.[1,2] Originally this song was supposed to be about Berry's pianist Johnson but he took a different route with the lyrics, and it soon told Berry’s story instead.[2]

His mother played a big role when he was younger and encouraged him to get an education. Although he was not very good at reading or writing, he could pick up most musical rhythm on his guitar from anywhere.[2] At a young age, Berry was a natural, untrained, amazing guitarist.[2] Berry had a gift.[2] Chuck Berry’s mother also inspires one of the verses in the song Johnny B. Goode. Berry’s moms continually encouraged him and told him how one day he would become a millionaire. [3] As Berry got older, he climbed the success ladder, and the song Johnny B. Goode is still known to be one of his most popular songs.

In the song Johnny B. Goode there is a line that says, “country boy named Johnny B. Goode” originally Berry’s lyrics said “colored boy named Johnny B. Goode”.[2] Before he released the song he changed the lyrics so that the white individuals could relate, and so his song would be played on the radio.[2]

The words “go, go, go Johnny” were constantly repeated in the song. The word “go” was used to show how important it was for Berry to try continually, put the hard work in and establish his name while continually demonstrating that he belonged in the business of music.[2]

[1] Ratliff, Ben. "Johnnie Johnson, 80, Dies; Inspired 'Johnny B. Goode'" New York Times (2005): 25. ProQues. Los Angeles Times. 14 Apr. 2005. Web. 29 Sept. 2015. [2]Taylor, Timothy D. "His Name Was in Lights: Chuck Berry's ‘Johnny B. Goode’." Popular Music 11.01 (1992): 27-40. JSTOR. Web. 3 Oct. 2015. [3] Matsumoto, Jon. "POP MUSIC: THE BOOK ON 5 BERRY CLASSICS." Los Angeles Times (1987): 75. ProQuest. Web. 1 Oct. 2015. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Gabsharrington (talk • contribs) 07:56, 4 October 2015 (UTC)


 * We have a separate article on "Johnny B. Goode". You should make these suggestions over there.  Ghmyrtle (talk) 08:14, 4 October 2015 (UTC)

Bathroom Cameras
Where's all the stuff about Chuck taping women going to the bathroom? What's with the whitewash? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.113.199.176 (talk) 01:00, 17 May 2016 (UTC)
 * It's in the section headed "Still on the road (1980–present)". Ghmyrtle (talk) 08:19, 17 May 2016 (UTC)

Edit request
"But in December 1959, he was arrested under the Mann Act after questionable allegations that he had sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old Apache waitress, Janice Escalante,[29] whom he had transported across state lines to work as a hatcheck girl at his club.[30]"

The use of questionable appears to be non-NPOV. It should be specified, who questioned or questions it, and what the basis for the questioning is. As it stands, it's just the unsupported opinion of a Wiki editor, so it should be removed or provided with adequate supporting citation. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.19.205.191 (talk) 17:44, 19 June 2016 (UTC)

Charlie Christian
Does Britannica really say that Berry was influenced by Charlie Christian, or that he claimed to have been influenced by him? I know this is my own research so I can't use it, but I'm a guitarist and I have pretty much everything that Berry did in the 50s and 60s in my record collection, and I'm damned if I can spot any trace of Christian in there. I suspect Berry simply liked to throw Christian's name into the conversation because he admired him.

I'll buy Hogan and Walker since Hogan's riff and a multitude of variations on it, played in Walker's double-stopping style are Berry's trademark. It's ironic really. He's a master lyricist and a great performer, but he didn't write any of the music to 'his' songs and his trademark was written by one man and played in the style of another. I guess that's rock'n'roll!--Deke42 (talk) 18:13, 4 May 2016 (UTC)

This is what that sentence looked like on 19 June 2010  "By early 1953, influenced by the guitar riffs and showmanship techniques of blues player T-Bone Walker, he was performing in the evenings with the Johnnie Johnson Trio. " Steve Pastor (talk) 23:28, 4 May 2016 (UTC)


 * Interesting. So we have cites for Walker and Hogan, but not for Christian. Time for a quick 'citation needed' I think.--Deke42 (talk) 14:53, 6 May 2016 (UTC)

I took care of it. If someone can supply a reference that everyone can see, they can put it back in. Steve Pastor (talk) 16:28, 6 May 2016 (UTC)

Berry cites Benny Goodman as an influence in a number of interviews on youtube, and Christian of course was a famous guitarist with Goodman. He mentions Christian's name in this interview with Johnny Carson in the 1980's. At about the 3:45 mark, Berry describes his influences - "The main guy was Louis Jordan ... I wanted to sing like Nat Cole, with lyrics like Louis Jordan, with the swing of Benny Goodman ... with Charlie Christian on guitar, playing Carl Hogan's riffs ... and with the soul of Muddy Waters...." I agree that Christian's influence is less obvious than Hogan's and Walker's, but since Berry himself cites Christian as in influence, I think we should put it back in. Tidewater 2014 (talk) 19:00, 21 June 2016 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 21 January 2016
Please remove "Born in St. Louis, Missouri,[9] Berry was the fourth child in a family of six." and replace it with "Born in San Jose, California, Berry was the fourth child in a family of six. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to St. Louis, Missouri." because this is accurate per the references below:

References: http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1044190/this-day-in-music http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time-19691231/chuck-berry-20101202 http://www.aaregistry.org/historic_events/view/rock-roll-icon-chuck-berry http://www.notablebiographies.com/Be-Br/Berry-Chuck.html https://books.google.com/books?id=PgGqNrqfrsoC&pg=PT330&lpg=PT330&dq=chuck+berry+born+in+san+jose&source=bl&ots=cJBh2jgdgH&sig=4oh8q1k_BQur41Tj-YArI-56vDg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi5m53-4LnKAhUY8GMKHcMLAlAQ6AEITTAI#v=onepage&q=chuck%20berry%20born%20in%20san%20jose&f=false

12.218.209.105 (talk) 01:42, 21 January 2016 (UTC)

❌.   This has been raised before. Although many sources do indeed say that he was born in San Jose, this seems to have stemmed from a fallacious 1950s press release - - perhaps written to suggest a more glamorous background - and the most reliable sources agree that in fact he was born in St Louis - ],. Ghmyrtle (talk) 08:10, 21 January 2016 (UTC)

Ghmyrtle is correct - the majority of sources (including the biographies on Berry and his own autobiography) state St. Louis. What an odd mistake, of all places, why San Jose? Tidewater 2014 (talk) 15:47, 21 January 2016 (UTC)

I should have read this before I edited. Reverted. Fantailfan (talk) 23:39, 22 July 2016 (UTC)

Legacy: No. 4 greatest songwriter
In 2015 Rolling Stone magazine published its Top 100 Greatest songwriters of All Time, with Berry occupying the No. 4 position, after Dylan, McCartney and Lennon. Is this not worth mentioning in the Legacy section? MackyBeth (talk) 20:09, 18 October 2016 (UTC)

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Lede is too long
A lot of the information is trivial and should be removed. (2A00:23C4:6392:3C00:8575:C121:FC54:41FD (talk) 23:42, 18 March 2017 (UTC))

Eric Clapton
I think it would be proper to add Eric Clapton's name to your list of those influenced by Mr. Berry. While with the Yardbirds, Eric Clapton played lead guitar on their album "Five Live Yardbirds", which included No More Monkey Business, proving that Clapton, along with the other highly respected musicians you've listed, owes a debt of gratitude to Chuck Berry.68.11.148.235 (talk) 13:02, 19 March 2017 (UTC)James Rink


 * You are right. However in Berry's case there are so many artists who have played his songs and been influenced by him that to produce a list would be meaningless. What is significant is that while he was in prison, the Beach Boys, the Beatles, and The Rolling Stones all copied his style and used his songs. These are three very significant bands who had a huge influence on music. But, yes, what Clapton put into Monkey that nobody else did, and what made him a God, was the technique and feel of Blues players such as Otis Rush and B B King with the attack, drive, and chop of Berry, I think bringing in some mention of that both here and on the Clapton article would be useful, if we have the sources (other than this) that discuss it.  SilkTork  ✔Tea time  17:16, 19 March 2017 (UTC)

Pulp Fiction
Shouldn't it be mentioned that "You Never Can Tell" was featured in the movie Pulp Fiction (used for the twist contest). One of my favorite scenes in a great movie Beaglemix (talk) 11:06, 19 March 2017 (UTC)


 * We have an article for that: Music from the Motion Picture Pulp Fiction. His music has been used in many films, but that in itself is not particularly notable or interesting as every major artist has had their music used in other media. In general, the best places to mention these things is in the relevant articles as that is where the information is more pertinent and useful.  SilkTork  ✔Tea time  17:07, 19 March 2017 (UTC)


 * a sentence which quickly glosses over the top three or four film appearances of his music would seem fairly natural. "His music has been featured in films such as....". For example Edaham (talk) 22:04, 19 March 2017 (UTC)

Chuck has sadly passed on
An editor with the necessary authorization needs to edit the article to reflect this. I came here to do so, but found it protected above my ability to perform the edits. May he Rest In Peace. 223.104.5.233 (talk) 00:23, 19 March 2017 (UTC)

Yes, it is semi-protected per the "living persons" policy. Well, he is no longer living, so shouldn't that be lifted? 47.137.191.83 (talk) 01:42, 19 March 2017 (UTC)


 * ideally no. The protection should remain in place while the high volume editing is occurring and be reviewed after editing has settled down, so as not to add to the edit conflict difficulties. Edaham (talk) 02:11, 19 March 2017 (UTC)


 * Another casualty of the rock 'n' roll lifestyle.--Jack Upland (talk) 22:25, 19 March 2017 (UTC)
 * He was 90, not quite so young. – Muboshgu (talk) 23:09, 19 March 2017 (UTC)


 * BLP protections remain in place for the recently deceased. – Muboshgu (talk) 23:09, 19 March 2017 (UTC)
 * Ok, but what are the outer limits of "recently deceased, and who gets to decide? 47.137.191.83 (talk) 02:50, 20 March 2017 (UTC)
 * details on wikipedia's protection policy can be found here, you can also read wp:BLP which contains info on protection and potential discressionary sanctions which apply to biographies of living persons (which include the recently deceased). Suggest that if you are having trouble editing protected pages to:


 * a)make an edit request and / or
 * b)create an account after which most protection will be lifted and you'll have more options for editing/creating pages.
 * when doing any of the above, take note of the fact that your ip has been previously blocked and that you will need to abide by administrative decisions specific to your case.Edaham (talk) 03:46, 20 March 2017 (UTC)

"Charles Berry" as second guitar on the 1942 Muddy Waters Library of Congress recordings
The credits on the Muddy Waters plantation recordings lists "Charles Berry" as the second guitar on tracks 15 and 16 - two takes of "I'll Be Bound To Write To You" recorded Stovall Mississippi July 24 1942 and on track 22 "32-20 Blues" Recorded probably Clarksdale Mississippi possibly July 20 - 24 1942.

I am not in any way qualified to comment on or assess these but I thought that someone out there might be interested. Blairsdad (talk) 03:50, 20 March 2017 (UTC)Bruce Clift http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-complete-plantation-recordings-mw0000097645   — Preceding unsigned comment added by Blairsdad (talk • contribs) 03:41, 20 March 2017 (UTC)


 * Thanks for that. That Charles Berry is a different person. Chuck Berry didn't meet Muddy Waters until 1955. Chuck Berry was still at school in 1942.  SilkTork  ✔Tea time  11:12, 20 March 2017 (UTC)

Chuck Berry
I can't see any mention of my favourite Memphis Tennessee — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2.29.241.79 (talk) 10:31, 20 March 2017 (UTC)

It's listed in the discography section Beaglemix (talk) 17:13, 20 March 2017 (UTC)

Good article?
This article was promoted to Good status back in 2010 and has been edited significantly following Berry's death. I wonder if a Good article reassessment would be appropriate? --- Another Believer ( Talk ) 21:04, 20 March 2017 (UTC)
 * Only if you believe the article has been degraded. It looks like all the recent additions have been well sourced. - The Bounder (talk) 15:13, 22 March 2017 (UTC)

Controversies
Hi, I think we are going to need a section in the article about Chuck Berry's three arrests, prison, problems with substance abuse, etc. This person was a great musician, but he certainly was not an angel! IQ125 (talk) 10:06, 19 March 2017 (UTC)
 * If you read the article, these are all covered in the chronology of his life. – The Bounder (talk) 10:46, 19 March 2017 (UTC)
 * Most of them are not mentioned in the article. It is good to summarize them separately, so readers can find them more easily as follows: IQ125 (talk) 10:49, 19 March 2017 (UTC)

Chuck Berry had controversies in his life including three separate arrests. The first arrest resulted in a three-year prison sentence for armed robbery in 1942. The second arrest lead to a prison sentence under the Mann Act for transporting of a 14-year-old girl across state lines for "immoral purposes” in 1960. . The third arrest lead to Berry's and conviction of substance abuse in 1990.  In addition, Berry was sentenced to four-months in prison for tax evasion in 1979.

In 1990, Berry faced a class action lawsuit from woman alleging that he had videotaped them, while undressing and using the washroom on his property.


 * A, yes they are (read the article); B. No, that gives them undue weight. The information is aleady there, and I suggest you read through the article to see it. Edit warring to force it in is not good (see WP:BRD, so perhaps see if a consensus develops here? - The Bounder (talk) 10:52, 19 March 2017 (UTC)
 * Let a consensus build here and we should both adhere to it. Edit warring is not good.  I appreciate Chuck Berry's music as I presume you do, but people should be aware that he had a criminal side to him, he was no saint! IQ125 (talk) 10:59, 19 March 2017 (UTC)
 * The article already makes it abundantly clear that he had brushes with the law. Perhaps you should have read it through first? – The Bounder (talk) 11:03, 19 March 2017 (UTC)

There are many aspects of Berry's life that are interesting. That he was imprisoned during the height of his success, and on release his songs were now more famous as being done by white artists such as the Beach Boys, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, so he spent the rest of his life in their shadows, is, for me, a particularly fascinating one. Berry was famously very frustrated by that. When working on this article in 2010, I wanted to bring that out, but couldn't find enough reliable sources to give it the coverage to do it justice. I think I may look again in a few months, as there will be a series of commentaries on his life and career in the coming weeks, and some of them may focus on that.

As regards putting together a dedicated section on controversies, that wouldn't be appropriate under our guidelines. Berry is not notable for those events, he is notable for his music. Where those events impacted on his life or were widely reported we should, yes, discuss them in detail, but to put them all together in a "Controversies" section would not be allowed in this situation per WP:SYNTHESIS, and WP:UNDUE. All the events mentioned above are in the article.  SilkTork  ✔Tea time  17:01, 19 March 2017 (UTC)


 * I think the main "Chuck Berry" article is going to require a fork to the "Chuck Berry controversies" supporting article. There is quite a lot of detail needed to explain the multiple legal and prison issues Chuck had! IQ125 (talk) 10:14, 26 March 2017 (UTC)
 * That's not going to happen. See Consensus. Kendall-K1 (talk) 18:31, 26 March 2017 (UTC)

RFC: Which image should be used?

 * The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

We have a number of excellent images of Berry from various periods of his life. Which should be used in the infobox? MB298 (talk) 00:25, 19 March 2017 (UTC)

Survey

 * Personally, I support Option C. MB298 (talk) 00:25, 19 March 2017 (UTC)
 * Changing to Option A after reading following comments. MB298 (talk) 23:39, 21 March 2017 (UTC)
 * A. They're all very nice, but best to keep the rock'n'roll-era one in the box. Rothorpe (talk) 00:34, 19 March 2017 (UTC)
 * I have noticed a trend of using most recent available photos for living persons, while using a more archetypal and defining image for those who have passed on. I agree therefore that the image must come from the rock and roll era and support option A (corrected) Edaham (talk) 00:53, 19 March 2017 (UTC)
 * Option C presents a mid-career, hangdog Berry. Thus splitting the difference between the emerging talent and the emeritus status guru with campy cred we knew in recent years. It's all about essence, daddy.RYPJack (talk) 01:10, 19 March 2017 (UTC)
 * Option A Works for me. It has the feel to it that reminds me of the movie Back to the Future scene where Chuck's song was supposedly influenced by Marty. Chuck's style back then has that true "old school" Rock and Roll feel that Photo A reveals. Can't match that I believe with the other photos. JungleCat    Shiny! / Oohhh!  05:09, 19 March 2017 (UTC)
 * Option A is how I remember him best. Thincat (talk) 07:03, 19 March 2017 (UTC)
 * A. Agree with Rothorpe: the RnR image is best, and this captures the essence of him and his legacy. – The Bounder (talk) 08:18, 19 March 2017 (UTC)
 * A - the current one.  SilkTork  ✔Tea time  08:40, 19 March 2017 (UTC)
 * A is iconic. – Muboshgu (talk) 23:09, 19 March 2017 (UTC)
 * Option A is 50s Berry and that's when most of his memorable songs were recorded. --Seduisant (talk) 23:46, 19 March 2017 (UTC)
 * Option A for all of the reasons already listed. If I had a heyday, I would want to be remembered by that picture, not something from my sunset years. -- S l i m J i m  Talk 03:15, 20 March 2017 (UTC)
 * A - agree with above comments. HelloStarling (talk) 11:18, 22 March 2017 (UTC)
 * A – Kendall-K1 (talk) 13:51, 22 March 2017 (UTC)
 * A per Rothorpe and The Bounder. There is nothing wrong with option C, but the current one is best. AndrewOne (talk) 15:09, 22 March 2017 (UTC)
 * A - as others said, iconic of the hey day. Option C is a close second as it is mid-career and at the Midnight Special, while A is a publicity shot of no intrinsic note other than the date.  Markbassett (talk) 04:09, 23 March 2017 (UTC)
 * A - Pile on. -  Mlpearc  ( open channel ) 04:21, 23 March 2017 (UTC)
 * A - close WP:SNOW. It's iconic and the one most often used. SW3 5DL (talk) 15:00, 24 March 2017 (UTC)
 * A — there's no question of A. Iconic, as has been said. It's Chuck Berry. That's Chuck Berry. —BLZ · talk 09:09, 25 March 2017 (UTC)
 * A — I guess, that's the iconic one, the mischievous one, the youthful one. I just hope we can also use B, somewhere in the article, as it actually really shows the guy's immense warmth and soul. Martinevans123 (talk) 18:54, 25 March 2017 (UTC)
 * A - When I think of Chuck Berry, I instantly think of his early days as a star. This is undoubtedly his heyday and most famous style/appearance.--DisneyMetalhead (talk) 00:57, 28 March 2017 (UTC)


 * The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Semi-protected edit request on 2 July 2017
In Labels - Where it says Chess, Mercury, Atco. Dualtone needs to be added to that list, as that was the label for his 2017 album. MarkJames1025 (talk) 00:46, 2 July 2017 (UTC)
 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. jd22292 (Jalen D. Folf) 01:07, 2 July 2017 (UTC)

Verification of Lennon quote
In the Legacy section is the often cited John Lennon quote: "if you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it 'Chuck Berry'." That came from when Lennon introduced Berry on The Mike Douglas Show, reading off a cue card. In the most literal sense he did say this...and yet is there verification that they are, indeed, John Lennon's words rather than the more likely author: an otherwise nameless staff person on the Mike Douglas Show tasked with writing all the quest introductions? It sounds like the kind of thing Lennon might have come up with on his own--perhaps in an interview?--and was then appropriated for use as this introduction. I don't know if there is anyway to verify one way of the other, but it would be nice to set the record straight. This quote has taken a life of it's own as the unchallenged thoughts of Mr. Lennon, but if they are wrong in would be a shame that wikipedia gives validation to something that isn't fact. ShelbyMarion (talk) 20:12, 14 July 2017 (UTC)

External links modified
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 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20100109044235/http://www.chuckberry.com/about/bio.htm to http://www.chuckberry.com/about/bio.htm
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20111002113531/http://www.die-rock-and-roll-ag.de/html/chuck_1955-56.html to http://www.die-rock-and-roll-ag.de/html/chuck_1955-56.html
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20080808161942/http://www.chuckberry.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2076 to http://www.chuckberry.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2076
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20150314233239/http://chuckberry.com/about/quotes/ to http://chuckberry.com/about/quotes/
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20150323230000/http://www.kennedy-center.org/explorer/artists/?entity_id=3699&source_type=A to http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/index.cfm?fuseaction=showIndividual&entity_id=3699&source_type=A

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Semi-protected edit request on 6 September 2018
There is a formatting error in the 'Biography and Career' section labelled '1980 -2017 Last Years on the Road' - the reference to the film "Hail, Hail Rock and Roll' is incorrectly formatted as it is in the wrong font and should not be boxed (relates to reference 69). 5.198.36.207 (talk) 22:08, 6 September 2018 (UTC)
 * Yes check.svg Done Thanks, I've fixed this and added a link to the page for the film. platy11 user &#8226; talk &#8226; contribs 23:52, 6 September 2018 (UTC)

The appeal was upheld
This "The appeal was upheld..." should be written as "The appeal was successful..." 98.118.62.140 (talk) 03:13, 26 December 2018 (UTC)

Chuck's Children
Why are only two of Chuck's children listed under "children"? Doesn't he have four? Khinton001 (talk) 09:49, 28 March 2019 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 5 April 2019
Chuck and Themetta had four children : Darlin Ingrid Berry-Clay (1959), Aloha Berry (1955), Charles Berry Jr (1951). and Melody Exes Berry-Eskridge (1952).

Michael.r.bowen (talk) 22:29, 5 April 2019 (UTC)


 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. Izno (talk) 00:39, 12 May 2019 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 2 May 2019
The phrase "too much time had passed" should be changed from plain text to a link: too much time had passed. 208.95.51.53 (talk) 17:15, 2 May 2019 (UTC)
 * Yes check.svg Done NiciVampireHeart 11:23, 8 May 2019 (UTC)

From the part where it reads... "He has been cited as a major reference to a variety of some of the most influential acts of all time:" The Grateful Dead (and offshoot bands) have regularly and often covered three of his songs, Around and Around, The Promised Land, and Johnny B. Goode, along with several others covered a few times. Also, The Band did a cover of The Promised Land.205.172.134.228 (talk) 14:31, 15 July 2019 (UTC)

Chuck Berry Did Not Write Route 66
Under groups listed as being influenced by Berry, it says The Rolling Stones and lists "Route 66" and "Let It Rock," among others. Why does it list Route 66? True, Chuck Berry did a version of it, but he did not write it. Bobby Troup did. But, rather than correct this myself and get somebodys panties in a wad, I'll let somebody else do the actual correcting. Thank you. HaarFager (talk) 03:26, 27 April 2019 (UTC)
 * That's true. I've now corrected it to refer to "Come On", the Stones' first single.  Ghmyrtle (talk) 07:32, 27 April 2019 (UTC)

Elvis Presley also covered Promised Land.99.42.89.21 (talk) 05:59, 12 August 2019 (UTC)

Edit request: 9 Dec 2019
The article is locked, so I can't edit it. The citation for the following sentence is Spy magazine. "His reputation took a nosedive in the early 1990s, when the FBI seized home videos of him urinating in women's eyes, farting in their mouths, and having them defecate into his mouth and played them in court.[7]"

According to Wikipedia and elsewhere, Spy magazine was a satirical magazine. Can it be considered a reliable source? Is there corroboration of this claim in other legitimate sources? If not, I recommend that someone with the proper access rights remove it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.149.101.85 (talk) 02:42, 8 December 2019 (UTC)
 * Hi 67.149.101.85, good catch - I've reverted that edit. Cheers KylieTastic (talk)

Legacy additions
Hi, according to me the list of bands who have covered Chuck Berry tunes is way to short (and/but "most influential acts of all time" is quite a subjective thing). This keeps the list short, but skips those great bands who are not part of the "most influential acts of all time". On the other hand side every british beat band between 1962 and 1965 has recorded Chuck Berry tunes, so the list would be very, very long if everyone would have mentioned.

If my quick definition for "influential" is an act who has put out own songs being covered a lot by others, then one should add The Hollies, Rockpile and Dr. Feelgood here too. The Hollies have done at least "Too Much Monkey Business", "Memphis", "Talkin' 'Bout You", "Sweet Little Sixteen". Rockpile (main songwriters were Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe) have done at least "Promised Land" and "Let it Rock". Dr. Feelgood have done "I'm Talking About You" and "Johnny B Goode" in their early days.

Others: Gerry And The Pacemakers - Maybellene. Johnny Rivers - Maybelline. GENE VINCENT - Maybellene. Jim Lowe - Maybellene. Rory Gallagher - Nadine. John Hammond - Nadine. Eddie Cochran - Sweet Little Sixteen. Ten Years After - Sweet Little Sixteen. Slade - I'm a Rocker. John Lennon - Sweet Little Sixteen. Jerry Lee Lewis - Sweet Little Sixteen. Gary Moore - Thirty Days. Johnny Winter – Thirty Days. Led Zeppelin - School Days. — Preceding unsigned comment added by SlimBim (talk • contribs) 00:39, 5 January 2020 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by SlimBim (talk • contribs) 00:00, 5 January 2020 (UTC)

Would apprecitate if those would be added! Thanks. — Preceding unsigned comment added by SlimBim (talk • contribs) 23:53, 4 January 2020 (UTC)

convictions
Hey,, the subcategories of Category:American criminals are for people convicted of notable felonies -- usually, people whose leads significantly cover their crimes and who are notable at least as much for those crimes as for anything else. Chuck Berry is primarily notable for being an entertainer. The policy is

For inclusion in this category, a person must:

Have been duly, lawfully, and finally convicted of a noteworthy (my emph) felony by one or more Federal Article III courts or State courts (excluding impeachments or courts martial without another parallel conviction in a judicial tribunal, convictions that have subsequently been fully pardoned, cases resulting in a conviction that have been sealed or expunged, or cases resulting in a conviction that have been subsequently dismissed and/or reopened with a new trial), or (policy continues but isn't relevant here).

—valereee (talk) 18:35, 23 June 2020 (UTC)
 * Check Berry is a notable entertainer, but he was also a convict. His convictions were notable felonies and are mentioned in the lede. Armed robbery and violating the Mann Act are both Federal crimes in the United States.
 * Typo: *ChuckTwixister (talk) 18:54, 23 June 2020 (UTC)
 * , I disagree. There are probably thousands of similar convictions that aren't noteworthy because those kinds of crimes simply aren't noteworthy. If the crime hadn't been committed by someone famous, it would never have gotten more than local coverage. It's not a noteworthy felony. It has nothing to do with his notability. It's a crime committed by someone famous. That doesn't make it a noteworthy crime. —valereee (talk) 20:45, 23 June 2020 (UTC)
 * A federal crime is a noteworthy crime no matter who commits it. Armed robbery is a major so is transporting a minor across state lines for sex, both of which Chuck was convicted of. You posted the criteria for inclusion above and Chuck's criminal history fits the criteria. It's not a personal opinion.Twixister (talk) 09:40, 24 June 2020 (UTC)
 * , the main category, American criminals, is an occupations category. It's for categorizing people for one of the main reasons for notability. The people who are correctly in those categories have committed crimes that got major attention even when the person was not at the time notable, crimes that meant they'd be one of the primary reasons that person would be remembered for. They're usually what made the person notable. These sorts of crimes are generally mentioned in the first line of the lead. Simple armed robbery could not make a non-notable person notable, and neither could violating the Mann act. We categorize them under Category:American people convicted of robbery and similar categories instead. That's the whole reason for making that a different category than Category:American robbers. One is for people famous for the robberies they committed. The other is for people who committed robbery but not ones that made them famous, but who became notable for other reasons. —valereee (talk) 10:41, 25 June 2020 (UTC)
 * Thank you for explaining, I understand now.Twixister (talk) 17:30, 25 June 2020 (UTC)
 * No worries, it's a very common issue and reasonable confusion! :) —valereee (talk) 18:14, 25 June 2020 (UTC)

Mann Act & Prison Record
This article is extremely weak and appears phony (contrived and biased/one-sided) as long as it does not address his prison record in detail. That is a signal part of anyone's biography and cannot be simply brushed aside in one sentence like this, to have any credibility as a bio. Who was the 14-year old girl? Why was she with him? What is her hometown and how did they meet? What are BOTH sides of the story, the law enforcement version and Berry's version? Where is a link to the trial transcripts? What happened to the girl? For godsakes, this is HUMAN TRAFFICKING you are talking about in this case, per the conviction. It needs elaboration in full.Starhistory22 (talk) 21:43, 3 February 2018 (UTC)


 * Also doesn't mention him videotaping women in the bathroom of a restaurant he owned..? 24.111.55.163 (talk) 05:23, 8 March 2019 (UTC)
 * Yes, it does. Ghmyrtle (talk) 12:27, 27 April 2019 (UTC)

Ditto on the above, totally omitting the Mann Act prosecution in 1959 and the guns/drugs/child porn conviction of 1990. It is important to include these events even if not flattering to the subject. This article makes the most minimal mention of his prison and probation time and has to be considered a whitewash, likely submitted by a commercial interest and not in keeping with Wiki standards. cf: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/chuck-berry-is-arrested-on-mann-act-charges-in-st-louis-Missouri https://heavy.com/entertainment/2017/03/chuck-berry-why-did-go-to-prison-jail-sentence-in-1960s-violate-mann-act-prostitution-tax-evasion/ — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.42.89.21 (talk) 05:57, 12 August 2019 (UTC)


 * The 1955-62 section contains a whole paragraph on his 1959 conviction. Equally, the 1980-2017 section contains a whole paragraph on his 1990 conviction..  That is sufficient.    Ghmyrtle (talk) 07:47, 12 August 2019 (UTC)


 * What do you think about Legal Issues and controversies section? Most public figures with legal troubles have one and it seems appropriate here. I think it would be better place to collect these incidents instead of sprinkled through the article. 2600:6C40:380:2034:7521:7DCD:4435:60F1 (talk) 21:09, 9 July 2020 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 28 April 2021
In the Beatles section of "Legacy", change "to name a few" to "among others", as it sounds less informal. Superman With Armor (talk) 19:02, 28 April 2021 (UTC)
 * Yes check.svg Done ScottishFinnishRadish (talk) 19:04, 28 April 2021 (UTC)

Prison sentences
Why is the article devoid of Berry's jail sentences?? Jail I have added a subsection on the Berry's two federal prison sentences. If you want to expand upon the subsection that is fine. Blockhouse321 (talk) 11:55, 11 May 2021 (UTC)
 * The article is not "devoid" of this information. The paragraphs where you can already find it, presented in greater detail than in the new section, begin "By the end of the 1950s" (both in the lead section and in the main body of the article) and "Berry's touring style". I have deleted the new section. Harfarhs (talk) 19:18, 11 May 2021 (UTC)

No mention of Johnny Rivers
Johnny Rivers covered at least a couple of Berry's tunes - Memphis and Mabellene - with which he had hits. Not that it needs to be mentioned, but wondering if he should be added to the list. Thoughts? THX1136 (talk) 14:39, 29 July 2021 (UTC)

I'd say yes - Rivers is one of the few (if not the only) artist to cover two different Berry songs and have hits with them. Tidewater 2014 (talk) 18:25, 1 September 2021 (UTC)

Legacy
When quoting what other musicians said about Chuck Berry, does it count as a quote if someone is just reading a line off of a cue card? When John Lennon appeared on the Mike Douglas Show in 1972, he read the line: "If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it Chuck Berry" off of a cue card. So, does that count as a legitimate quote? You can see Lennon's appearance on the show for yourself on Youtube.

Should his inclusion on the [Voyager Golden Record] in 1977 as the only popular music track be included? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Sgent (talk • contribs) 05:02, 30 November 2021 (UTC)

Subsection for guitars used in career??
Hi, I think many readers would be interested in the guitars Chuck used during his career! What do others think? B.B. King has a whole article just on Lucille! Blockhouse321 (talk) 12:04, 28 April 2021 (UTC)
 * I would agree. A section on the instruments Berry used would be quite interesting. Recently watched a documentary on Berry and noted the 335, 355, 350 and a few I didn't recognize. Since it was his main instrument with which he did the music that became rock it would be fitting to give a look at those instruments. THX1136 (talk) 14:46, 29 July 2021 (UTC)
 * +1 as a musician, was interested in instruments Berry used; at least there is an image of Maybellene early in the article Donfede~enwiki (talk) 20:46, 26 January 2022 (UTC)

The Grateful Dead also covered "Run Run Rudolph"
The Grateful Dead also covered "Run Run Rudolph" 2600:1011:B164:85DC:709E:3960:A51:B702 (talk) 16:42, 31 July 2022 (UTC)