Richard Berry
Encyclopedia
Richard Berry was an African American
singer, songwriter
and musician, who performed with many Los Angeles
doo-wop
and close harmony
groups in the 1950s, including The Flairs
and The Robins
.
He is best known as the composer and original performer of the rock standard "Louie Louie
". The song went on to be a hit for The Kingsmen
becoming one of the most recorded songs of all time, however Berry received lttle financial benefit for writing it until the 1980s, having signed away his rights to the song in 1959.
, 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. His first instrument was the ukelele, which he learnt while attending a summer camp for crippled children.
Berry attended Jefferson High School
in Los Angeles, and along with many other pupils practised singing vocal harmonies in the corridors.
groups, recording with a number of them including The Penguins
, 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
(who also recorded as the Debonaires and the Flamingoes) in 1953.
, featured Berry’s bass vocals, and was an early production by Leiber and Stoller. A few months later, when the producers needed a bass voice for The Robins
’ "Riot In Cell Block #9" on Spark Records
, they recruited Berry to provide the menacing introduction to the song – uncredited, as he was contracted to Modern. The Robins would later become The Coasters
.
Berry’s voice was also used at Modern, again uncredited, as the counterpoint to Etta James
on her first record and big hit, "The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry)
", 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
and the Crowns, and the Dreamers (who later became The Blossoms
). By the end of 1954, Berry left the Flairs to form his own group, the Pharaohs, while also continuing to work with other groups as a singer and songwriter.
", based on the Rhythm Rockers' version of René Touzet
's "El Loco Cha Cha", and also influenced by Chuck Berry
's "Havana Moon
". Berry also stated he had Frank Sinatra
's "One For My Baby" 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 down 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
" 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
'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
also recorded the tune in the same studio the day 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 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 commented 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 such numbers as "Have Love, Will Travel
" (which would later become a local hit for The Sonics
), but with little commercial success, and also continued as a performer. His other songs also included "Crazy Lover", recorded on their 1987 debut album by the Rollins Band
.
wanted to use "Louie Louie" in a commercial
, but discovered they needed Berry's signature to use it. They asked the Artists' Rights society to locate him, and a lawyer visited Berry. The lawyer mentioned the possibility of Berry taking action to gain the rights to his song. The publishers settled out of court, making Berry a millionaire.
During the 1980s, "Louie Louie" received a number of accolades, with hundreds of cover version
s being issued on CD compilations and played on radio marathons. He continued to play shows and in 1993 played two sets at the 100 Club
in London
.
. 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
.
magazine's "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
".
, Challenge Records
, Little Star Records and Tangerine
. She was a Raelette for Ray Charles
until the early 80s.
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 80s.
Recordings where Richard Berry appears uncredited or as part of a group
With The Flairs
With Arthur Lee Maye & The Crowns
With The Robins
With Jennell Brown (Ricky and Jennell)
With The Rams (Richard Berry, Arthur Lee Maye and Johnny Coleman
With Etta James
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
singer, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and musician, who performed with many Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
doo-wop
Doo-wop
The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
and close harmony
Close harmony
Close harmony is an arrangement of the notes of chords within a narrow range. It is different from open harmony or voicing in that it uses each part on the closest harmonizing note , while the open voicing uses a broader pitch array expanding the harmonic range past the octave...
groups in the 1950s, including The Flairs
The Flairs
The Flairs were an American doo-wop group based in Los Angeles. They went through several lineup changes during their existence. Their notable members included Richard Berry and Cornell Gunter, who would go on to being a member of The Coasters.-Career:In 1952, an African-American musical group...
and The Robins
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 bands who established the basic pattern for the doo-wop sound.-Original members:...
.
He is best known as the composer and original performer of the rock standard "Louie Louie
Louie Louie
"Louie Louie" is an American rock 'n' roll song written by Richard Berry in 1955. It has become a standard in pop and rock, with hundreds of versions recorded by different artists...
". The song went on to be a hit for The Kingsmen
The Kingsmen
The Kingsmen is a 1960s garage rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States. They are best known for their 1963 recording of Richard Berry's "Louie Louie", which held the #2 spot on the Billboard charts for six weeks...
becoming one of the most recorded songs of all time, however Berry received lttle financial benefit for writing it until the 1980s, having signed away his rights to the song in 1959.
Early life
Berry was born in Extension, south of Monroe, LouisianaMonroe, Louisiana
Monroe is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 51,208, but 51,636...
, and moved with his family to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
as a baby. As a child he suffered a hip injury and had to walk on crutches until he was six. His first instrument was the ukelele, which he learnt while attending a summer camp for crippled children.
Berry attended Jefferson High School
Jefferson High School (Los Angeles, California)
For schools with a similar name, see Jefferson High School.Thomas Jefferson High School, usually referred to as Jefferson High School was founded in 1916, it is the fourth oldest public high school in the Los Angeles Unified School District...
in Los Angeles, and along with many other pupils practised singing vocal harmonies in the corridors.
Musical career
He began singing and playing in local doo-wopDoo-wop
The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
groups, recording with a number of them including The Penguins
The Penguins
The Penguins were an American doo-wop group of the 1950s and early 1960s, best remembered for their only Top 40 hit, "Earth Angel ", which was one of the first rhythm and blues hits to cross over to the pop charts...
, The Cadets
The Cadets
The Cadets can refer to one of the following:* The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps* The Cadets * The Cadets - 10-part Russian TV series dealing with the Battle of Stalingrad...
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
Fremont High School (Sunnyvale, California)
Fremont High School is a comprehensive, co-educational, public secondary school in Sunnyvale, California, United States. Fremont is currently the only open public high school located in the city of Sunnyvale and is part of the Fremont Union High School District .-History:Fremont was originally...
. He then joined The Flairs
The Flairs
The Flairs were an American doo-wop group based in Los Angeles. They went through several lineup changes during their existence. Their notable members included Richard Berry and Cornell Gunter, who would go on to being a member of The Coasters.-Career:In 1952, an African-American musical group...
(who also recorded as the Debonaires and the Flamingoes) in 1953.
With the Flairs
The Flairs’ 1953 record "She Wants To Rock", on Modern RecordsModern Records
Modern Records was an American record label formed in 1945 in Los Angeles by the Bihari brothers. In the 1960s, Modern Records went bankrupt and ceased operations, but the catalogue went with the management into what became Kent Records. This back catalogue was eventually licensed to the UK label...
, featured Berry’s bass vocals, and was an early production by Leiber and Stoller. A few months later, when the producers needed a bass voice for The Robins
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 bands who established the basic pattern for the doo-wop sound.-Original members:...
’ "Riot In Cell Block #9" on Spark Records
Spark Records
Spark Records was a record label started by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller c. 1954. Artists released on Spark Records included Willy & Ruth, The Sly Fox and The Robins....
, they recruited Berry to provide the menacing introduction to the song – uncredited, as he was contracted to Modern. The Robins would later become The Coasters
The Coasters
The Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group that had a string of hits in the late 1950s. Beginning with "Searchin'" and "Young Blood", their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producing team of Leiber and Stoller...
.
Berry’s voice was also used at Modern, again uncredited, as the counterpoint to Etta James
Etta James
Etta James is an American blues, soul, rhythm and blues , rock and roll, gospel and jazz singer. In the 1950s and 1960s, she had her biggest success as a blues and R&B singer...
on her first record and big hit, "The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry)
The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry)
"The Wallflower" is a popular song. It was one of several answer songs to "Work With Me Annie" and has the same 12-bar blues melody....
", and several of its less successful follow-ups. Berry also recorded with several other groups on the Modern and Flair
Flair Records
Flair Records was an American record label owned by the Bihari brothers, launched in the early 1950s. It was a subsidiary of Modern Records. Its most famous artist was Elmore James, who released ten singles with this label .-Singles:...
labels, including Arthur Lee Maye
Lee Maye
Arthur Lee Maye was a Major League Baseball player. He played eleven seasons in the majors as an outfielder for the Milwaukee Braves , Houston Astros , Cleveland Indians , Washington Senators , and Chicago White Sox .Maye was also well known as a Rhythm & Blues singer...
and the Crowns, and the Dreamers (who later became The Blossoms
The Blossoms
The Blossoms were a backing group from California. They had a recording career in their own right and were to the American West Coast what The Sweet Inspirations were to the East Coast and The Andantes were for Motown.-Early years:...
). By the end of 1954, Berry left the Flairs to form his own group, the Pharaohs, while also continuing to work with other groups as a singer and songwriter.
"Louie Louie"
One of the groups Berry played with after leaving the Flairs was a Latin and R&B group, Rick Rillera and the Rhythm Rockers. In 1955, Berry was inspired to write a new calypso-style song, "Louie LouieLouie Louie
"Louie Louie" is an American rock 'n' roll song written by Richard Berry in 1955. It has become a standard in pop and rock, with hundreds of versions recorded by different artists...
", based on the Rhythm Rockers' version of René Touzet
René Touzet
René Touzet y Monte was a Cuban-born American composer, pianist and bandleader.-Career as bandleader:...
's "El Loco Cha Cha", and also influenced by Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
's "Havana Moon
Havana Moon
Havana Moon is a 1983 album by Carlos Santana released as a solo project.It features covers of Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry songs and performances by Booker T & the MGs, Willie Nelson and The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and also Carlos' father Jose singing "Vereda Tropical" — a song Carlos had first...
". Berry also stated he had Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
's "One For My Baby" 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 down 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
"You Are My Sunshine" is a popular song first recorded in 1939. It has been declared one of the state songs of Louisiana as a result of its association with former state governor and country music singer Jimmie Davis. The song is copyright 1940 Peer International Corporation, words and music by...
" on Flip Records
Flip Records (1950s)
Flip Records was a record label that flourished in the 1950s, releasing rhythm and blues and doo-wop music by such artists as Richard Berry, the Six Teens, Donald Wood, the Elgins, and many others...
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
The Kingsmen is a 1960s garage rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States. They are best known for their 1963 recording of Richard Berry's "Louie Louie", which held the #2 spot on the Billboard charts for six weeks...
'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
Paul Revere & the Raiders is an American rock band that saw considerable U.S. mainstream success in the second half of the 1960s and early 1970s with hits such as "Kicks" , "Hungry" , "Him Or Me - What's It Gonna Be?" and the 1971 No...
also recorded the tune in the same studio the day 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
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
.
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 commented 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 such numbers as "Have Love, Will Travel
Have Love, Will Travel
"Have Love, Will Travel" is a 1959 song written and recorded by Richard Berry.-Covers:In its most known instantiation, the garage rock-protopunkers The Sonics covered the song in 1965 and it appeared on their album Here Are The Sonics of that year...
" (which would later become a local hit for The Sonics
The Sonics
The Sonics are an American garage rock band from Tacoma, Washington, originating from the early and mid-1960s. Among The Sonics' contemporaries were The Kingsmen, The Wailers, The Dynamics, The Regents, and Paul Revere & the Raiders...
), but with little commercial success, and also continued as a performer. His other songs also included "Crazy Lover", recorded on their 1987 debut album by the Rollins Band
Rollins Band
Rollins Band was an American rock band led by singer and songwriter Henry Rollins.They are best known for the songs "Low Self Opinion" and "Liar", which both earned heavy airplay on MTV in the early 1990s...
.
Settlement of rights to "Louie Louie"
In the mid eighties Berry was living on welfare at his mother's house in South Central L.A.. Drinks company California CoolerCalifornia Cooler
California Cooler is a brand of alcoholic beverage.Although Sangria has existed since wine has been made, this formula and packaging was the first to be known as a Wine Cooler. The product was essentially a Sangria packaged in a 12 oz. beer bottle. Originally named Monterey Cooler, the California...
wanted to use "Louie Louie" in a commercial
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
, but discovered they needed Berry's signature to use it. They asked the Artists' Rights society to locate him, and a lawyer visited Berry. The lawyer mentioned the possibility of Berry taking action to gain the rights to his song. The publishers settled out of court, making Berry a millionaire.
Later years
In the early 80s, Berry recorded a duet with his ex-wife Dorothy entitled '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 version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s being issued on CD compilations and played on radio marathons. He continued to play shows and in 1993 played two sets at the 100 Club
100 Club
The 100 Club is a music venue in London situated at 100 Oxford Street, W1, originally called The Feldman Swing Club.The 100 Club attained legendary status in modern British music, having played host to live music since 24 October 1942....
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Death
In February 1996, Berry performed for the final time, reuniting with the Pharaohs and the Dreamers for a benefit concert in Long Beach, CaliforniaLong Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
. His health declined shortly after this, and he died of heart failure in 1997. He was interred in the Inglewood Park Cemetery
Inglewood Park Cemetery
Inglewood Park Cemetery was founded in 1905 in Inglewood, California. A number of notable people, including entertainment and sports personalities, have been interred or entombed here.-List of notable and celebrity interments at Inglewood Park:...
in Inglewood, California
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. Its population stood at 109,673 as of the 2010 Census...
.
Songwriting legacy
'Louie Louie' is the second most recorded song of all time, and was ranked at #55 on Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone, issue number 963, published December 9, 2004, a year after the magazine published its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time"....
".
Personal life
Berry married a girl from his old high school, Dorothy Adams, in 1957 and they had two children, Pam and Marcel. They divorced in 1968. Dorothy went on to pursue a music career herself, recording for Garpax RecordsGarpax 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. The label lasted from 1962 to 1965....
, Challenge Records
Challenge Records
Challenge Records has been the name of at least three different record labels in the 20th century:* Challenge Records - a US based company* Challenge Records - a US based company* Challenge Records - a Netherlands based company...
, Little Star Records and Tangerine
Tangerine Records (1963)
Tangerine Records was a record label owned by Ray Charles between 1962 and 1973. In 1962, he founded his own record label, Tangerine Records which ABC-Paramount Records promoted and distributed. In 1973 Charles left ABC and he closed Tangerine and started Crossover records. Early singles labels...
. She was a Raelette for Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
until the early 80s.
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 80s.
Albums
- Richard Berry & The Dreamers (1963) - Crown RecordsCrown Records-Modern Records subsidiary:One Crown Records was a Budget Albums record label founded as a subsidiary of Modern Records.-Singles:* 19??: "Musso's Boogie" b/w "Sing Sing Sing" * 19??: "???" b/w "???" * 19??: "???" b/w "???"...
- Wild Berry! With the Soul Serchers[sic](1969) -Pam Records
Singles
Recordings with Richard Berry credited as the main artist- I'm Still in Love With You / One Little Prayer (1953)
- The Big Break / What You Do To Me (1954)- Arthur Lee Maye & The Crowns backing
- Please Tell Me / Get Out Of The Car (1955)-Arthur Lee Maye & The Crowns backing
- Jelly Roll / Together(1955) - with The Dreamers
- Yama Yama Pretty Mama / Angel of my Life (1956)
- Rock Rock Rock / Louie LouieLouie Louie"Louie Louie" is an American rock 'n' roll song written by Richard Berry in 1955. It has become a standard in pop and rock, with hundreds of versions recorded by different artists...
(1957) - with The Pharoahs - The Mess Around (1958) - with The Lockettes
- Have Love Will Travel (1959) - Flip Records FL-304, with The Pharoahs
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 #9Riot In Cell Block Nine"Riot In Cell Block #9" is a classic and pervasive R&B song composed by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.In this song, a man is serving his sentence in federal prison for armed robbery. At 4:00 AM on July 2, 1953, he wakes up to a rather alarming disturbance: a jail riot! It started in cell block #4...
(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
- Sweet Thing / Rock Bottom (1955)
With Etta James
- The Wallflower (Roll with Me, Henry)The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry)"The Wallflower" is a popular song. It was one of several answer songs to "Work With Me Annie" and has the same 12-bar blues melody....
(1955)
External links
- http://www.louielouie.net/03-richardberry.htm Richard Berry biography - LouieLouie.net
- http://koti.mbnet.fi/wdd/richardberry.htm A thorough discography
- http://reverbcentral.com/louie/obituary.html Obituary
- http://www.xs4all.nl/~tdg/history.html "A brief history of Louie Louie and Richard Berry", The Louie Louie Pages by "Theo"
- http://www.uncamarvy.com/Flairs/flairs.html article on Berry's time in The Flairs
- http://www.electricearl.com/dws/rberry.html Photos of Berry from The Doo-Wop Society of Southern California's website
- http://www.electricearl.com/dws/dreamers.html Richard Berry on The Dreamers
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF_bM8JU57w Richard Berry performing 'Louie Louie' in 1989, Youtube