Richard Berry
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Richard Berry (April 11, 1935–January 23, 1997) was an American singer and songwriter.
He was born in Extension, Louisiana, and is best known as the composer and original performer of the rock standard "Louie Louie". The song, which was inspired by René Touzet's "El Loco Cha Cha" and by Chuck Berry's "Havana Moon", was a regional hit when released on the American West Coast in 1956, and The Kingsmen's more raucous version became a national hit in 1963.
The song has been recorded over 1,000 times. The nearly unintelligible (and innocuous) lyrics of The Kingsmen's version were widely misinterpreted as obscene, and the song was banned by radio stations and even investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Richard Berry is also known as the voice of Henry on Etta James' "Dance with Me, Henry (Wallflower)", as the narrator on The Robins' "Riot in Cell Block #9" and singer on the flip side "Framed". He also recorded "Have Love Will Travel."
On their 1987 debut album, the Rollins Band recorded a version of Berry's "Crazy Lover".
On his death in 1997, he was interred in the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California.
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| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Berry, Richard |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | American singer-songwriter |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 11, 1935 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Extension, Louisiana |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 23, 1997 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Inglewood, California |
