Richard Berry (born in Extension, Louisiana on 11 April 1935; died 23 Janua… Read Full Bio ↴Richard Berry (born in Extension, Louisiana on 11 April 1935; died 23 January 1997) was an American singer and songwriter, best known as the composer and original performer of the rock standard "Louie Louie" (released in 1957 by Richard Berry & The Pharaohs).
Berry moved with his family to Los Angeles as a baby. He began singing and playing in local doo-wop groups, recording with several of them including The Penguins, The Cadets and The Chimes, before joining The Flairs (who also recorded as The Debonaires and The Flamingoes) in 1953.
The Flairs’ record "She Wants To Rock", on Modern Records, featured Berry’s bass vocals, and was an early production by Leiber and Stoller. When, a few months later, that pair needed a bass voice for their production of 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. 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 (Roll 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 The Crowns, and girl group The Dreamers (who later became The Blossoms).
By the end of 1954, he left the Flairs to form his own group, the Pharaohs (see Richard Berry & The Pharaohs), while also continuing to work with other groups as a singer and songwriter. One of these 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 Louie", based on The Rhythm Rockers version of René Touzet's "El Loco Cha Cha", and also influenced by Chuck Berry's "Havana Moon". Richard Berry & the Pharaohs recorded and released the song on Flip Records in 1957, originally as a B-side. It became a minor regional hit, 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. 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, but, because Berry sold its copyright cheaply in 1959, he received little financial reward for its success for many years.
Berry continued to record in the late 1950s, but with little commercial success, and also continued as a performer. His other songs included "Crazy Lover", recorded on their 1987 debut album by the Rollins Band.
During the 1980s, "Louie Louie" received a number of unprecedented accolades, with hundreds of cover versions being issued on CD compilations and played on radio marathons. In 1986 and again in 1993, Berry finally received substantial financial benefits for writing the song. In February 1996, he performed for the final time, reuniting with The Pharaohs and The Dreamers for a benefit concert in Long Beach. However, his health declined, and he died of heart failure in 1997. He was interred in the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California.
Berry moved with his family to Los Angeles as a baby. He began singing and playing in local doo-wop groups, recording with several of them including The Penguins, The Cadets and The Chimes, before joining The Flairs (who also recorded as The Debonaires and The Flamingoes) in 1953.
The Flairs’ record "She Wants To Rock", on Modern Records, featured Berry’s bass vocals, and was an early production by Leiber and Stoller. When, a few months later, that pair needed a bass voice for their production of 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. 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 (Roll 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 The Crowns, and girl group The Dreamers (who later became The Blossoms).
By the end of 1954, he left the Flairs to form his own group, the Pharaohs (see Richard Berry & The Pharaohs), while also continuing to work with other groups as a singer and songwriter. One of these 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 Louie", based on The Rhythm Rockers version of René Touzet's "El Loco Cha Cha", and also influenced by Chuck Berry's "Havana Moon". Richard Berry & the Pharaohs recorded and released the song on Flip Records in 1957, originally as a B-side. It became a minor regional hit, 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. 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, but, because Berry sold its copyright cheaply in 1959, he received little financial reward for its success for many years.
Berry continued to record in the late 1950s, but with little commercial success, and also continued as a performer. His other songs included "Crazy Lover", recorded on their 1987 debut album by the Rollins Band.
During the 1980s, "Louie Louie" received a number of unprecedented accolades, with hundreds of cover versions being issued on CD compilations and played on radio marathons. In 1986 and again in 1993, Berry finally received substantial financial benefits for writing the song. In February 1996, he performed for the final time, reuniting with The Pharaohs and The Dreamers for a benefit concert in Long Beach. However, his health declined, and he died of heart failure in 1997. He was interred in the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California.
Doin' It
Richard Berry Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Doin' It' by these artists:
22. Tech N9ne Strange Music 10 years in the makin' Hey man, this feel…
Audra Bryant Yea, check out it baby, make it hot. Bring the…
Big Boi Baby, if you keep (Keep) Doin' what you're doin' to me…
Busta Rhymes Feat. Redman We so hot, we so hot baby Everywhere we go we…
Children of the Corn [Cam'Ron] Aiiyo what good is all the guns and techs And dumb…
D.J. Xquisite Mmmm yeah (mmm) check it out baby Make it hot, then…
Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks I went to San Francisco Just to see Twin Peaks I never…
Def Jazz feat. Jeff Lorber and Dwight Sills Yea, check out it baby, make it hot. Bring the…
Dr. Hook I'm so tired in the morning Don't want to do my…
Dwight Sills & Audra Bryant Yea, check out it baby, make it hot. Bring the…
Earl Klugh [Intro] {LL Cool J}: Uh he huh. Remix that joint,…
Fabolous Nicki Minaj (Go ahead) See you can't just do it (Go ahead) You gotta do…
Herbie Hancock Herbie Hancock - Piano, Rhodes Piano, Electric Grand Piano, …
Herman Brood Feel so good - it must be wrong this junk is…
Herman Brood-Nina Hagen-Lene Lovich Feel so good - it must be wrong this junk is…
Huey Lewis & The News Early in the morning, I'm still in bed She comes to…
Ike & Tina Turner Do it Baby oh! Play your piano oh! That's workin' hum! Goin'…
Justine Clarke theres a bumble bee a honey bee gett'n the honey for you…
Lewis Huey And The News Early in the morning, I'm still in bed She comes to…
Liberty X Hey you What you tryin' to do? Saw you lookin' over and…
LL Cool J Mmmm yeah (mmm) check it out baby Make it hot, then…
MoneyBagg Yo Damn, ooh, she got ass on her Got the trap, can't…
Notifi Hook: I just keep my drinks on full that’s just me Just…
Pauline Högberg I feel so hot tonight My body's so alive The rhythm's gonn…
Pierre Doin' it, doin' it, doin' it right Doin' it, doin' it,…
Redman -FT- Busta Rhymes & DJ Green Lantern We so hot, we so hot baby Everywhere we go we…
Rick James Doin' it doin' it doin' it Doin' it doin' it doin'…
Tapemasters Inc. & LL Cool J Mmmm yeah (mmm) check it out baby Make it hot, then…
Tech N9ne Strange Music 10 years in the makin' Hey man, this feel…
Tech N9ne Feat. Yukmouth Chillest Illest & Ome Strange Music 10 years in the makin' Hey man, this feel…
Tech N9ne Ft. Chillest Illest OME & Yukmouth Strange Music 10 years in the makin' Hey man, this feel…
Tech N9ne Yukmouth Chillest Illest Ome Strange Music 10 years in the makin' Hey man, this feel…
UTFO (Doin it) (Doin it) (Oh yeah) [The Blackbyrds] (Oh yeah) …
We have lyrics for these tracks by Richard Berry:
A Love People making lists, buying special gifts Taking time to be …
At Last At last, my love has come along my lonely days are…
Have Love Will Travel Wow, Have love Whoa baby will travel Uh huh, uh huh, have…
Hey Henry You couldn't dance at all But now you're over ball The way…
Louie Louie Louie, Louie, oh, oh, me gotta go Louie, Louie, me gotta…
Louie, Louie Louie, Louie, oh, oh, me gotta go Louie, Louie, oh, oh,…
The Wallflower (Hey Baby, What do I have to do,) (To make you…
Visiteur La première fois d'sa vie qu'un homme a le bonheur D'entrer…
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Alberto Schiavulli
Fantastic
DJ Waterman
Very cool. Thanks.
FABTBIRDS BLUES
Richard Berry - Doin It
Producer – Johnny Otis 1973