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.

Personality
Richard Berry Lyrics

We have lyrics for 'Personality' by these artists:

20 Finger Feat. Gillette [Chorus] They call you mr personality because you're so ugly…
Adriano Celentano Ho cercato invano e tu lo sai di dirti cio…
Al Hirt When Madam Pompadour was on a ballroom floor Said all the…
Al Hirt & Ann Margret When Madam Pompadour was on a ballroom floor Said all the…
Al Hirt and Ann-Margret When Madam Pompadour was on a ballroom floor Said all the…
Al Hirt feat. Ann-Margret When Madam Pompadour was on a ballroom floor Said all the…
Al Hirt; Ann-Margret When Madam Pompadour was on a ballroom floor Said all the…
Alton Ellis Over and over I tried to prove my love to…
Andrew Raposo (2,3) (Uh) (Come on) Gotta be honest The way you're making m…

Ann-Margret When Madam Pompadour was on a ballroom floor Said all the…
Ann-Margret & Al Hirt When Madam Pompadour was on a ballroom floor Said all the…
Anthony Newley When Madam Pompadour was on a ballroom floor Said all the…
Celentano and Mina Ho cercato invano e tu lo sai Di dirti ciò che…
Daisy Gray I don′t like the money And the jokes aren't funny Is there…
Dinah Shore When Madam Pompadour was on a ballroom floor Said all the…
Dr. John Yeah, I'm just sittin' in the lab, I'm My name is…
E-reign Personality Intro: Yeah yeah yeah yeahhhh yeah personality …
Eydie Gormé When Madam Pompadour was on a ballroom floor Said all the…
Four Jacks Du er ikke som de andre pi'r Ja, du er noget…
Frank Sinatra When Madame Pompadour was on the ballroom floor, Said all th…
Frankie Carle & His Orchestra When Madam Pompadour was on a ballroom floor Said all the…
Gary Glitter Oh-oh-over and over I'll try and prove my love to…
Itchy Poopzkid Everbody stop Here's what I'm offering Everybody look at m…
Jerline and friends We got personality But a lot gets lost between the keys We…
Jimmy Sturr Over and over I tried to prove my love to you Over…
Jimmy Van Heusen When Madam Pompadour was on a ballroom floor Said all the…
Jo Stafford & Johnny Mercer When Madam Pompadour was on a ballroom floor Said all the…
John Travolta; Samuel L. Jackson [Dialogue Written by Quentin Tarantino] VINCENT Want some ba…
Johnny Mercer When Madam Pompadour was on a ballroom floor Said all the…
Johnny Mercer and The Pied Pipers When Madam Pompadour was on a ballroom floor Said all the…
Johnny Mercer feat. The Pied Pipers When Madam Pompadour was on a ballroom floor Said all the…
Johnny Mercer Paul Weston When Madam Pompadour was on a ballroom floor Said all the…
Johnny Mercer The Pied Pipers & Paul Weston & His Orchestra When Madam Pompadour was on a ballroom floor Said all the…
Johnny Mercer/The Pied Pipers When Madam Pompadour was on a ballroom floor Said all the…
Johnny Messner & His Orchestra When Madam Pompadour was on a ballroom floor Said all the…
Jules & Vincent It is what is (It is what it is) Nigga, don't…
Lil Dicky We ain't ever been the motherfuckas That could get a hundred…
Lloyd Price Over and over I tried to prove my love to you Over…
M.K. Black Mic check one-two Yeah, You know who the fuck it is Therenna…
Mercer Johnny When Madam Pompadour was on a ballroom floor Said all the…
Mercer Johnny & The Pied Pipers When Madam Pompadour was on a ballroom floor Said all the…
Perry Como When Madam Pompadour was on a ballroom floor Said all the…
Peter Hammill Not the same, we are changed and we are changing still; I'…
Price Over and over I tried to prove my love to you Over…
PYNKIE Have you seen it all? Highly doubt it Have you seen…
Robby Bloodshed Inside my mind, I can't be me It rains down, nobody…
Russ Morgan and His Orchestra When Madam Pompadour was on a ballroom floor Said all the…
Satisfiers When Madam Pompadour was on a ballroom floor Said all the…
Steve Lawrence When Madam Pompadour was on a ballroom floor Said all the…
The Aloof Open up and justify yourself Your reasons Reasons to care …
The Babies PERSONALITY PARTY You say you got a feeling you wrap me up…
The Boys I want to marry a personality Someone who looks just like…
The Hi-Marks When Madam Pompadour was on a ballroom floor Said all the…
Van Johnson When Madame Pompadour was on the ballroom floor, Said all th…
various artists [Vincent:] You want some bacon? [Jules:] No, man, I don't e…
Whipping Boy I want to marry a personality Someone who looks just like…

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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TRACKS