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.

The Great Pretender
Richard Berry Lyrics

We have lyrics for 'The Great Pretender' by these artists:

Adagio Oh yes, Im the great pretender Pretending that Im…
Avatar Time to thrill, there's time to kill 'Til your mom's gone…
Bles Bridges Oh yes I'm the great pretender (ooh ooh) Pretending I'm doin…
Br. Eno Monica sighed Rolled on her side She was so impressed that s…
Brother Moon Surrounded by emptiness at dawn The rain’s kept falling for …
Dan McCafferty Oh yes I'm the great pretender Pretending that I'm doin' wel…
DeadLock Once born in the others charge to surrender To suffer grea…
Demis Roussos Oh yes, I'm the great pretender Pretendin 'I'm doin' well My…
Dolly Parton (Buck Ram) Oh-oh, yes I'm the great pretender Pretending t…

Eno Monica sighed Rolled on her side She was so impressed that s…
Enrico Ruggeri Oh, yes, I'm the great pretender, Pretending I'm doing well…
Freddie Oh yes I'm the great pretender (ooh ooh) Pretending I'm doin…
Freddie Mercury & Queen Oh yes, I'm the great pretender (ooh ooh) Pretending I'm doi…
Human Drama I am the great pretender Pretending I can't see The…
Jamala AH AH AH BRIGHT ROOM DARK SHADES SMOKEY EYED NO SHAME YOU …
Jimmy Parkinson Oh yes, I'm the great pretender Pretending that I'm doing we…
Jon Frederik Band Do you wander through this life, like a child without…
KnightsBridge Oh yes I'm the great pretender (ooh ooh) Pretending I'm doin…
Les Platters Oh yes, I'm the great pretender Pretending I'm doing well …
Luke Bell Does she know? Is it so? Is she on to my…
Mercury Freddie Oh yes I'm the great pretender (ooh ooh) Pretending I'm doin…
Old & In the Way Oh yes I'm the great pretender (Ooh, ooh) Pretending I'm d…
Pain You can bitch all you want 'cause I don't care It's…
Paul Brady Downtown disco, out on the floor, He's been there…
Pinky Dread Oh yes I'm the great pretender (ooh ooh) Pretending I'm doin…
Platters Oh-oh, yes I'm the great pretender Pretending that I'm doing…
Platters (the) Oh-oh, yes I'm the great pretender Pretending that I'm doin…
Platters The Oh-oh, yes I'm the great pretender Pretending that I'm doing…
Queen Oh yes, I'm the great pretender (ooh ooh) Pretending I'm doi…
Queen+ Oh yes, I'm the great pretender (ooh ooh) Pretending I'm do…
Raul Seixas Oh yes I'm the great pretender Pretending I'm doing well M…
Roy Orbison Buck Ram Oh-oh, yes I'm the great pretender Pretending that…
Sam Cooke Oh yes, I'm the Great pretender Pretending I'm doing well …
Schaefer Llana Yes you are so great And yes you are so…
Slash Easy come for some that's easy go But it's never easy…
The Band Oh yes, I'm the great pretender Pretending that I'm doing we…
The Hi-Marks Oh oh, yes I'm the great pretender Pretending that I'm doing…
The Jon Frederik Band Oh yes, I'm the great pretender Pretending that I'm doing w…
The Last Emperor (Intro: sample) It has been said that man can create anythi…
The platter - Paul Anka Oh-oh, yes I'm the great pretender Pretending that I'm doing…
The Righteous Brothers Oh yes, I'm the great pretender Pretending that I'm doing we…
The Road Cruisers Oh-oh, yes I'm the great pretender Pretending that I'm doing…
The Starlite Orchestra Oh yes I'm the great pretender (ooh ooh) Pretending I'm doin…
The Statler Brothers Oh-oh, yes I'm the great pretender Pretending that I'm doing…
Various Artists Keep you in the dark You know they all pretend Keep you…
Vic Mignogna Do you wander through this life Like a child without a…
Victor Wood Oh yes, I'm the great pretender Pretending that I'm doing we…
Yu-Gi-Oh OST Do you wander through this life Like a child without a…

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