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.
Tutti Frutti
Richard Berry Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Tutti Frutti' by these artists:
Adrian Simionescu Tutti frutti te khelas, Te khelas te gil'abas. Te khelas te …
Adrian Simionescu & L'Orchestre Marin Ioan Tutti Frutti Tutti frutti te kelas, te kelas te giljavas. t…
Adrian Simionescu & Orchestre Marin Ioan Tutti frutti te khelas, Te khelas te gil′abas. Te khelas te …
Adriano Celentano Wop bop a loo bop a lop bam boom! Tutti frutti,…
Andrew J. The experts in the club, look at me like a…
Ben E. King & The Drifters Wop bop a loo bop a lop bam boom! Tutti frutti,…
Big Sleep Tutti frutti choo choo choose me Cus I've been waiting …
Bill Haley & His Comets Wop bop a loo bop a lop bam boom! Tutti frutti,…
Buckwheat Zydeco Wop bop a loom a blop bam boom Wop bop a…
Cássia Eller I've got a girl named Daisy She almost drive me crazy She…
Celentano and Mina Wop bop a loo bop a lop bam boom! Tutti frutti,…
Cliff Richard Wop-bop-a-loom-a-blop-bam-boom Tutti frutti, oh Rudy, tutti …
Clint Robinson Wop-bop-a-loo-mop alop-bom-bom Tutti frutti, oh rutti Tutti …
Club Enforcer ain't no but tutti fruity get on the floor if ya…
Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen Penniman-LaBostrie A wop bop a loo bop a lop bam bam…
dan & gullan bornemark Tutti frutti ska vi göra det ska bli en härlig…
Danny Pink Tutti Vamos brincar de tutti frutti Todas as frutas misturar…
Elvis & Friends A-bop-bop-a-loom-op a-lop-bop-boom! Tutti Frutti au rutti Tu…
Fats Domino Wop bop a loo bop a lop bom bom! Tutti frutti,…
Fleetwood Mac Wop bop a loom a blop bam boom Wop bop a…
Galante Directamente Desde La Mansión Galante Double Dice Music El E…
Gary Corben Imagine se fossem misturadas Todos os sabores deste mundo A …
J-List 'Scuse me (Okay) What are you doin' (Mm hmm) Shakin' that li…
J.B.O. A-Wop-bop-a-loo-lop a-lop-bam-boo Tuttifrutti - auf die M…
J.J. Malone 'Scuse me (Okay) What are you doin' (Mm hmm) Shakin' that li…
Jerry Lee Lewis & Little Richard Wop bop a loo bop a lop bom bom Tutti frutti,…
Jimi Hendrix Wop bop a loo bop a lop bom bom! Tutti frutti,…
Joe-E Wop bop a loo bop a lop bam boom! Tutti frutti,…
Johnny Be bop a lula balab bam bom Tutti frutti, oh ruti Tutti…
Johnny Hallyday Ba babalooba ba la bamboo Tutti frutti, all rutti Tutti frut…
Kultur Shock Tuti fruti gelato Sao roma gelato Sao roma daje Romale ca…
l. richard Wop bop a loo bop a lop bom bom Tutti frutti,…
Les Greene Wop-bop-a-loo-bop, ba-la-bop-bop Tutti frutti, oh, Rudy Tutt…
Little Richard Wop bop a loo bop a lop bom bom Tutti frutti,…
Little Richard & Jimi Hendrix Wop bop a loo bop a lop bom bom! Tutti frutti,…
Little Richard (Penniman Richard) Wop bop a loo bop a lop bom bom! Tutti frutti,…
Little Richard / Jerry Lee Lewis Wop bop a loo bop a lop bom bom Tutti frutti,…
Little Richard and Jimi Hendrix Wop bop a loo bop a lop bom bom! Tutti frutti,…
Little Richard/Musicfire.in Wop bop a loo bop a lop bom bom Tutti frutti,…
Los Boys Fashion killa ni mala ni santa, Sólo baila mazucamba Lluvia …
Lubin Labostrie Penniman Penniman Doris Fisher & Elvis Presley A-bop-bop-a-loom-op a-lop-bop-boom! Tutti Frutti au rutti Tu…
MC5 Tutti frutti, oh rutti, Tutti frutti, oh rutti, Tutti frutti…
New Order Tutti frutti Amore mio Tutti frutti No Non è ancora il momen…
New Order;Elly Jackson Tutti frutti Amore mio Tutti frutti No Non è ancora il m…
Pat Boone A-wop-bop-a-loo-lop a-lop-bam-boo Tutti Frutti, all over roo…
Peter Kraus Wop-bop-a-loo-lop a-lop-bam-boo Tutti frutti, oh rootie Tu…
Puhdys A wob bopa loom alop bam boom …
Queen Words and music by Little Richard Bop bopa-a-lu a whop bam…
Richard Little Wop bop a loo bop a lop bom bom Tutti frutti,…
Roy Orbison Wop-bop-a-loom-a-boom-bam-boom tutti frutti au rutti tutti …
Soleá Morente [feat. La Estrella de David Las Negris José Bonaparte & Checopolaco] Quiéreme muchacho Que yo a ti te adoro Que vengo cargada Con…
Sting A bop bop aloom op a lop bop boom Tutti frutti…
Sydän Sydän Saat maistaa suukkoa kuplivaa Aivoihin aamusella puskee synt…
The Hit Crew Main karari karari hoon Aa chaba le supari hoon Mere nakhre …
The Little Richards Wop bop a loo bop a lop bom bom Tutti frutti,…
The Swinging Blue Jeans Wabadadooda wambambam Tutti Frutti all route it Tutti Frutt…
The Teen Kings Tutti Frutti Pat Boone Peaked #12 on Febraury 4, 1956 #451 …
Tomasz Niecik Powiem ci tak To ma dobry smak Owoców czar W ustach pełen ża…
Trio Bebobalubabalabamboo Girl named Sue knows just what to do …
Udo Lindenberg Ich traf ein Mädchen die hieß Renate hm - das war ja…
V.A. Tutti frutti, oh rutti, Tutti frutti, oh rutti, Tutti frutti…
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…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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