Late legendary rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Chuck Berry’s final album and first new recordings in nearly four decades will be released on June 16.
Berry died at his home in Missouri, US, on March 18. He was 90.
Comprising of ten new recordings, eight of which were written by Berry, “Chuck” is his first new album since the 1979 ‘Rock It’, read a statement from Decca Records which is releasing it.
Recorded and produced by Berry in various studios around St. Louis, the album features his longtime hometown backing group, including his children Charles Berry Jr (guitar) and Ingrid Berry (harmonica, vocals), plus Jimmy Marsala (Berry’s bassist for 40 years), Robert Lohr (piano), and Keith Robinson (drums) -- who supported him for nearly two decades on over 200 residency shows.
The album also includes guest performances from Gary Clark Jr, Tom Morello, Nathaniel Rateliff and Chuck’s grandson Charles Berry III.
Author and historian Douglas Brinkley has contributed to its liner notes.
Some of the songs on ‘Chuck’ were originally conceived in 1980s, with Berry developing them in his home studio.
He worked on the album through 2014.
When health concerns forced him to stop touring and recording in 2015, Berry continued to oversee production and planning for ‘Chuck,’ enlisting his family and close friend Joe Edwards, the owner of Blueberry Hill, to fulfill his wishes that the album be completed and released.
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