Thursday, April 11, 2013

April 11, 1935: RICHARD BERRY (The originator of Louie Louie) hits the planet!!!



 April 11, 1935 - Richard Berry

 (Composer of "Louie, Louie")

—Hits the planet!
('Louie Louie' was ranked at #55 on Rolling Stone magazine's "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time")

It is unknown exactly how many versions of "Louie Louie" have been recorded, but it is believed to be over 1,500 (according to LouieLouie.net.), surpassing "Yesterday" by The Beatles as most recorded rock song ever…





April 11th, Richard Berry's birthdate, is celebrated as International Louie Louie Day and is listed by Chase's Calendar of Events, the National Special Events Registry and other sources. Support for International Louie Louie Day and other "Louie Louie"-related observances is provided by the Louie Louie Advocacy and Music Appreciation Society (LLAMAS) and "Louie Louie" fans worldwide...
 Other "Louie Louie"-related events in April include the release of Richard Berry's original version (1957), the Kingsmen and Raiders  recording sessions (1963)…
 "Louie Louie Day" declarations by the mayor of Seattle and the State of Washington (1985) and the State of Oregon (1986), and the resolution of the court case awarding rights to the Kingsmen (1998) for their recordings including their version of "Louie Louie'"…





In the mid eighties Berry was living on welfare at his mother's house in South Central L.A.. Drinks company California Cooler wanted to use "Louie Louie" in a commercial, but discovered they needed Berry's signature to use it...

They asked the Artists' Rights society to locate him, and a lawyer visited Berry. The lawyer mentioned the possibility of Berry taking action to gain the rights to his song. The publishers settled out of court, making Berry a millionaire…
In February 1996, Berry performed for the final time, reuniting with the Pharaohs and the Dreamers for a benefit concert in Long Beach, California…

 His health declined shortly after this, and he died of heart failure in 1997…


R.I.P. Richard Berry
The Godfather of Garage Bands
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