I’m starting a new series, my first ever blog series which is exciting. The content isn’t so joyous though since I’ll be documenting all of the terrible things our favourite rockstars and musicians have done, lovely!
Why can’t people be honest about Chuck Berry!?
Chuck Berry, 1960- © Dezo Hoffmann—REX/Shutterstock.com
Disclaimer: I am not trying to put down these musicians in this blog series, I’m only pointing out their flaws and problematic attributes to outline the significance of separating the art from the artist. Many often get too indoctrinated into certain celebrity figures based on their incredible artistry and fame, allowing them a free pass on lots of their misconduct. Now that’s been clarified, let’s talk Chuck Berry.
Chuck Berry was undoubtably a musical pioneer, responsible for the popularity of the rock and roll scene, inspiring musicians such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Kinks. Music would be very different today if it wasn’t for the innovation of Chuck Berry, but it would be wrong to dismiss some of the immoral parts of his life, which I’ll discuss further in this blog.
Chuck Berry posing for the cameras in 1972. Chess Records/Wikipedia commons, CC BY.
The first incident was in 1944 where, only at the age of 18, Chuck Berry was arrested for armed robbery. He and some friends had stolen a car at gunpoint and robbed several stores, consequently leading to Berry being convicted where he spent three years in a reformatory school for young offenders. At this early age, Berry was associated with problematic controversies, which only continued in his career, causing trouble with the law and violating the judicial system. The victims of sexual misconduct are far more important than great musical art.
Chuck Berry was later arrested in 1959. He was charged with taking waitress Janice Escalante across state lines for “immoral purposes”; she was only 14 years old. The girl had claimed Berry had engaged in sexual activity with her, therefore it is confirmed that Chuck Berry had used this child abusively. He was sentenced to five years in prison after being arrested under the Mann Act, but only served approximately one and a half years of this after his conviction was overturned and he was retired. This arrest, from reading on it, isn’t as well known as other arrests of famous rockstars and musicians of similar circumstances, which is perhaps the reason why many see Berry as one of the few guiltless artists. The whole debate on ‘different time, different morals’ can be severely questioned, as it reflects on the deep philosophical question on how we judge past actions. The balance between understanding and accountability must be questioned, whilst understanding Berry’s actions means that people can have a more nuanced and constructive discourse on rock n roll history and genuine human mortality.
The fact that his arrests aren’t as well known as others shows an ignorance to fully understand and analyse artists in a way which criticises them and puts them in the limelight away from their music. His lucrative career made people, still today, turn a blind eye on all the atrocities he had committed, such as this.
Berry faced charges of tax evasion in the late 1970s after failing to report income from his concert and other earnings. In 1979, the charges were delivered to him, Berry pleading guilty to them and was sentenced to four months in prison and 1,000 hours of community service. He had fulfilled this service by performing benefit concerts. 11 years later, in 1990, Berry’s estate was raided by the police; authorities found marijuana and drug paraphernalia, as well as the videos of the women using the bathroom at his restaurant back in the 1980s (which is discussed later). He was not convicted of the video-related charges, but reportedly paid over $1.2 million in settlements.
Chuck Berry CREDIT: Harry Goodwin / Rex Features
In the 1980s, Chuck Berry owned a restaurant called Southern Air. He was found guilty of installing a camera in the women’s toilets and keeping video footage of staff and female customers. Different videotapes were found in his home when a former cook came forward with allegations of Berry’s misconduct. Berry was arrested and charged with a lawsuit against 59 different women. He received a suspended sentence only, which is really horrific given the situation. This massively reflects on personal power, which, upon analysis, discussing gendered violence and sexual subjugation allows us to open conversations about systemic inequalities in the music scene.
Southern Air Restaurant.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Jan 23, 1996.
Celebrity coverage tends to flatten people into extremes; someone is a saviour, another is a villain, and there’s no in between. It is acceptable and moral to acknowledge a person’s terrible past whilst also celebrating their heroism in the music industry, in this case. We should be actively recalling accurate stories and accounts of their lives and careers.
His arrests were all frowned upon nowadays as it would have been years ago. Many would agree that these actions were a product of the time and were therefore normalised, however, there was a clear breaking of the law and social conduct, and Chuck Berry’s actions shouldn’t be ignored and accepted.
Chuck Berry’s musical legacy as a pioneer rock and roll artists is met with many legal and personal controversies from drug arrests to sexual assault. He lived a long, extraordinary life, but details on his offences are often muted in many articles and conversations. Despite his significant and everlasting contributions to the music industry, these wrongdoings and actions have had an impact on his reputation. Highlighting peoples flaws underscore the importance of personal accountability, even after death, it’s important to reinforce that no one is above the law and societal norms.
Leave a comment below on who you want me to write about next. Thanks for reading!
The Beatles Catalogue 
Leave a comment