ABSTRACT
“Maybellene” took priority over not only the four Chuck Berry songs, but over all the records sent from other record companies for play that week. In the first passage Berry describes his entryway into the rock ’n’ roll business in 1955 via Muddy Waters, and the specific circumstances surrounding the genesis and recording of “Maybellene,” his first hit single for Chicago’s famed Chess Records. Widely acknowledged as one of the early rock ’n’ roll era’s most important performers and songwriters, Berry blazed a path through the 1950s that paved the way for countless future rock musicians. In the excerpts that follow from his 1987 autobiography, Berry narrates in the voice of one of the many young African American musicians who were hoping to make a living off their craft at that time, only to be met with densely worded recording contracts, crooked managers, and harsh touring conditions.
