Photo: Press
The late, great Chuck Berry announced on his 90th birthday (18 October 2016) that he would be releasing Chuck - his first record since 1979.
Completely self-produced and written by him, it was made as a tribute to his 58-year-old wife Thelmetta, and done in recognition that it would be his last ever release.
Sadly, Berry has passed away before being able to oversee its release, and this raised questions of whether the album would come out at all. Fortunately, plans are afoot to get it out there. The Chuck Berry family explain:
"Since Chuck’s passing on Saturday, the Berry family has received many inquiries from friends, fans and media about the status of his forthcoming album CHUCK, which was originally announced on his 90th birthday, 18th October 2016.
"Working to prepare the release of this record in recent months and in fact over the last several years brought Chuck a great sense of joy and satisfaction. While our hearts are very heavy at this time, we know that Chuck had no greater wish than to see this album released to the world, and we know of no better way to celebrate and remember his 90 years of life than through his music.
"For months now plans have been in place, and preparations have been made with our friends at Dualtone Records, to reveal further details and music from the album this week. As a tribute to Chuck Berry, and with gratitude to his fans around the world, we will be following through on those plans in the coming days.
"The Chuck Berry Family"
