Chuck Berry is celebrating his 90th birthday today, but the music icon isn’t rocking in a chair on a porch somewhere — he’s just plain rocking.
The highly influential musician announced Tuesday morning that he’ll release his first new album in 38 years. Distributed by Dualtone, this one will simply be titled “Chuck.”
The album is comprised primarily of new, original songs written, recorded and produced by Berry, the label said. Tracks were laid down in various studios around St. Louis, and feature Berry’s longtime hometown backing group — including his children Charles Berry Jr. (guitar) and Ingrid Berry (harmonica) — as well as Jimmy Marsala (Berry’s bassist of 40 years), Robert Lohr (piano) and Keith Robinson (drums).
“This record is dedicated to my beloved Toddy,” Berry said in a media release, referring to his wife of 68 years, Themetta. “My darlin’ I’m growing old! I’ve worked on this record for a long time. Now I can hang up my shoes!”
“What an honor to be part of this new music,” added Charles Berry Jr. “The St. Louis band, or as dad called us ‘The Blueberry Hill Band,’ fell right into the groove and followed his lead. These songs cover the spectrum from hard driving rockers to soulful thought provoking time capsules of a life’s work.”
Dualtone president Paul Roper said, “It is a great honor to be a part of this record and the broader legacy of Chuck Berry. This body of work stands with the best of his career and will further cement Chuck as one of the greatest icons of rock and roll.”
Berry received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1984 and was in the inaugural class of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees in 1986, among other accolades. He was awarded a Kennedy Center Honor in 2000.
More details about “Chuck” will come out in the coming weeks, Dualtone promised.
Not only was Tuesday Berry’s birthday, it also happened to be the day that the 2017 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees were announced. See who made the ballot here.