Chuck Berry not Born in San Jose
“Charles Edward Anderson Berry, 18 October 1926, San Jose, California, USA (although Berry states that he was born in St. Louis, Missouri).” The 1930 Census does in fact list him as being born in St. Louis however…
… as the story goes, just as Chuck Berry’s career was taking off, his manager Wanted to shave a year off of Chuck Berry’s life and give him a more “exotic” sounding place of birth other than East St. Louis. So in the book ‘Windemere Place‘, there’s a quote from Chuck Berry’s assistant, “I was 21,” Francine Gillium recalled, “and I was here a year and we had already established our offices, a nightclub… we were owning and operating two corporations.” But one of her first tasks as Berry’s new employee was to draft a press release detailing information about Berry’s life and career to date. At her employer’s dictate, Francine dutifully typed the fact that he had been born in San Jose in 1931.
You can still find online references to San Jose as Chuck Berry’s birthplace.
Here’s a few more online references.
Additional Did You Know's
Unraveling The History Of The First Grateful Dead Show.
The band’s members began their musical journey largely in the South Bay – leading epically to their first show under the “Grateful Dead” name at a house in downtown San Jose.
How San Jose Became Dead First — And Hosted The Band’s Debut Performance
December 4, 1965: The Grateful Dead’s first performance as the Grateful Dead occurred in a home in downtown San Jose now the site of San Jose’s City Hall.
Hal David Knew the Way to San Jose
The song earned Dionne Warwick her first Grammy and sold over 3.5 million copies.
Cupertino has ‘No Use for a Name’
A punk rock band from Cupertino formed in 1987 is highly praised in the Skate punk and Hardcore punk scenes. Their debut album, Incognito, was released in 1990. They had a Top 40 hit in the mid ’90s with “Soulmate.” In 1997, after the success of Making Friends, the band went on a worldwide tour…
Los Gatos’ Chateau Liberte: Lights. Camera. Reaction.
The Chateau Liberte’ a feature documentary. The Chateau was a rustic mountain bar ran by Hells Angels where great rock bands played in the 60’s/70’s. It was also a hippie commune with its own self-sustained way of life.
Los Tigres Del Norte: the Beatles of Mexican music.
With half a dozen Grammys and sales in the tens of millions, able to pack arenas all over the country, Los Tigres del Norte—The Tigers of the North— is the most famous band mainstream America never heard of.
2020 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: The Doobie Brothers
Since forming in 1969, The Doobie Brothers have sold more than 48 million albums, including three multi-Platinum albums, seven Platinum albums, and 14 Gold albums.
Larry Norman: the Elvis Presley of Christian Rock
San Josean Larry Norman is considered to be one of the pioneers of Christian rock music and released more than 100 albums.
Creedence Clearwater Revival: Go Spartans!
1967 – 1972: Formed by John Fogerty, Doug Clifford (born in Palo Alto), and Stu Cook in the late 1950s. Doug and Stu attended San Jose State, playing now under the name Golliwogs. In 1967 the band, now with Tom Fogerty, became Creedence Clearwater Revival.
Jefferson Airplane, South Bay Roots
Formed in August 1965 by Marty Balin, was populated mostly by South Bay musicians when he teamed up with Paul Kantner University of Santa Clara (1959-61) and San Jose State University (1961-63), Jorma Kaukonen (University of Santa Clara 1962) and singer Grace Slick resident of Palo Alto who joined the band in 1966.
