Chuck Berry will release his first album in nearly four decades next year, he announced Tuesday, his 90th birthday.
CHUCK will arrive sometime in 2017 via Dualtone Records and will feature new, original songs, recorded in studios in St. Louis. His children Charles Berry Jr. and Ingrid Berry will play backup on the guitar and harmonica, respectively, and he’s also joined by his longtime bassist Jimmy Marsala, pianist Robert Lohr, and Keith Robinson on the drums.
“This record is dedicated to my beloved [wife] Toddy,” Berry said in a statement. “My darlin’ I’m growing old! I’ve worked on this record for a long time. Now I can hang up my shoes!”
His son Charles Berry Jr. added, “What an honor to be part of this new music. 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.”
CHUCK will be Berry’s first studio album since 1979’s Rock It, though he’s released a handful of live and compilation albums in the past 30 years.
Few additional details about CHUCK are available but fans can check out updates at ChuckBerry.com.
