The Downfall of Chuck Berry

Every DJ and TV presenter took part in this pretty much. Dick Clark certainly did. And while no one other than the DJs liked the practice, the small labels that built rock and roll saw it as a way that they could equalise things a little bit. The major labels all had an inbuilt advantage, and would get their records played on the radio no matter what. This was a way that the smaller labels could be heard. But precisely because it levelled the playing field somewhat, the larger record labels didn't like it. They promoted a campaign against Paola. Chuck Berry has been more or less forgiven by the consensus narrative of rock history. Jerry Lee Lewis' own underage sex scandal