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Antioch Baptist Church. This is the church Chuck and his family attended. Located in St. Louis, Missouri, USA Photo courtesy of Bruce Pegg |
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Simmons Grade School. Chuck attended as a child. Across the street was a sandwich shop. The students would go to the sandwich shop to listen to Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Muddy Waters, and others on the juke box. Located at 4318 St. Louis Ave. St. Louis, Missouri, USA 63115 |
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Sumner High School. Chuck attended. His first musical performance was at this school. He was part of the "All Male Review". He sang "Confession of the Blues" by Jay McShann. It was a hit and he received raucous applause. Located at 4248 Cottage Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri, USA 63113 |
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Swope Park. When Chuck was 18, he and his friends took a road trip to Kansas City to go to the Lydia Theater. On their way, their car broke down. They flagged down a motorist, robbed him, and stole his car. They went to Swope park at 11:30 p.m. to sleep. When they left, the police eventually spotted the stolen car. Chuck and his friends were arrested. They were put in Boone County Jail for about a month. Chuck is sentenced to three years in the Aloga Reformatory for Young Men in Jefferson City, Missouri. Located at 4701 East Gregory Boulevard, Kansas City, Missouri, USA |
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WEW Radio Station. Chuck takes a second job here. He ends up buying his first guitar from another employee, Joe Sherman. Terms of the purchase: $30.00, payed at $5.00 per month for six months. Located at 2470 Hampoton Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri, USA 63139 |
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The Cosmopolitan Club. Chuck joins Johnnie Johnson's "Sir John's Trio" and gigs here. Eventually, the owner asks Chuck to come back to play. He becomes extremely popular, even more so than Ike Turner, who was playing here at the time. Located at the corner of 17th and Bond Street, St. Louis, Missouri, USA |
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Chess Records. Chuck heads to Chicago to try to meet with Leonard Chess. He does, and Chess asks him to bring a demo back. The next week, he returns to Chess Studios with a song called "Ida May, which later turns into "Maybelline". While there, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, and Bo Diddley were in studio recordiing. Chuck returns to Chess on May 21, 1955 and records "Maybelline". April 16th, 1956. Records "Rollover Beethoven", "Too Much Monkey Business", "Brown Eyed Handsome Man", "Havana Moon", and "Drifting Heart". Located at 4720 Cottage Grove Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, USA. |
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The Peacock Lounge. Plays here early in his career with the Johnnie Johnson Trio for $500.00. He saw his name on the marquee and remembered his mother saying "maybe someday your name will be in lights". Part of his inspiration for "Johnny B. Good". Located at 186 Auburn Avenue |
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Paramount Theater. Chuck makes his New York debut here. Tony Bennett headlines the show, with Lillian Briggs, Nappy Brown, The Four Voices, and Red Prysock's Orchestra also on the bill. Chuck wants to look good, so he buys three rayon suits for $75.00 and three pairs of brown suede shoes for $30.00. Located at 1501 Broadway, Manhattan, New York, USA. |
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Municipal Auditorium. Played here. Located at 244 Virginia Street East, Charleston, West Virginia, USA |
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City Auditorium. Played here. He starts to experience racist behavior while touring the south. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. |
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The Howard Theater. While playing for a week in Washington D.C., he stays at Mom Bueford's, a non-restricted lodging facility that allows Whites and Blacks to use the same lodging facility. Not currently open to the public. Located at 624 T Street NW. Washington, D.C., USA. |
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The Regal Theater. During this time period (1955), he is starting to become popular back in St. Louis. "Wee Wee Hours" and "Maybelline" were rising on the pop charts. Located at 4719 S. Parkway, Chicago, Illinois, USA |
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Casa Loma Ballroom. Plays here on February 1st, 1956. At the time, this venue did not admit African Americans, but would admit African American performers. Located at 3354 Iowa Street St. Louis, Missouri, USA 63118 |
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The Fillmore West. Chuck bought a motor home in San Jose and drove it to this venue. He thought the crowd was very "free-spirited". It was the first time he had seen men together. He observed two men come out of the ladies bathroom together. Located at 10 South Van Ness San Francisco, California, USA |
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