music, and Berry’s showmanlike flair, coupled with his seemingly inexhaustible supply of fresh verses to old favorites, quickly made him a name on the circuit. In 1954, he ended up taking over pianist Johnny Johnson’s small combo and a residency at the Cosmopolitan Club soon made the Chuck Berry Trio the top attraction in the black community, with Ike Turner’s Kings of Rhythm their only real competition. But Berry had bigger ideas; he yearned to make records, and a trip to Chicago … The defense attorneys were not often successful in winning their case because the intent of the law was clear.