Chuck Berry Tickets Continued
In the 1970s Berry toured off his earlier success. He did release a hit single, recorded years earlier as a novelty track, "My Ding-a-Ling". It remains his highest charting single ever. Berry toured for many years carrying only his Gibson guitar, confident that he could hire a band that already knew his music no matter where he went. Among the many bandleaders performing this backup role were Bruce Springsteen and Steve Miller when each was just starting their careers. Springsteen related in Hail! Hail Rock and Roll that Berry did not even give the band a set list and just expected the muscians to follow his lead after each opening chord. He also did not speak to or thank the band after the show. Nevertheless, Springsteen backed Berry again when he appeared at the Concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.
This type of touring style, traveling the "oldies" circuit in the 1970s, where he was often paid in cash by local promoters, added ammunition for the Internal Revenue Service's indictment that Berry was a chronic tax evader. The third time Berry would face criminal sanction was after he pled guilty to income tax evasion and was sentenced to four months imprisonment and 1,000 hours of community service, doing benefit concerts in 1979.
