Chuck berry played his last concert on October 15th, 2014, three days shy of his 88th birthday, at St. Louis’ Blueberry Hill. But like many of his recent performances, it was rough. Berry had trouble hearing, causing him to play off-key, and he forgot lyrics. “The audience was with him the whole way,” says Joe Edwards, owner of Blueberry Hill, where Berry appeared once a month for 21 years. “But sometimes he’d come off and say, ‘Oh, man, I could’ve done a little better.’ ” Berry, who always drove himself to shows, told Edwards he wanted to take the winter off, so he wouldn’t have to drive in the snow.
Berry has not made a public appearance since. Which is why it’s so surprising that in June he will release…