|
When Eric Predoehl met Richard Berry back
in the mid-80s, he had no idea he'd be spending such a big
chunk of his life piecing together a massive documentary on
Richard's most famous creation. Originally planning on shooting
some footage for a local cable access channel, Eric Predoehl
discovered a fascinating story that he felt needed to be shared
on a larger scale. At the time of their meeting, Richard Berry
was on government welfare, receiving very few dividends from
the song he sold years ago.
 Invited up to KFJC radio, a small college radio station near
San Francisco, Richard Berry came to an event entitled "Maximum
Louie Louie," and was overwhelmed by the organized pandemonium
that took place, as an all-volunteer station strove to play
every single known version of "Louie Louie," without
repeating a single version twice. For 63 hours, over 800 variations
of the song were broadcast, and Richard Berry received the
attention he deserved for writing this iconic melody. When
Jack Ely, original vocalist for the Kingsmen flew in for the
event, it marked the first time Richard Berry had ever met
any members of the band that made his song into a monster
hit recognized around the world as the "biggest party
song."
Eric Predoehl was the only person
with the foresight to videotape this historic event, and it
left him with an indelible impression, inspiring him to research
the history of this song even further. As he dug deeper and
deeper into the story, he realized he had the potential to
create an amazing documentary on all the events connected
to this one little song with three chords. Over the course
of time, he has been able to piece together items that nobody
else has, tracking down people that were very significant
in the grand LOUIE LOUIE legend, yet invisible to other journalists.
While others have attempted over
the years to produce similar productions, this documentary
is the only production of its kind authorized by Richard Berry
and his estate. This documentary will stand as a tribute to
Richard Berry, and his most famous creation.
Dave Marsh, author of the 1993
book entitled Louie Louie, has acknowledged Eric Predoehl
as an expert on the song, and wrote extensively on the F.B.I.
files that Mr. Predoehl opened up, using the Freedom of Information
Act.
Just exactly why this film hasn't
been completed has much to do with the very complications
that are the essence of the story. Nonetheless, the worst
is over, and the time is ripe for this long-awaited documentary.
Serious funding inquiries
should contact Eric Predoehl directly for more information..
.
|
