Rock icon Chuck Berry‘s family released a statement on Monday morning (March 20) revealing that the details of the guitarist’s final album will be released this week. “Working to prepare the release of this record in recent months and in fact over the last several years brought Chuck a great sense of joy and satisfaction,” they wrote in a Facebook post about the effort entitled CHUCK.
The news that Berry would break a four-decade hiatus from releasing studio albums came on Oct. 18, 2016, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s 90th birthday. “While our hearts are very heavy at this time, we know that Chuck had no greater wish than to see this album released to the world, and we know of no better way to celebrate and remember his 90 years of life than through his music,” the family continued in the statement.
Over the weekend, Joe Edwards, the owner of the Blueberry Hill club in St. Louis where Berry performed regularly, said the tracks he’s heard off CHUCK, are “sensational.” The legend’s first new effort since 1979’s Rock It has mostly original songs and in the days following his death praise was heaped on him by everyone from former President Barack Obama to blues legend Buddy Guy, Bon Jovi and former President Bill Clinton and Secretary Hillary Clinton.
The album is being released by Dualtone Records and more information on it will reportedly be available in the coming days.