speaker wont turn on or charge

Iael Kutame "I thought it might be a battery problem so plugging it in and charging it should get past the bad battery" no, it does not. You want to check a few things first. Check the charger, make sure it is providing the proper voltage. Then check the charging cable. Make sure it seats properly and has proper continuity. After that you will have to check the charging port. Make sure that it is clean and does not have any broken, bend or corroded pins. If all of that checks out okay, you need to start with the battery. Replace it. IF that does not resolve the issues than at least you have a known-well starting point for further troubleshooting etc.