Richard Wayne Penniman entered the world on December 5, 1932, in Macon, Georgia. One of twelve children, he says he “came from a family where my people didn’t like rhythm and blues. Bing Crosby and Ella Fitzgerald was all I heard.” Raised in the teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, his first music was gospel, which he learned from the Pentecostal churches of the American South. His early recordings in the 1950s were a unique amalgam of blues, and gospel, but different in that they carried their own distinctive beat, driven by a new and different musical energy. Told by a close relative that if he wanted to be successful he would have to make sure he was noticed, Little Richard went a bit overboard in this direction. His showy costumes and sequined persona put Liberace (the King of Sequins) almost to shame. Ultimately, no one can ever say that Little Richard goes unnoticed!
He began his career singing and recording with Johnny Otis between 1951-1954. These records sold poorly and his break came in 1955 with a demo tape sent to Specialty Records, which resulted in “Tutti Fruitti” an obscene song he had been singing on stage. Its lyrics were veiled in gay verbiage and slang, and so they were changed, but only slightly. Little Richard’s distinct frenetic performing style can be seen in such classics of the day as “Don’t Knock The Rock” (1956) and “The Girl Can’t Help It” (1956). Some of his more famous songs include, “ Long Tall Sally” and “Good Golly, Miss Molly,” just to name a few.
Little Richard quit the music business quite suddenly in 1957 and actually slit his wrists in some bizarre farewell ritual. He then enrolled in Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama, and became a Pentecostal minister. But the call of rock n’ roll beckoned and he returned in 1962 with a tour of Great Britain. Since then, his musical career has been spotty, appearing once in a while in movies and occasionally releasing single recordings. He is considered one of the flamboyant pioneers of rock n’ roll and in 1986 he was among the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
He has made a great contribution to the world of rock and roll and to the world at large, participating in many charity events and lending his support to important causes.
Long live your spirit, Little Richard! Here’s To You.
Wop-bop-aloo-la-awop-bam-boom!