Comprehensive information and links about Little Richard

Little Richard , December 5, 1932 in Macon, GeorgiaLittle Richard is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist, and an early African-American pioneer of rock and roll.

One of twelve children, Little Richard says he "came from a family where my people didn't like rhythm and blues. Bing Crosby – 'Pennies From Heaven' – Ella Fitzgerald, was all I heard." (Hamm 1979, p.391) Raised in the Seventh Day Adventist church, he learned gospel music in Pentecostal churches of the U.S. South. His early recording career in the 1950s was a mix of blues music and rhythm and blues, heavily steeped in gospel music, but with a driving beat and breathlessly delivered lyrics that marked a decidedly new kind of music.

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Early years

Richard Penniman had begun his career singing with Johnny Otis, but had little success until he sent a demo tape to Specialty Records in 1955, and met for a recording session in New Orleans. During a break in that session, Richard began singing an impromptu recital of "Tutti Frutti", an obscene, lusty song he had been singing on stage. The lyrics were changed from "Tutti-frutti loose booty" to "Tutti frutti all rooty" because record producer Bumps Blackwell felt they were over the line. (

The song, with its introductory "Womp-bomp-a-loom-op-a-womp-bam-boom!", became the model for many future Little Richard songs, with its driving piano, saxophone solo by Lee Allen and its unrelenting beat. In the next few years, Richard had several more hits, including "Long Tall Sally", "Slippin' and Slidin'", "Jenny, Jenny" and "Good Golly, Miss Molly". His frantic performing (1956), for which he sang the title song, written by Bobby Troup.

Despite the raw sound of his music, the singles were carefully put together, as documented on the three-volume album , which include many false starts and variations. As an example of Richard's craftsmanship, he and Blackwell rehearsed the line from "Long Tall Sally", "He saw Aunt Mary coming and he ducked back in the alley" for a full day until he achieved machine-gun precision.

Gospel years and later career

Little Richard quit the music business suddenly in 1957, while in the middle of an Australian tour; he reportedly renounced his rock and roll life, removed four diamond rings worth $8,000 from his fingers and threw them into Newcastle's Hunter River. Richard then enrolled in Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama and became a Pentecostal minister. While Specialty Records released a few new songs based on past sessions, Richard did little musically, releasing some gospel songs in the early 1960s.

In 1962, Little Richard returned with an enthusiastically received tour of the United Kingdom. The Rolling Stones and The Beatles, long-time fans, supported him. Richard took the Beatles with him on a tour of Hamburg, and they performed with him at the Star Club. The Rolling Stones opened for Richard and the Everly Brothers before they ever had a recording contract. An interesting point of trivia is that for a short time in the mid 60s, a young Jimi Hendrix was in Little Richard's band.

Since then, Little Richard has had a periodic career in movies, as well as releasing occasional singles and enduring as one of the legendary flamboyant pioneers of rock and roll. In 1986, when the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opened, Little Richard was among the first inductees. His pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. He returned to performing almost full-time in the late 1980's, stating that he had come to realize that God wanted him to be Little Richard. He still holds his minister's license, however, and occassionally oversees celebrity weddings (most notably those of Cyndi Lauper and of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore.)

He appeared in the movie in 1986 and scored his first major hit in years with "Great Gosh-a-Mighty!" which led to a resurgence in popularity. A made-for-TV film, (2000), starred Leon in the title role.

Most recently, Little Richard has been working with other Rsongwriter Michael Jackson titled, "From the Bottom of My Heart". Proceeds from the single, set for a Christmas release, will go to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Also in 2005, Little Richard appeared, along with such luminaries as Madonna, Iggy Pop, Bootsy Collins, and The Roots' ?uestlove, in an American TV commercial for the Motorola ROKR phone.

Little Richard was famously quoted as once saying "Rock n Roll is evil, because Rock n Roll makes you take drugs, and drugs turn you into a homosexual." This is after Richard's controversial renunciation of his own homosexuality, which some attribute to the pressures of public scrutiny and the prevalence of homophobia among black communities. His homegrown views on religion may have also influenced this, as he later became more conservative and devoted his life to evangelical Christianity.