Rock and roll icon Richard Wayne Penniman, aka Little Richard. has died following a battle with bone cancer. He was 87. The news was confirmed to Rolling Stone by Penniman’s son, Danny.
Dubbed as "The Innovator, The Originator, and The Architect of Rock and Roll,” Little Richard’s work is at the very foundation of American popular music as we know. Little Richard was born in 1932 in Macon, Georgia to a religious family – growing up in Pentecostal, Baptist, African Methodist Episcopal churches. It was in church that he was first exposed to music singing in various church choirs. He was also taken by gospel performers such as Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Brother Joe May, among others.
When Little Richard was 14-years-old, he was spotted by Tharpe singing her songs outside Macon City Auditorium and offered Richard to open up for her show. After Tharpe paid him for his set, Richard set his ambitions on performing a musician professionally. Two years later, Richard found himself performing Doctor Nubillo's traveling show and later left home to tour with Dr. Hudson's Medicine Show. It was during this time that he began performing secular music for the first time and began experimenting with his now-famous flamboyant fashion, wearing capes and occasionally performing in drag. This would begin to establish the many ways Richard would challenge gender-norms and sexual stereotypes in his music and performance, paving the way for artists to do the same in the future.
In 1951, fellow performer Billy Wright put Richard in touch with Zena Sears to record at a local radio station in Georgia. Backed by Wright’s band, Richard released his first single “Every Hour,” which became a regional hit. But it was in 1955 that Little Richard would find his first true breakthrough into the mainstream with his single “Tutti Frutti” – a starting point for rock and roll if there ever was one – and the song quickly ran up the Billboard charts. He followed up on his success the next year with another iconic hit, “Long Tall Sally.”
As Richard’s success rose, so did the energy of his live performances. His feverish, sweaty, and energetic performances roused audiences and set a new standard for rock and roll performances as Richard would stand on his piano, dance across the stage, and wail with visceral, gripping intensity. He’d release his debut album Here Comes Little Richard in 1957 to critical and commercial success.
Richard became one of the most iconic artists of the 1950s alongside the likes of Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley. His influence maintained long beyond that era, finding fans and devotees among the likes of James Brown, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Patti Smith, and later Andre 3000 of Outkast, Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and numerous others. Notable in 1962, The Beatles opened for Richard on a tour and Richard was cited as giving the band advice on how to perform. Notable artists also performed in Richard’s band over the years, including the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Otis Redding, and Billy Preston. Richard became one of the first artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.
Encapsulating all of Richard’s work and influence is a difficult task simply because of how vast and significant his work was. Richard’s music would be a blueprint for not just rock music but pop music as a whole. As we remember his life, join us in looking back at some of his sensational work below.
