Little Richard is a popular American singer, composer, songwriter and actor. He was at the forefront of rock and roll. His name was inextricably linked with creativity. He "raised" Paul McCartney and Elvis Presley, eradicated segregation from music. This is one of the first singers whose name was in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
On May 9, 2020, Little Richard passed away. He passed away, leaving a rich musical legacy as a memory of himself.
Childhood and youth of Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman was born December 5, 1932 in the provincial city of Macon (Georgia). The guy was brought up in a large family. He got the nickname "Little Richard" for a reason. The fact is that the guy was a very thin and short child. Already becoming an adult man, he took the nickname as a creative pseudonym.
The father and mother of the guy zealously professed Protestantism. This did not stop Charles Penniman, as a deacon, from having a nightclub and bootlegging during Prohibition. From childhood, Little Richard was also interested in religion. The guy especially liked the charismatic Pentecostal movement. It's all because of the Pentecostal love for music.
Gospel and spiritual performers are the first idols of the guy. He repeatedly said that if he had not been imbued with religion, then his name would not have been known to the general public.
In 1970, Little Richard became a priest. The most interesting thing is that he performed the duties of a priest until his death. Little buried his friends, held wedding ceremonies, organized various church holidays. Sometimes more than 20 thousand parishioners gathered under the building to listen to the performances of the "father of rock and roll." Often he preached the unification of the races.
The creative path of Little Richard
It all started with recommendations from Billy Wright. He advised Little Richard to pour his emotions into music. By the way, Billy contributed to the creation of the stage style of the musician. Pompadour styling, narrow and thin mustache, and, of course, catchy, but at the same time laconic makeup.
In 1955, Little Richard released his debut single, which made him popular. We are talking about the track Tutti Frutti. The composition characterized the character of the singer. The track, like Little Richard himself, turned out to be catchy, bright, emotional. The composition became a real hit, in fact, as well as the subsequent track Long Tall Sally. Both compositions sold over 1 million copies.
Before Little Richard appeared on the stage in America, they organized concerts for "blacks" and "whites". The artist allowed himself to be listened to by both. However, the organizers of the concerts preferred to divide the crowd anyway. For example, dark-skinned people were put on the balcony, while fair-skinned people were kept closer to the dance floor. Richard tried to erase the "frames".
Despite the popularity of Little Richard's tracks, his albums did not sell well. He practically did not receive anything from the released records. The moment came when the artist refused to perform on stage at all. He returned to religion again. And his most recognizable hit, Tutti Frutti, continued to play on radio stations.
Little Richard, after leaving the stage, called rock and roll the music of Satan. In the 1960s, the artist turned his attention to gospel music. Then he did not plan to return to the big stage.
Little Richard's return to the stage
Soon Little Richard returned to the stage. For this, one should thank the work of the legendary bands The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, with whom the artist performed in 1962 and 1963. Mig Jagger later said:
“I have heard many times that Little Richard's performances are held on a large scale, but I never thought about what scale they are talking about. When I saw the singer's performance with my own eyes, I caught myself thinking: Little Richard is a rabid animal.
From the moment the artist returned to the stage, he tried not to change rock and roll. He was admired by millions of fans around the planet, but the moment of glory was spoiled by an addiction. Little Richard started using drugs.
Influence of Little Richard
If you look at Little Richard's discography, it has 19 studio records. Filmography includes 30 worthy projects. The singer's video clips deserve considerable attention, which ideally reflect what the society of the last century "hurt" with.
The work of Little Richard influenced other equally outstanding musicians. Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury, Paul McCartney with George Harrison (The Beatles) and Mick Jagger with Keith Richards from (The Rolling Stones), Elton John and others "breathed" the talent of the black artist.
Little Richard's personal life
Little Richard's personal life was filled with bright and unforgettable moments. In his youth, he tried on women's clothes and applied makeup. His manner of communication was like a lady's habits. Because of this, the head of the family put his son out the door when he was barely 15 years old.
At the age of 20, the guy unexpectedly realized for himself that he loves to watch intimate moments that happen between people. For surveillance, he repeatedly ended up in places of deprivation of liberty. One of the victims of his voyeurism was Audrey Robinson. Little Richard had an affair with her in the mid-1950s. In his creative biography, the artist indicated that he repeatedly offered the lady of his heart to friends, watching with interest the sexual foreplay.
In October 1957, Little Richard met his future wife Ernestine Harvin. A few years later, the couple got married. The couple did not have children together, but they adopted a boy, Danny Jones. In her memoirs, Ernestine described her married life with Little as "a happy family life with vivid sexual relations."
Ernestina in 1964 officially announced that she had filed for divorce. The reason for the separation was the constant employment of her husband. Little Richard talked about how he could not completely decide on his sexual orientation.
Artist orientation and drug addiction
The artist was constantly confused in his testimony about his orientation. For example, in 1995, when he was interviewed by a glossy publication, he said: "I have been gay all my life." Some time later, an interview was published in Mojo magazine in which the star spoke about bisexuality. In an October 2017 episode of the Three Angels Broadcasting Network, Little called all non-heterosexual manifestations a "disease".
The artist constantly lived up to his nickname. It definitely can not be called undersized. The height of the celebrity is 178 cm. But the man in the 1970s joked that it would be more reasonable to call him Lil Cocaine. It's all about drug addiction.
In the early 1950s, Little Richard led a more than correct lifestyle. The man did not drink or smoke. 10 years later, he started smoking weed. In 1972, the artist used cocaine. A few years later, he began using heroin and angel dust.
Perhaps the celebrity would never have gotten out of this "hell". However, after a series of losses of loved ones, he was able to find the strength in himself to create a happy life, without additional doping.
Little Richard: interesting facts
- Richard enjoyed huge popularity thanks to a contract with the music label Specialty Records.
- Until 2010, Little Richard toured extensively. Often his performances took place on the territory of the United States of America and in European countries.
- White singer Pat Boone covered Little Richard's hit Tutti Frutti. Moreover, his version achieved more significant success on the Billboard singles chart than the original.
- Little Richard spoke at the inauguration of US President Bill Clinton.
- The voice of the singer sounds in the animated series "The Simpsons". The musician voiced himself in the 7th episode of the 14th season.
Death of Little Richard
The artist lived to be 87 years old. Little Richard passed away on May 9, 2020. He passed away due to complications from bone cancer. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the funeral was in a close circle of relatives. The artist is buried in Chatsworth Cemetery, in the Los Angeles area (California).
