Little Richard

Little Richard, RIP

The highly influential rock and roll pioneer Little Richard has passed away at 87. His son, Danny Jones Penniman, told The New York Times cause of death was cancer. Here’s more from Rolling Stone:

Little Richard, a founding father of rock and roll whose fervent shrieks, flamboyant garb, and joyful, gender-bending persona embodied the spirit and sound of that new art form, died Saturday. He was 87. The musician’s son, Danny Penniman, confirmed the pioneer’s death to Rolling Stone, but said the cause of death was unknown.

Starting with “Tutti Frutti” in 1956, Little Richard cut a series of unstoppable hits – “Long Tall Sally” and “Rip It Up” that same year, “Lucille” in 1957, and “Good Golly Miss Molly” in 1958 – driven by his simple, pumping piano, gospel-influenced vocal exclamations and sexually charged (often gibberish) lyrics. “I heard Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, and that was it,” Elton John told Rolling Stone in 1973. “I didn’t ever want to be anything else. I’m more of a Little Richard stylist than a Jerry Lee Lewis, I think. Jerry Lee is a very intricate piano player and very skillful, but Little Richard is more of a pounder.”

Although he never hit the top 10 again after 1958, Little Richard’s influence was massive. The Beatles recorded several of his songs, including “Long Tall Sally,” and Paul McCartney’s singing on those tracks – and the Beatles’ own “I’m Down” – paid tribute to Little Richard’s shredded-throat style. His songs became part of the rock and roll canon, covered over the decades by everyone from the Everly Brothers, the Kinks, and Creedence Clearwater Revival to Elvis Costello and the Scorpions.

The list of artists Little Richard influenced is endless and also includes David Bowie, Prince, The Rolling Stones, Motorhead, Jimi Hendrix, and countless others. Just about every major rock star owes immense debt to Little Richard; there’s really no telling what music would look and sound like today without his influence. Rest in peace, Little Richard. The world won’t be the same without you.

https://youtu.be/LVIttmFAzek

Read a few tributes to Little Richard from just some of the many musicians he influenced: