Little Richard

Little Richard (born Richard Wayne Penniman, December 5, 1932 in Macon, Georgia) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist, and an early pioneer of rock and roll. As in the case with a number of other early rockers, fans have proclaimed Richard as "The Real King of Rock 'n' Roll" (in reference to the deceased Elvis Presley, who's known by the moniker "The King of Rock 'n' Roll").

One of twelve children, Little Richard was raised in the Seventh-day Adventist Church and learned gospel music in Pentecostal churches of the U.S. South. His early recording career in the 1950s was a mix of boogie-woogie music and rhythm and blues, heavily steeped in gospel music, but with a heavily accentuated back-beat, funky rhythm, raspy-shouted vocals, and breathlessly delivered lyrics that marked a decidedly new kind of music that would become known as Rock 'n' Roll.

Biography

Early years

Inspired by Gospel greats, such as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, whom he referred to as his "favorite singer" when he was a child (she invited him to sing a song with her onstage in 1944, after she heard him sing her hit "Strange Things Happening Everyday"), Marion Williams (from whom he got the "whoooo" in his vocal), and Mahalia Jackson, singer, songwriter and pianist Little Richard had begun recording songs for the Peacock Records label between 1951 and 1954, including "Little Richard's Boogie," which included a sample of his boogie-woogie style that was about to be unleashed on America. These records sold poorly and Penniman had little success until he sent a demo tape to Specialty Records on February 17, 1955 where it fell into the hands of Robert Blackwell aka Bumps Blackwell. Blackwell arranged for a recording session in New Orleans, when during a break, Little Richard began singing an impromptu recital of "Tutti Frutti", in his trademark raspy, shouted vocal style, while pounding out a boogie-woogie based rhythm on the piano. Blackwell had a good ear for a hit and was blown away by what he heard, so he had Little Richard record it. However, in order to make it commercially acceptable he had the lyrics changed from "tutti-frutti, good booty" to "tutti frutti, aw rooty." (Tutti-frutti was a slang term meaning a "gay male" and booty means "buttocks").

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 style can be seen in such period films as Don't Knock the Rock (1956) and The Girl Can't Help It (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 The Specialty Sessions, 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 on tour in Australia, following seeing the Russian rocket 'Sputnik', which he took as a sign from God to change his wayward ways. 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 recorded only gospel music in the late-1950s and early-1960s. He performed Gospel material on the Gospel circuit with artists who inspired him, such as Sister Rosetta Tharpe and won the praises of Mahalia Jackson for his Gospel recordings. During this time, he did not perform his early rock hits, turning his back on 'rock 'n roll.'

In 1962, Little Richard returned to performing rock music with an enthusiastically received tour of Europe. In 1962, his opening act was a then unknown band called The Beatles. The next year, his opening band was a then unknown Rolling Stones. Little Richard then introduced an unknown artist by the name of Maurice James to the world as part of his band. Maurice James, who was to become known as Jimi Hendrix, once said that he "wanted to do with his guitar what Little Richard did with his voice."

Little Richard largely ignored his calling to the ministry from the early 60's through to 1977. He returned to the ministry in the area of evangelism and recorded more gospel music, when Charles White's critically acclaimed 1984 biography The Life and Times of Little Richard brought Richard back into the public eye. Mick Jagger proclaimed on the cover, "Little Richard is King."

As detailed in White's biography (2003 revision, pg. 221), the dilemna in Richard's mind of doing the Lord's work or singing rock 'n roll came to a head again while recording the soundtrack to the 1985 hit movie "Down and Out in Beverly Hills," so he enrolled his old friend Billy Preston to help him write a song with spiritual words that would sound like Rock 'n' Roll. The result was a song called "Great God A'Mighty" which he changed to "It's A Matter of Time", reflecting the conflict in his mind. He once said, "I believe that there is good and bad in everything. I believe some Rock 'n' Roll music is really bad but I believe there is some not as bad. I believe if the message is positive and elevating, and wholesome and uplifting, this makes you think clearly. If it's not then is not good even in Gospel." The song became his first hit in over a decade and became part of a Little Richard 'messages in rhythm' album entitled "Lifetime Friend" released by WEA in 1986. Little Richard called his new music "message music" and he said, "my mother died not long ago and it was only a few months before she died that she made me promise that I'd stay with the Lord. I have contentment and peace of mind which is more important than anything. I am going to stay with God and just travel around."

Since then, Little Richard has been a popular guest on television, in music videos, commercials and movies. He has also remained in high demand as a recording artist, contributing tracks to tribute albums, such as Folkways: A Vision Shared ("Rock Island Line") (1989) and Kindred Spirits: A Tribute to Johnny Cash ("Get Rhythm") (2002), and duets with Jon Bon Jovi, Elton John, Tanya Tucker, Solomon Burke, and Jerry Lee Lewis.

In the 1980's, Little Richard began receiving recognition for his pioneering contribution to popular music in the mid-'80s. In 1986, when the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opened, Little Richard was among the first group of inductees. He then received a honorary Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 1993 from the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. In 1994, he received the Pioneer Lifetime Achievement Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. In 1997, he received the American Music Award of Merit. In 2002, Little Richard, along with Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry, were awarded the first BMI Icon Award as founding fathers of rock music. In 2003, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Little Richard has held a minister's license, and occasionally performed celebrity weddings (most notably those of Cyndi Lauper and of Bruce Willis/Demi Moore and Bruce Springsteen.)

In 1994, Little Richard provided the voice of a parody character of himself in the now closed Epcot attraction Food Rocks, voicing a pineapple named Richard.

In 2000, a made-for-TV bio-pic, Little Richard was televised, starring Leon in the title role. Leon was nominated for an Emmy Award for his performance.

Richard attended the Democratic National Convention in 2004. In 2005, Little Richard appeared, along with such luminaries as Madonna, Iggy Pop, Bootsy Collins, and The Roots' in an American TV commercial for the Motorola ROKR phone.

Most recently, Little Richard has been working hard with other R&B and Soul greats and contemporaries on a charity single written and produced by singer/songwriter 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.

In January 2006, Little Richard gave the eulogy and preached a bit at Wilson Pickett's funeral. He continues to evangelize, distributing a born-again (referring to the Gospel according to John - Chapter 3) Christian booklet entitled "Finding Peace Within" to fans, as he tours around the world performing his classic music, as well as Gospel songs in his original rocking style.

Discography

Albums

1957: Here's Little Richard (Specialty)
1958: Volume 2 (Specialty)
1959: The Fabulous Little Richard (Specialty)
1960: Clap Your Hands
1960: Pray Along with Little Richard, Vol. 1
1960: Pray Along with Little Richard, Vol. 2
1962: King of the Gospel Singers
1963: Sings Spirituals
1964: Sings the Gospel
1964: Little Richard Is Back And There's A Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On! (Vee-Jay)
1964: Greatest Hits (Vee-Jay)
1965: The Wild and Frantic Little Richard (Modern)
1965: The Incredible Little Richard Sings His Greatest Hits Live! (Modern)
1967: The Explosive Little Richard (Okeh)
1967: Greatest Hits: Recorded Live! (Okeh)
1967: Rock N Roll Forever
1969: Good Golly Miss Molly
1969: Little Richard
1969: Right Now
1970: Rock Hard Rock Heavy
1970: Little Richard
1970: Well Alright!
1970: The Rill Thing (Reprise)
1971: Mr. Big
1971: King Of Rock And Roll (Reprise)
1972: Southern Child (Reprise, unreleased)
1972: The Second Coming (Reprise)
1972: The Original
1972: You Cant Keep a Good Man Down
1973: Rip It Up
1974: Talkin' 'Bout Soul
1974: Recorded Live
1975: Keep a Knockin'
1976: Sings
1976: Little Richard Live
1977: Now
1988: Lucille
1992: Shake It All About
1996: Shag on Down by the Union Hall

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