Little Richard, born Richard Wayne Penniman, was a musician, singer, and songwriter and one of America’s great personalities of the 20th century.Richard Wayne Penniman was born on December 5, 1932, and later came to be known by his stage name, Little Richard. Richard was born the third child in a family of 12 children, in Macon, Georgia, to Leva Mae and Charles ‘Bud’ Penniman.Due to notable contributions to music, the singer has been called the founding father of rock and roll music.Little Richard is also known to have taught his famous vocal style to Paul McCartney, with his band The Beatles, who were initially a support band to Little Richard.Other popular singers, like Elvis Presley, sang covers for his works as well. Little Richard received several prizes and honors for his contributions to rock and roll music. Little Richard was inducted into the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame alongside Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, and James Brown. He was also awarded the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 1986.He also ‘married’ celebrities in his role as an ordained minister, including Bruce Willis and Demi Moore.In the ’80s, he appeared in movies like ‘Down and Out in Beverly Hills’ and in TV shows like ‘Full House’ and ‘Miami Vice’, and Richard continued his career until his death in 2020. Read on to know more about Richard Wayne Penniman and his famous gospel songs.Little Richard’s Life HistoryInterested in the life of Little Richard? Then read on to find out more about how he became a famous singer in the music industry.Little Richard, real name Richard Wayne Penniman, grew up with 12 siblings, which was hard for the family, since they were considerably poor.His father Bud worked as a church deacon and also ventured into other small-time business opportunities. Richard grew up in an impoverished neighborhood and he was nicknamed ‘Lil’ Richard’ by his family because of his small and skinny frame. Possibly as a result of complications at birth, he had a slight deformity that left one of his legs shorter than the other.Although growing up in poverty was often tough, that did not hinder the spirit of Richard, and he was known to be a cheeky, mischievous little boy who was passionate about music. His family’s devotion to Christianity meant he sang in a number of Pentecostal choirs, which he loved for its live music.However, when Richard was just a teenager, owing to rumors of him being gay due to his feminine appearance, his father kicked him out of the house. The boy, now homeless, sought refuge in Dr. Hudson’s Medicine Show in 1948, where he took a job performing at the local nightclub. The boy was eventually shown sympathy by the owner of the nightclub, Ann Johnson, who took him home to her family after she heard about his problems.Little Richard’s personal life was not as successful as his music career, however. He met his only wife, Ernestine Harvin, at an evangelical rally in October 1957. They began dating that year and wed on July 12, 1959, in California. They adopted Danny Jones Penniman and Little Richard remained close with his son Danny for his entire life. However, his marriage ended in divorce in 1964, due to his sexuality.However, in the late ’50s, after a near plane crash strengthened his Christianity, he announced to his fans that he was quitting rock ’n’ roll and concentrating on gospel music. He created the Little Richard Evangelistic Team and traveled the world to preach the gospels, and also recorded gospel music during this time.He also became a minister, and later officiated many celebrity weddings, including Bruce Willis, when he married Demi Moore.This era, however, did not continue long, as people preferred his pop and rock, so Little Richard returned to the recording studio and continued performing hits like ‘Long Tall Sally’. But the comeback was not as great as Richard thought it would be; his albums, like the explosive ‘Little Richard’, were unsuccessful and failed to top the charts. Only while performing as a live artist in casinos and resorts did he make a spectacular comeback.The singer was a star performer at Toronto Pop Festival and the Atlantic City Pop Festival. The success he gained during this time saw his celebrity star rise and he appeared on numerous talk shows, and radio programs.Even later in life, Little Richard performed with the same energy. For instance, one of Little Richard’s defining moments was when he played a 90-minute set at the Pensacola Interstate Fair in Florida in October 2012, at the age of 79, and headlined La Vegas in March 2013. But later, Little Richard told ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine that he would be retiring from performing: ‘I am done, in a sense, because I don’t feel like doing anything right now,’ he told the magazine, adding, ‘I think my legacy should be that, when I started in showbusiness, there wasn’t no such thing as rock ’n’ roll. When I started with ‘Tutti Frutti’, that’s when rock really started rocking.’ However, Little Richard would perform one last concert in Tennessee in 2014.Little Richard’s Famous SongsAlong with his most famous hit ‘Tutti Frutti’, released in 1955, Little Richard released several other equally amazing songs which witnessed a popular surge. The song ‘Tutti Frutti’ became popular not only in the United States but in the United Kingdom as well. Elvis Presley even sang ‘Tutti Frutti’.However, the first Little Richard hit record was ‘Directly From my Heart’.Little Richard was famously known for his legendary sense of style and crazy performances, which inspired Elton John.Here is a collection of some of Little Richard’s most famous songs:‘Tutti Frutti’ (1955)‘Jenny Jenny’ (1957)‘Lucille’ (1957)‘Good Golly Miss Molly’ (1958)‘Rip It Up’ (1956)‘Slippin’ and Slidin’’ (1956)Little Richard’s career in the music business was amazing since the start. For K-Tel Records, Richard re-recorded 18 of his iconic rock and roll hits in high-tech stereo recreations, with a single comprising new versions of ‘Good Golly Miss Molly’ and ‘Rip It Up’ hitting number one in the UK singles chart.After alerting Little Richard that his records were still selling well in Europe, concert promoter Don Arden convinced him to tour Europe in 1962. With fellow early rock ’n’ roll singer Sam Cooke as the opening act, his delayed arrival led him to postpone his gig on the first date. Meanwhile, Little Richard believed it was a gospel tour and performed only gospel material during the show, eliciting boos from the audience who expected Richard to sing his rock ’n’ roll hits.Little Richard was honored by a number of organizations. He was one of the first honorees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, and, in addition, he was honored by the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He received the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award as well as the Rhythm and Blues Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award.Throughout the ’90s, Richard performed all over the world and collaborated with other musicians, such as Jon Bon Jovi, Elton John, The Rolling Stones, Pat Boone, and Solomon Burke, on TV, film, and music recordings. ‘Little Richard Meets Masayoshi Takanaka’, his final album, was released in 1992 and featured members of Richard’s current touring band. For the first time, Little Richard reconciled his roles as missionary and rock and roll musician, stating that the genre could be utilized for good or evil. Richard and Billy Preston wrote the faith-based rock and roll song ‘Great Gosh A’Mighty’ for the film soundtrack of ‘Down and Out in Beverly Hills’, in which he played the true-to-life role of the fabulously named Orvis Goodnight, a flamboyant rock and roll singer.Little Richard’s AlbumsLittle Richard recorded a total of 66 albums, 15 studio albums, three live albums, 11 compilation albums, and 37 singles. One of the first albums of little Richard’s was ‘Here’s Little Richard’, which contained six new rock and roll songs that were an instant hit.The singer also recorded specialized sessions, such as The Mercury and The Atlantic sessions, and these songs are considered to be among the most influential in pop-music history.He released a second gospel album, which was titled ‘Volume II’. The billboard praised the album for its unique style and groovy music. The popular Database of Recorded American Music (DRAM) also complimented the Little Richard album, and described it as ‘amazing’. Cash Box, too, considered the album to be a huge success, saying it was typical of Little Richard’s explosive style.His other albums, like the fabulous ‘Pray Along With Little Richard’, and ‘The King of Gospel Singers’ were some of the studio albums which sold millions of copies.Little Richard’s LegacyLittle Richard, with all his flamboyant style and raspy vocals, is known to have been a huge influence for bands like The Beatles, and singers such as James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, and Bruce Springsteen.‘Tutti Frutti’, one of Richard’s signature songs, was an instant smash, hitting the top of the pop charts in the United States and the United Kingdom. ‘Long Tall Sally’, his third smash single, went to No. 1 on the ‘Billboard Rhythm and Blues’ bestsellers chart, followed by 15 more in less than three years.The amazing singer is called the king and founding father of roll and rock for all the right reasons. The hit songs he produced in the ’50s were considered to be defining moments for rock and roll culture.Little Richard passed away in late 2020 owing to his physical ailments, at the age of 80 years. The legacy of this great singer continues to live on and he remains an unforgettable personality.
Little Richard, born Richard Wayne Penniman, was a musician, singer, and songwriter and one of America’s great personalities of the 20th century.
