"A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop
A-wop-bam-boom…"

Little Richard - "Tutti Frutti"

More than just about any other artist of the 50s, aside from Elvis Presley, perhaps, Little Richard laid out the foundation of rock and roll, bringing together R&B with an edge and persona that would change the face of music forever.  Piano-pounding, scat-vocals and a little boogie-woogie on songs like “Tutti Frutti,” “Good Golly, Miss Molly” and others were enough to send the old ladies and the weak of heart running, ushering in a generation of enthusiasts with grandiose performances and a larger than life stage presence.  From his early days to today, Little Richard would grow his irrepressible and flamboyant rockstar personality to the point that some would condemn him, while others would go on to hail him as a living rock legend.

Richard Wayne Penniman was born in Georgia at the end of 1932, to a family of 12 children.  The Pennimans were devout Seventh Day Adventists, and the gospel in their faith played a tremendous role in Richard’s upbringing.  He took the stage name Little Richard as a child, and in his teens he built a solid local reputation by performing on the local R&B club scene.  In 1951, Little Richard won a talent show in Atlanta, which resulted in a recording contract with RCA.  Though the contract with RCA would ultimately be unsuccessful,  a number of recording sessions came along, and by 1955, Little Richard was newly signed with Specialty Records under producer Robert ‘Bumps’ Blackwell.  It was then that Little Richard would make his mark on music history.

The same year he signed on with Specialty, he recorded “Tutti Frutti,” the song that would launch his career into the spotlight.  Blackwell recorded the song in such a way that the essence of Little Richard was captured with over-the-top singing and veritable piano attack in one might have imagined that the keys flew right off.  For many at the time, the lyrics were considered obscene for the times, (does “Tutti Frutti, loose booty” fly in the 50s… eh… probably not) so after a little re-recording, the song was released and went on to hit #17 on the pop charts at the start of 1956.  Hey world, Little Richard was here.

After the success of “Tutti Frutti” came repeated attempts from ‘The Man’ to clean Little Richard up.  Nipping directly at Little Richards heels was a ‘clean’ rendition of “Tutti Frutti” put out by Pat Boone that found itself a spot at #12 on the pop charts.  Luckily for us, Little Richard and his pompadour weren’t about to submit to this, and with that a series of singles would be tear up the airwaves over the next year, including “Long, Tall Sally,” “Slippin’ and Slidin’,” “Rip It Up/Ready Teddy,” “The Girl Can’t Help It,” “Jenny, Jenny/Miss Ann,” “Keep A Knockin’” and of course, “Lucille/Send Me Some Lovin’.”  These tracks, along with his raucous live performances set the sensors and the ‘goody-two-shoes’ alarms off.  All of this, of course, added to Little Richard’s appeal; his bombastic energy and wild appearance left an impression with audiences, as he began appearing in rock and roll flicks like Don’t Knock the Rock and The Girl Can’t Help It. 

By 1957, Little Richard was the megastar of R&B, though soon he’d take a turn… for the religious.  His youth came a’calling, and in October of 1957 he shocked the world by announcing, in the midst of a sold-out tour, his plans to retire from music in order to study religion.  He enrolled in Oakwood Seminary in Huntsville, Alabama where he studied to become a Seventh Day Adventist preacher.  In order to fulfill contractual obligations with Specialty, he sat in the studio once more to lay out a few final tracks, one of which was a memorable and crowd-pleasing favorite, “Good Golly, Miss Molly.” 

Over the next several years, Little Richard remained focused on his ministry and gospel music, signing a contract with Gone Records in the middle of 1959.  His success as a gospel singer never came close to his early career, so Richard went back to his rock and roll roots in 1962.  This resulted in a tour in England, along with a later tour throughout Europe for which future legends such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones would be his opening acts.  As a side note, briefly during this time, Jimi Hendrix was a guitarist backing Little Richard.  Though he would occasionally record new material to remind the public where rock and roll really came from, he continued to play to the appeal of his classic hits.  1986 gave Little Richard a song “Great Gosh A’Mighty (It’s a Matter of Time)” for the movie Down and Out in Beverly Hills (in which Little Richard had an appearance), and it almost cracked the Top-40.  That very same year, Little Richard was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Little Richard remains a popular guest on TV shows, appearing in commercials, and contributing to movie soundtracks.  He was even in the background of the U2/BB King collaboration, “When Love Comes to Town.”  He’s also taken part in a number of duets of the 90s with artists as diverse as Jon Bon Jovi, Hank Williams Jr., Elton John, Living Color, and Jerry Lee Lewis.  He and Lewis covered The Beatles’ “I Saw Her Standing There.”  In 1993, Little Richard was awarded the Honorary Lifetime Achievement Grammy, and in subsequent years he has receive a great number of accolades from the music biz, from Lifetime Achievement Pioneer from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation to the American Music Award of Merit.  In 2003, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and in 2004, Rolling Stone listed Little Richard at #8 on their list of “100 Greatest Artists of All Time.”  In short, or long, or whatever, Little Richard changed the world, and remains as an icon, a reminder of the joy, the wild times and the fun that went into making rock and roll what it is today.