On May 9th 2020, one of rock music’s founding fathers, Little Richard, passed away. The musician’s son, Danny Penniman, confirmed Richard’s death in a statement issued to Rolling Stone Magazine, that the 87 year old iconic American singer, songwriter, and rock musician, had died. But one thing that will live on forever, is the profound influence he had on popular music.
Richards career kicked off in the mid-1950s with instant rock classics like, Lucille, Tutti Fruitti, Good Golly Miss Molly, and my personal favourite, Long Tall Sally, famously covered by the Beatles in the early sixties, with Paul McCartney on the lead, who unashamedly cited Richards as one of his biggest influences and later as a mentor, when the pre fame Fab Four and other bands like the Rolling Stones toured with Little Richard in Hamburg, Germany in 1961/62.
“Richard came screaming into my life when I was a teenager,” McCartney said “I owe a lot of what I do to Little Richard and his style; and he knew it. He would say, ‘I taught Paul everything he knows’. I had to admit he was right.”
Not only credited as having set the groundwork for rock n roll, with his incredible musicianship, a ripping voice and wonderful songwriting ability, Richard became well known for his charismatic, flamboyant showmanship while performing – and was still doing so, continuing to thrill audiences for an inconceivable seven decades!
Following the announcement of the death of the music giant that was Little Richard, many of the artists who Little Richard inspired, including the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Elton John and many more, paid tribute to the king.
Little Richard, we salute you.
Written by Matt Wilkinson