Little Richard

Little Richard was born Richard Wayne Penniman on the 5^th December 1930 in the state of Georgia. He grew up in an area of poverty and racism, but in a close religious family for whom singing allowed them to feel closer to God. It was through the church that Little Richard discovered his love of music although at the time held ambitions to be a preacher, like his Grandfather before him.

His vocal style is very much influenced by gospel choirs. His first break in singing came through his being a fan of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the singer invited him to duet with her onstage in 1945, for which he was paid and appreciated by the audience.

By the age of eighteen in the early fifties Little Richard began recording jump (up-tempo) blues for RCA Camden and Peacock Records although his four years of recording made little impact. Having gained little attention with his solo career, Little Richard decided to form a band known as The Upsetters. A successful demo led to a new contract with Specialty Records in 1955 and saw him working with A&R man Robert “Bumps” Blackwell for the first time.

Initially he was sold as a rival to Fats Domino and even worked with many of Domino’s musicians in the studio. It was when Blackwell saw Little Richard play his own boogie woogie song Tutti Frutti that things took off for the musician. He was encouraged to record the track and it was released in 1955 topping America’s Billboard charts.

The next three years saw him have a further seven number ones releasing much loved tracks including Good Golly Miss Molly and Lone Tall Sally. As a black artist in the fifties he had little choice but to perform in segregated venues but such was the love of his music by the end of the concert the audience would unite and mix together causing extremists to denounce the dangers of Rock and Roll.

At the height of his career in 1957 he decided to leave the music business and returned to his ambition of becoming a preacher only recording gospel music. This was also the same year he met his future wife, Ernestine Campbell to whom he was married 2 years later. In 1962 he was booked on a tour of the UK for which he was supported by The Beatles. He wanted to sing his gospel songs but found the shows had been promoted as Rock and Roll, he performed his fifties hits to rapturous receptions. He returned to the UK the following year (this time with the Rolling Stones) and began to record “secular” tracks once again, all the while not breaking his involvement with the church.

In 1964 he worked with yet another future star as one Jimi Hendrix joined him in the band as a guitarist. The sixties saw him continue to perform and record although he suffered from the civil rights movement (white and black DJs alike weren’t happy with his performing to mixed audiences) he also developed a problem with alcohol and eventually drugs.

By the end of the seventies, he came to the conclusion that his rock and roll and religious lifestyles could not co-exist and he returned to evangelical preaching. The mid eighties saw him have another attempt at merging the pair this time singing rock songs with religious lyrics which resulted in the hit Great Gosh A’mighty (It's a Matter of Time).

In 1986 his successful career was marked by an induction in the very first Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The nineties saw him continue to record and tour regularly and in the new millennium his life and career were the subject of the film biopic Little Richard starring Leon Robinson.

Now into his late seventies he continues to record and wow audiences with his live performances.