[ Previous | Table of Contents | Next ]

"Little" Richard Penniman - "the Quasar of Rock"

• c. 1932 - born Richard Wayne Penniman in Macon, GA
• purest prototype of mainstream rock
  • "no holds barred" style style of performanced ... mascara, pompadour, etc.
• symbol for wild, unrestrained rock & roll
  • sang, shouted, danced, gyrated, & sweated profusely
  • note similarity between his rock performance style & Southern minister
• Inner Conflict:
  • sacred vs. secular—Christian upbringing vs. the message of rock & roll
  • sexual orientation (thrown out of his house at 13)

shouting vocal style with frequent use of falsetto

Tutti Frutti

#17 (1/28/56); see video related to Pat Boone's cover of this song

Dawson & Propes on "Tutti Frutti "

Long Tall Sally

#6 (4/7/56; #1 R&B for 8 weeks)

Good Golly Miss Molly

#10 (2/24/58)
piano intro inspired by Jackie Brenston's "Rocket 88" (1951)

 

"Lucille"

"Ready Teddy"

 

Little Richard - Personal Life

• raised in a devout Christian family ... 12 kids
• thrown out of his house at 13
  • rumored to have been due to his sexual orientation
• 1957--renounced R&R and turned to religion; conflict of the times ... and Little Richard preaching [video includes 50s dress code commentary, Alan Freed, & Little Richard preaching a sermon]
  • married & attended Bible college
  • wanted to be a minister in the Seventh Day Adventist church
  • eventually tried Gospel music
    

    [Little Richard's - and others' - thoughts about the influence of gospel music on rock]

• 1964--returned to rock
  • began a series of unsuccessful comeback attempts
  • found a modicum of success doing children's shows
• 1970s--abondoned rock again (read Stuessy & Lipscomb, p. 44)
  • perpetual attempts at a comeback

Little Richard "The Quasar of Rock" - Professional Life

• 1951—made a series of RCA Victor recordings
  • commercially unsuccessful
• 1955—fronted the Johnny Otis Orchestra (of "Hand Jive" fame)
  • 4-side recording session1955
  • got a record contract w/Specialty Records (L.A.) by mailing a demo tape at Lloyd Price's suggestion … success!!
• 60s style--outrageous costumes, flamboyant gay performance style, and old-time rock & roll (nostalgia)
• 1986—among the first inductees into the R&R Hall of Fame
• NARAS—Lifetime Achievement Award
• sang at Clinton's inaugural; Macon, GA has a "Little Richard Penniman Blvd."

Little Richard's alternating renouncements of Rock, followed by repeated comeback attempts adversely affected his popularity

Little Richard was one of the most influential figures in the history of rock

egotistical, controversial, dynamic, original, & unpredictable

[ Previous | Table of Contents | Next ]