Richard Wayne Penniman

With his electrifying piano playing, flamboyant showmanship and full throttle cry of "A-wop bop-a loo bop, a-wop bam boom!", Little Richard transformed rhythm and blues into early rock'n'roll, inspiring the likes of Elvis Presley, The Beatles and James Brown. Raised on the gospel music of his local church in Georgia, Richard Wayne Penniman played in New Orleans jazz and blues bands before adopting a sexy, frantic boogie woogie style on his breakthrough hit Tutti Frutti. It became a watershed track, cited by many as the birth of rock'n'roll and, alongside follow-up hits Long Tall Sally, Good Golly Miss Molly and Lucille, has become an all time classic. Richard quit the music industry suddenly in 1957 and became a travelling preacher, but he returned as a gospel singer a few years later and reverted to rock'n'roll while on a British tour supported by The Beatles in 1962. Little Richard's controversial career that continues to span the decades has included cross-dressing, religion and drug and alcohol problems, but throughout the ups and downs he stands as one of rock's true greats. © ©Copyright Music Story 2020