Little Richard

Little Richard (born Richard Wayne Penniman, 1932-2020) was one of the founding fathers of rock and roll, described by Paul McCartney as the originator and James Brown as the architect. His 1955-1958 recordings for Specialty Records — Tutti Frutti, Long Tall Sally, Lucille, Good Golly Miss Molly, Rip It Up — established the template for rock and roll piano, vocal performance, and pure anarchic energy that influenced every major artist who followed. His falsetto screams, athletic piano playing, and flamboyant presentation were completely unprecedented. He quit rock and roll in 1957 at the height of his fame to pursue gospel, then returned multiple times. The Beatles backed him in Hamburg in 1962 and Paul McCartney has said learning to sing like Little Richard taught him his upper register. He was among the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.