Rock and Roll Remembering Little Richard

I’m hoping this man’s passing over the weekend didn’t get lost in the weekend shuffle because it’s a significant one! Richard Penniman, aka Little Richard, died on Saturday in Tennessee after a bout with bone cancer. Needless to say, he had a long (70 decades) and illustrious music career, laying the foundation for rock and roll music as we know it. Don’t take my word for it though.  Legends of rock and roll quickly laid out their tributes on social media.

Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger and Bob Dylan are just a few of the legends who have paid tribute to Little Richard, who passed Saturday at the age of 87.

Paul McCartney shared an Instagram picture of a very young group of Beatles with Richard, writing “From ‘Tutti Frutti’ to ‘Long, Tall Sally’ to ‘Good Golly, Miss Molly’ and ‘Lucille’, Little Richard came screaming into my life when I was a teenager.  I owe a lot of what I do to his style and he knew it.  He would say ‘I taught Paul everything he knows’ and he was right.”

 

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‘From ‘Tutti Frutti’ to ‘Long Tall Sally’ to ‘Good Golly, Miss Molly’ to ‘Lucille’, Little Richard came screaming into my life when I was a teenager. 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. In the early days of The Beatles we played with Richard in Hamburg and got to know him. He would let us hang out in his dressing room and we were witness to his pre-show rituals, with his head under a towel over a bowl of steaming hot water he would suddenly lift his head up to the mirror and say, “I can’t help it cos I’m so beautiful”. And he was. A great man with a lovely sense of humour and someone who will be missed by the rock and roll community and many more. I thank him for all he taught me and the kindness he showed by letting me be his friend. Goodbye Richard and a-wop-bop-a-loo-bop.’ – Paul McCartney #LittleRichard #PaulMcCartney

A post shared by Paul McCartney (@paulmccartney) on May 10, 2020 at 4:12am PDT

Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger called Richard “the biggest inspiration of my early teens” adding “His music still has the same raw, electric energy when you play it now!”

 

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I’m so saddened to hear about the passing of Little Richard, he was the biggest inspiration of my early teens and his music still has the same raw electric energy when you play it now as it did when it first shot through the music scene in the mid 50’s. When we were on tour with him I would watch his moves every night and learn from him how to entertain and involve the audience and he was always so generous with advice to me. He contributed so much to popular music. I will miss you Richard, God bless.

A post shared by Mick Jagger (@mickjagger) on May 9, 2020 at 9:14am PDT

Bob Dylan said he was “grieved” over Richard’s death, posting on social media “He was my shining star and guiding light back when I was a little boy.  He was the original spirit who moved me to do everything I would do.”

I just heard the news about Little Richard and I’m so grieved. He was my shining star and guiding light back when I was only a little boy. His was the original spirit that moved me to do everything I would do.

— Bob Dylan (@bobdylan) May 9, 2020

In his presence he was always the same Little Richard that I first heard and was awed by growing up and I always was the same little boy. Of course he’ll live forever. But it’s like a part of your life is gone.

— Bob Dylan (@bobdylan) May 9, 2020