Little Richard pioneered rock music and helped launch the careers of the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and James Brown. His bold vocals, innovative compositions and fearless performances made him undeniable. On May 9, Richard died at the age of 87. We revisit seven incredible ways that the ‘Architect of Rock ‘n’ Roll’ shaped popular culture as we know it.
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1. The Beatles opened up for Little Richard in the early 1960s — and he taught Paul how to sing: Richard’s concerts in Europe were so energetic that one of his shows in the UK had to be cut early because fans rushed the stage. Brian Epstein — the Beatles’ manager — approached Don Arden, Richard’s concert promoter, and asked if the Beatles could open up for Richard for a few shows. They first opened for Richard on October 12, 1962, in New Brighton. During that time, Richard taught Paul McCartney how to sing like him. ”I could do Little Richard’s voice, which is a wild, hoarse, screaming thing. It’s like an out-of-body experience. You have to leave your current sensibilities and go about a foot above your head to sing it,” said McCartney. He told the CNN in 2001: “Little Richard always says ‘Paul … you know, I taught you everything that you know.’ I say, “That’s right, Richard, it’s true.’”
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2. Little Richard insisted on integration between white and black audiences: Richard’s music emerged during a highly racist and divided era, when audiences were divided into ‘white’ and ‘coloured’ — and black people were often barred from attending events at ‘white-only venues’. However, Richard would not stand for this. He insisted on having an integrated audience. He was one of a group of rock ’n’ rollers who had ‘mixed’ concerts, but still, they had to be split — black people on the balconies, and white people on the main floor.
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3. Little Richard never got the credit he deserved for pioneering rock ‘n’ roll: In 1990, after LA mayor Tom Bradley decided to declare July 9 ‘Little Richard Day’, Richard told Arsenio Hall that it’s too little too late. “When you’ve been singing for 46 years and you’re the Architect of Rock ’n Roll, and they don’t even want to give you credit for that!” Richard said, addressing the cheering audience. “I am black and I am not a racist. Being a black singer out of Georgia … they didn’t want a black guy to be the one that created rock ‘n’ roll, ‘cause the white kids liked it! And they didn’t want the white girls screaming over no black boy. And by me being a black guy, and a good-looking black guy. And you know I’m not conceited. I’m not conceited — I’m convinced.”
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4. He was part of the first ever group of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted its first group of artists on January 23, 1986. The legendary list of inductees who made history that day included Little Richard, Elvis Presley, James Brown, Fats Domino, Ray Charles, Chuck Berry, Sam Cooke, the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, and Jerry Lee Lewis.
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5. James Brown got his big break as a Little Richard impersonator: When Little Richard couldn’t perform a certain show, James Brown would go on stage and pretend to be him, which eventually shaped Brown’s sound. Filmmaker Alex Gibney, who created the documentary ‘Mr Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown’, told Soundcheck: “Nobody knew exactly what Little Richard looked like. [James Brown] literally was Little Richard, when Little Richard had to go off to LA. There were a whole bunch of dates that had to be fulfilled. And James Brown was Little Richard!”
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6. Jimi Hendrix got his start in Little Richard’s band — and he was fired from it: According to Hendrix’s father, Hendrix idolised Richard — he even began to dress like him. Yep, that’s where Hendrix’s iconic bandanna around the head came from. Of their first meeting, Richard said: “We met him in Atlanta. He was stranded, really. They had put him out of the hotel. My guitar player was about his age, and he brought him up to the room … He was about 18 or 19 then.” Hendrix got a job plating in Richard’s band, but eventually, his lust got in the way. “Jimi Hendrix’s problem was women. He liked a lot of women. He’d meet a women, and he’d forget what he had to do … He’d be hypnotised. Oooh, she’d take over the whole system.” It was Richard’s brother and tour manager, Robert, who kicked Hendrix out of the band. “I fired Hendrix, who was using the name Maurice James all the time I knew him. He was a damn good guitar player, but the guy was never on time. He was always late for the bus and flirting with the girls,” said Robert.
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7. He influenced everyone from Rolling Stones and Elvis Presley to Motorhead and AC/DC: Most of Tina Turner’s initial vocal delivery was influenced by Richard. Bob Dylan, Freddie Mercury, and Paul McCartney would cover his songs when they were young, before they were famous. George Harrison, when inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with The Beatles, pointed to Little Richard and said, “It was all his fault, really.” Mick Jagger called Little Richard “my first idol” and said he would watch his moves onstage and learn from him. Patti Smith said that as a little girl, Little Richard meant more to her than Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. After opening for Richard with his band Bluesology, Reginald Dwight decided to become a rock ’n roll pianist and later changed his name to Elton John.
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