Little Richard, one of the founding fathers of rock ‘n’ roll, has died at the age of 87, according to reports in the US. His son, Danny Penniman, confirmed his death but said the cause was unknown, Rolling Stone reports.
The self-proclaimed “architect of rock ‘n’ roll”, the singer was famous for hits including Good Golly Miss Molly, Long Tall Sally and Tutti Frutti in the 1950s, and was inducted into the Rock Hall Of Fame in 1986.
He built his ground-breaking sound with a blend of boogie-woogie, rhythm and blues and gospel, and a flamboyant stage presence, and influenced performers from Elton John to Prince over the years.
Starting with “Tutti Frutti” in 1956, Little Richard cut a series of unstoppable hits – “Long Tall Sally” and “Rip It Up” that same year, “Lucille” in 1957, and “Good Golly Miss Molly” in 1958 – driven by his simple, pumping piano, gospel-influenced vocal exclamations and sexually charged (often gibberish) lyrics.
Richard was a trailblazer for many of the most iconic acts in modern music history. Acts like Elvis, Elton John, the Beatles, Prince and more all could trace their inspiration from the artist – known for his boisterous personality an androgynous fashion.
“I heard Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, and that was it,” Elton John told Rolling Stone in 1973. “I didn’t ever want to be anything else.
“I’m more of a Little Richard stylist than a Jerry Lee Lewis, I think. Jerry Lee is a very intricate piano player and very skillful, but Little Richard is more of a pounder.”
