Little Richard

Richard Wayne Penniman, known as Little Richard, was one of the founding fathers of rock and roll, a flamboyant pianist and vocalist whose screaming, pounding style on recordings like 'Tutti Frutti,' 'Long Tall Sally,' 'Good Golly Miss Molly,' and 'Lucille' helped define the genre's energy and attitude. His roots in the blues and gospel traditions of Macon, Georgia, were deep, he grew up singing in church and was influenced by the jump blues of Louis Jordan and the gospel shouting of Marion Williams and Brother Joe May. His piano style drew from boogie-woogie and barrelhouse traditions, and his recordings for Specialty Records in 1955-57 were among the most explosive and commercially successful of the early rock and roll era. He alternated between secular music and the ministry throughout his career.