BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 18th March 2019
6 Music's Wise Woman Peaches selects this profile of Little Richard, first broadcast in 2012 to celebrate the 80th birthday of the larger-than-life rock 'n' roll originator.
Richard is one of the most outrageous performers in the history rock music and has been a major influence on generations of musicians, from The Beatles onwards.
Little Richard has always claimed to be "the architect of rock and roll", and history would seem to bear out his boast.
As Bob Dylan said: "It doesn't get much better than A Whop Bop A Lua - A Whop Bam Boom. That's the pure essence of rock 'n' roll right there in that one line".
The man who grew up in a very religious family as just plain Richard Penniman began performing on stage in 1945, incorporating the high energy antics of preachers he witnessed in his local Pentecostal churches in to his stage routine.
When rock 'n' roll exploded in the 50s Little Richard led the way with his over-the-top gospel-style singing, with moans and screams, accompanied by a combination of boogie-woogie and rhythm & blues. His frantically charged piano playing and raspy, shouted vocals on such classics as Tutti Frutti, Long Tall Sally and Good Golly, Miss Molly defined the dynamic sound of rock 'n' roll.
This new music, which included an original injection of funk into the rock 'n' roll beat, inspired many of the greatest recording artists that followed. Paul McCartney said that he idolized Little Richard when he was in school and always wanted to sing like him, while Mick Jagger called him "the originator" and "my first idol."
Bob Dylan performed Little Richard songs on piano as a schoolboy in his first band and declared in his high school yearbook in 1959 that his ambition was "to join Little Richard".
Little Richard - Long Tall Sally
Little Richard - Slippin' And Slidin'
Little Richard - Ready Teddy
Little Richard - Good Golly Miss Molly (Live)
Little Richard - Joy, Joy, Joy
The Beatles - Long Tall Sally
Little Richard - Tutti Frutti
Sonny Boy Williamson - Don't Start Me To Talkin'
Clara Ward Singers - Surely God Is Able
Little Richard - God Is Real
Louis Jordan - Saturday Night Fish Fry
Billy Wright - Every Evening
Billy Wright - After Dark Blues
Little Richard - Taxi Blues
Lloyd Price - Lawdy Miss Clawdy
Little Richard - Baby
Little Richard - Tutti Frutti
Pat Boone - Tutti Frutti
Little Richard - Tutti Frutti
Elvis Presley - Tutti Frutti
Little Richard - Slippin' And Slidin'
Little Richard - Ready Teddy
Little Richard - Lucille (Live)
The Coasters - Searchin'
Little Richard - Long Tall Sally
Little Richard - The Girl Can't Help It
Little Richard - She's Got It
Little Richard - Good Golly Miss Molly
Little Richard - Miss Ann
Little Richard - Does Jesus Care
Little Richard - Keep A Knockin'
Little Richard - I'm Quitting Show Business
Sam Cooke - You Send Me
Little Richard - God Is Real
The Beatles - Long Tall Sally
The Beatles - I Saw Her Standing There (Live)
Little Richard - Joy, Joy, Joy
Little Richard - Good Golly Miss Molly (Live)
Little Richard - Tutti Frutti (Live)
Little Richard - True Fine Mama
Little Richard - Bama Lama Bama Loo
Little Richard - Money Honey
Jimi Hendrix - Foxy Lady
Little Richard - Send Me Some Lovin' (Live)
Little Richard - Good Golly Miss Molly (Live)
Little Richard - King Of Rock And Roll
Chuck Berry - My Ding-A-Ling
Little Richard - Long Tall Sally (Live)
John Lennon - Slippin' And Slidin'
Little Richard - Get Down With It (Live)
Little Richard - Great Gosh A'Mighty!
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