Little Richard (Richard Wayne Penniman)

1932-2020 · Contribution: 1955-1958

Musician

Self-proclaimed the “architect of rock and roll,” fused gospel, boogie-woogie, and rhythm and blues into an explosive new sound with 1955's “Tutti Frutti,” becoming one of the ten original inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 and a foundational influence on the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and generations of rock performers

Arts, Music & Entertainment Tech: collage image
Arts, Music & Entertainment Tech

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Quick facts

Born
1932
Active since
1955
Category
Arts, Music & Entertainment Tech
Best known for
"Tutti Frutti""Architect of rock and roll"Original Rock Hall inductee

Impact on the world

Little Richard supplied the raw, ecstatic energy at rock and roll's birth, a flamboyant Black performer whose sound the whole genre absorbed. His records lit the fuse of a musical revolution.

An alternative history

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Sources

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