Little Richard
“Good Golly, Miss Molly” I just read that Little Richard died.
And “Ooh, My Soul,” it’s just like telling me that rock’n’roll has done up and died.
Though, I doubt that will ever happen.
When told Elvis was the King Of Rock’N’Roll, Little Richard replied- “That is true but I’m the Queen.”
Little Richard said he played up his flamboyantly gay persona in his early days, because as a popular black singer in the South at the time and attracting white ladies, well that could get you in a heap bunch of trouble with white men.
So the white men were appeased with his act and they became less worried about this “Black Queen” messing with their women.
Little Richard was in fact, bisexual, and also, instilled with a deep religious belief that led him to give up rock’n’roll to become a gospel preacher more than once. This alternated with him being a heavy drug abuser, as well. Of the early rock’n’roll icons there was certainly no one as strange or bizarre as this cat.
Along with Chuck Berry and Fats Domino and possibly, Bo Didley he is amongst the best and most well-known of the black artists that brought the rhythm and blues to mix with the country/rockabilly of Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis to create rock’n’roll.
And we can argue who is the best, they are all amongst my favorite artists as fifties rock’n’roll is one of my favorite genres. And I may pick Chuck Berry, as I believe he had and wrote the best songs, but I’ll take Little Richard as a performer over Elvis any day.
Little Richard is the indisputable link to glam/glitter rock. He is the link to New York Dolls/ British Glam/ Alice Cooper and David Bowie. He is also the link that led to gay performers eventually being accepted in rock music.
I know some folks believe David Bowie invented glam rock but I feel it was Little Richard.
The lyrics to “Tutti Frutti” one of his best and most popular songs has a lot of nonsensical lyrics.
But the real reason they do is he had to change them in order to get radio play as they were too “racy” or obscene for the times. It originally went, “Tutti Frutti, good booty.” And even today, I don’t need to explain what that meant! And the fun “A-bop-bop-a-loom-op a-lop-bop-boom,” replaced some line that just couldn’t have been played on the radio then.
I guess the accepted notion is that rock was the natural development of rock’n’roll but for me, who generally dislikes most rock music, punk was the music that kept the spirit of rock’n’roll alive.
And for me the only rock bands I consider rock’n’roll are The Rolling Stones, AC/DC and Motorhead.
But punk, like early rock’n’roll, had simple music, straight forward realistic lyrics, loads of energy and was wild and fun.
Also, though the rock artists were somewhat shunned by society, I feel they were not as initially disliked as the early rock’n’rollers (Elvis getting banned from the waist down on television) and the punk rockers (The Sex Pistols virtually, banned from playing live after their swearing on a live television show).
As I’ve said before, in every musical genre there are punks and non-punks and both I like. The punks are generally, non conformists and more difficult for society to accept. I love both types of artists- but in fifties rock’n’roll, Elvis and Fats Domino were not punks while Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard- yes!
And Little Richard, who started out as a dishwasher in Macon, Georgia, was an outcast before he played a note of music. Because he was black and because he was bisexual.
And I believe everyone who is part of punk, even in our current punk scene, is an outcast from society in some form, besides the music they enjoy. That’s why we must and that’s why we do equally except everyone, even an old drunk like me!
I love that Patti Smith loves him. That Lemmy from Motorhead considered him his biggest inspiration, a big reason he introduced his shows as, “We are Motorhead and we play rock’n’roll.”
Little Richard was wild and flamboyant. He was crazy, exciting, energetic and over the top. He was emotional and real and that’s what rock’n’roll is and that’s what punk is, as well.
That’s what the best in music is, the best in art, the best in life, too- fun, fantastically wild and free!
I only saw him perform once. It was a free concert on The Esplanade in Boston, several decades ago.
The only thing I remember from the show was at one point a fan brought up an album or something for him to sign at the side of the stage. I figured he or someone would soon shush them away as the show was in full momentum at this point.
But he stopped everything and signaled for them to approach and took his time in signing it. It was a nice gesture but it also implied to me- “I’m Little Richard and this is my show and I’ll do as I please.”
And if you don’t think that’s punk, if you don’t think that this is like when your favorite hardcore singer allows a fan to sing a line or two on stage- then I think you might be missing something.
Like the whole idea of punk. Like the whole idea of rock’n’roll. Like the whole idea of Little Richard. Like the whole idea of life.
I’ll be missing Little Richard as he is no more, he is dead.
But rock’n’roll and it’s spirit.
Naw, that’ll never die.
(Slimedog)
