Little Richard Band

Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), better known as Little Richard, was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Nicknamed "The Innovator, The Originator, and The Architect of Rock and Roll", Penniman's most celebrated work dates from the mid-1950s, when his charismatic showmanship and dynamic music, characterized by frenetic piano playing, pounding back beat and raspy shouted vocals, laid the foundation for rock and roll. Penniman's innovative emotive vocalizations and uptempo rhythmic music also played a key role in the formation of other popular music genres, including soul and funk, respectively. He influenced numerous singers and musicians across musical genres from rock to hip hop; his music helped shape rhythm and blues for generations to come.

 

First two albums are fantastic and the ur-texts of rock-and-roll, but after he passed I discovered and really enjoyed The Rill Thing, which is sweaty, wonderful, gutbucket R&B. He stayed vital long after the hits.

 

have only heard compilations of his, ill have to check out a full length

 

Here’s Little Richard is just staggeringly good. The whole foundation of the genre

 

Hi,
He was actually the third of 12 children in the family. Check these sources, if you need his bio:

Songwriters Hall of Fame
Britannica
Discogs
SecondHandSongs

 

YEAH, SAW THIS THREAD LATE. Mr. Penniman is what got me hooked at age 3 (!!!!) to rock forever :). My bigger sis had all his and Elvis's 45 rpms and one day, while playing in our lounge room, I picked up one of those funny looking black discs.....I put it on the record player and put the needle to the groove......and OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH MY SOUL was never the same again. That little black disc was none other than LUCILLE...and it stuck with me till this very day; I still get chills up my spine after listening to this r n r masterpiece. Later on as a teen, I watched my first clip with LR playing Lucille live....and have mercy miss percy did I flip on seeing and hearing how he played that piano....the wildest thing I had ever heard, so I started to want to play the piano like Little Richard. LR was a lifetime inspiration for me !!!!!
R.I.P. to the greatest rock and roller in rock :)

 

Since the really great Mars/.Paak tribute to him at the Grammys, I've been going back to the debut this week. Just so much fire and energy.

 

Its a really really great album. Rockin all the way through