RIP: Little Richard
He really was one-of-a-kind.
As described in this NYTimes obit:
Rock ’n’ roll was an unabashedly macho music in its early days, but Little Richard, who had performed in drag as a teenager, presented a very different picture onstage: gaudily dressed, his hair piled six inches high, his face aglow with cinematic makeup. He was fond of saying in later years that if Elvis was the king of rock ’n’ roll, he was the queen. Offstage, he characterized himself variously as gay, bisexual and “omnisexual.”
I can’t remember any performer who just made me want to jump up and down in sheer joy like he did:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVIttmFAzek
I prepared today’s Song of the Day before this news came across the pond. I’ll feature Mr. Penniman tomorrow.
BTW, that is Boothwyn, Pa.’s, own Bill Haley in that reaction shot at 1:20 of the YouTube clip.
I can only say, a-wop-bop-a-loo-bop-a-wop-bam-boom.
He was aw rooti.
What a diverse audience, lol.