Little Richard: Last News

Sam Cooke and Little Richard, has died aged 104.Rupe, who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2011, died on Friday (April 15) at his home in Santa Barbara, California, according to the Arthur N Rupe Foundation. A cause of death has not been disclosed.Born Arthur Goldberg, Rupe was raised outside the Pittsburgh area.

Little Richard‘s upcoming documentary film I Am Everything has been released.Released on Wednesday (March 15), the trailer for I Am Everything offers fans a look at the retrospective film that chronicles the late icon’s life and contributions to music, the queer community and more.The film will feature archival footage from the legend’s career and personal life, as well as never-before-seen interviews with the man himself as well as new interview with musicians, his family and friends and Black and queer scholars – all of whom discuss his cultural impact.Watch the trailer for I Am Everything below.An official description for the film reads: “Little Richard: I Am Everything tells the story of the Black queer origins of rock n’ roll, exploding the whitewashed canon of American pop music to reveal the innovator – the originator – Richard Penniman. Through a wealth of archive and performance that brings us into Richard’s complicated inner world, the film unspools the icon’s life story with all its switchbacks and contradictions.”“In interviews with family, musicians, and cutting-edge Black and queer scholars, the film reveals how Richard created an art form for ultimate self-expression, yet what he gave to the world he was never able to give to himself.

George Harrison‘s jukebox circa 1965 has been created from an archive interview with the Beatles guitarist – check it out below.Harrison would have turned 80 this week, and fans are celebrating his legacy and revisiting his life to mark the occasion.One of these is fan Andy Chistlehurst, who, as Clash point out, has dug through the archives to find a 1965 interview by Harrison with Record Mirror, where the guitarist discussed some of his influences at the time.Chistlehurst has now compiled the recommendations from the interview, including Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys, Little Richard, Otis Redding and more, into a Spotify playlist which you can listen to below.Last year, a concert film dedicated to George Harrison was re-released in cinemas across the world.Concert For George, was first shot in 2002 at London’s Royal Albert Hall, a year after the late Beatles‘s death and featured Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Ravi and Anoushka Shankar, Jools Holland, Jeff Lynne and members of Monty Python. It was organised by Eric Clapton and Harrison’s widow Olivia.The film and its soundtrack have been remastered in Dolby Atmos, and a new introduction by Olivia and daughter Dhani Harrison preceded screenings last November, which were put on to celebrate 20 years since the film’s release.Last year, a Beatles fan turned Harrison’s childhood home into an Airbnb and “living museum”.

“Little Richard: I Am Everything” opens with exactly the kind of pre-title sequence we’ve come to expect from a contemporary rock-history bio-doc, a fast and furious assemblage of archival imagery and iconic audio, bits and pieces reminding us of what this figure did, a snatch of a song, a flash of footage, a quick hit of a later legend assuring us of their greatness (“I’d never seen any of it before,” Mick Jagger assures us), bold proclamations (“He created the template for the rock and roll icon”), assembled with sleek grace.

Little Richard (the professional name for the late Macon, Georgia, native Richard Penniman) had learned of Specialty through Price, sent a demo and for months called trying to find out if anyone had listened. He finally demanded to speak to Rupe, who dug out his tape from the reject pile.“There was something in Little Richard’s voice I liked,” Rupe said.

Charles Connor, known for being Little Richard’s drummer who performed with other music greats including James Brown and Sam Cooke, has died. He was 86.Connor’s daughter, Queenie Connor Sonnefeld, said her father died peacefully in his sleep early Saturday while under hospice care at his home in Glendale, California.

Bruno Mars, Anderson Paak, Lionel Richie, Brandi Carlile, Chris Martin and Brittany Howard are honoring musicians who passed away this year at the 2021 Grammys.

Grady Gaines was a blues saxophone player best known for playing in Little Richard’s (1932–2020) band.Gaines was working as a session musician in 1955 when Little Richard asked him to join his backing band, the Upsetters. He became the band’s leader, touring extensively with Richard for the next few years as well as playing sax on recordings including “Keep a Knockin’,” “Ooh My Soul,” and “I’ll Never Let You Go.” Gaines had an iconic moment with Richard in the 1957 movie “Mister Rock and Roll” – he jumped atop Richard’s piano and played his sax there.After Richard stepped away from secular music in 1958, the Upsetters continued on, backing other greats including Sam Cooke (1931–1964) and James Brown (1933–2006).

Little Richard kept audiences bopping more than 60 years to his rump shaking rock ‘n’ roll of pounding piano, uptempo rhythms, and howling vocals.

The first time I truly understood the kinetic, roof-raising meaning of the phrase “rock’n’roll” was when I attended a Little Richard concert in the summer of 2012. The bouffant-haired icon was 79 then.

The early history of rock 'n' roll is a story of segregation -- and Little Richard, who died of bone cancer at 87 on May 9, was a key player in the fight to destroy it.Because of Jim Crow laws, and racism in general, African-American musicians from Louis Armstrong to Charlie Parker to Motown revues traveling through the South spent much of the 20th century relegated to black hotels and black restaurants, denied entrance even to hotels where they were headlining. Ballrooms and auditoriums drew physical ropes through their audiences to separate blacks and whites from dancing or congregating together when Chuck Berry or Lloyd Price were on stage.

Mick Jagger, Elton John, and Bob Dylan are among the plethora of musicians who paid tribute to the late Little Richard who passed away from bone cancer on Saturday.

The rock n' roll pioneer died this week aged 87

Sir Paul McCartney said he owes “a lot” to rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Little Richard as he paid tribute to the late singer.

Little Richard, the pioneering artist who set the template for rock and roll, has died aged 87, Rolling Stone reports. 

Little Richard, one of the founding fathers of rock ‘n’ roll and whose flamboyance and fire were just as much his calling cards as his pompadour, eyeliner and piano pounding, died Saturday at his brother’s home in Nashville. He was 87. The cause of death was bone cancer.

The Voice star Sir Tom Jones, 79, has spoken out after the news of his friend and idol Little Richard - real name Richard Wayne Penniman - passed away today at the age of 87.The Voice judge paid a tribute to his rock and roll icon by sharing a video of himself and Richard singing together 50 years ago.Sir Tom has expressed his deepest condolences of his friend and idol Richard on Twitter today and said his "heart goes out" to all of his loved ones.The Welsh singer wrote alongside a video of the two of them performing together on his show This Is Tom Jones 50 years ago: "To my dear Richard,⁣⁣"You're a true original, you broke all the rules and you weren’t afraid to show it."He continued: "A magnificent talent and an inspiration to so many of

There wasn’t much else like “Tutti Frutti” when Little Richard premiered the song in 1955.The risqué song about sex and dancing, helped Richard land performing slots in clubs, and later established him as a certified hitmaker. The track also earned him his first career Billboard chart entry in 1955, debuting at No.

By Anita Bennett

The world is mourning the loss of Little Richard, who sadly passed away on Saturday, May 9. The legendary musician — born Richard Wayne Penniman — shot to superstardom more than six decades ago with his debut hit “Tutti Frutti”, and has left a lasting impact on the music industry. Tributes have already poured in from celebrities, and fans alike, as millions remember his legacy in the wake of his death. Former First Lady Michelle Obama took to Twitter, writing “With his exuberance, his creativity, and his refusal to be anything other than himself, Little Richard laid the foundation for generations of artists to follow. We are so lucky to have had him. Sending all my love to his family and friends today.”

Demi Moore shared a throwback from her wedding day with ex Bruce Willis as they continue to isolate together.