Little Richard, one of the founding fathers of rock and roll, has passed away in his Tennessee home early Saturday morning. He was 87.
Rolling Stone reports Little Richard was known for his series of hits such as “Tutti Frutti”, “Good Golly Miss Molly”, “Lucille” and “Rip It Up.” These hits took over the top 10 during the 1950s and influenced artists such as The Beatles, Elton John, and countless others. His son, musician Danny Penninman, confirmed the news of his father’s death but the cause is currently unknown.
Little Richard was also known for his flamboyant and gender-bending styles. His bass guitarist, Charles Glenn, told TMZ that he had been sick for two months and last spoke to Little Richard on March 27th.
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Little Richard was born Richard Wayne Penniman in 1932 and was kicked out of his home at the age of 13 when his father disapproved of his fluid sexuality. His musical influence was the church and he learned how to play piano during services. Richard’s big break came in 1951 when he performed at a local radio station in Atlanta and was signed to RCA. Four years later, he signed onto Specialty Records.
He continued to perform for the rest of his life and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 along with receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in 1993 and the Pioneer Award From the Rhythm and Blues Foundation.
Update: Little Richard died after a long battle with bone cancer. His agent Dick Allen confirmed the news with People.
“Little Richard passed away this morning from bone cancer in Nashville. He was living with his brother in Nashville. He was battling for a good while, many years. I last spoke to him about two or three weeks ago. I knew he wasn’t well but he never really got into it, he just would say ‘I’m not well.’ He’s been suffering for many years with various aches and pains. He just wouldn’t talk about it much.”