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Archive 1 | Archive 2 | Archive 3 |
It is irrelevant that he is African-American!! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.44.149.123 ( talk) 02:52, 31 October 2007 (UTC)
You know, I'm a little surprised that this article is labeled "Seventh-day Adventist", yet has barely any mention of how he is connected with the group. Isn't he a minister at the Ephesus church in LA? Also he attended Oakwood College, which is run bu Seventh-day Adventists. Shouldn't his upbringing, conversion, education, and current life be added to the article? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.70.43.241 ( talk) 14:21, 11 June 2009 (UTC)
It's Wikipedia. If you feel it belongs, write it in. If you have no references, include "references required" to point others to areas where they can contribute. As to whether he "is a minister" in terms of being paid by the respective conference, or is a lay leader who performs acts of ministry, is another matter. I think it can be documented that, while he has had interaction with a number of Christian denominations, if one had to be picked, he'd consider himself a Seventh-day Adventist.
208.72.4.1 (
talk)
15:40, 30 June 2009 (UTC)
According to a Youtube video info: ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-nijNBAnGM) Part of Hendrix's flamboyant stage persona may have been inspired by rock pioneer Little Richard, with whom he toured as part of Richard's back-up band, "The Upsetters". Could I have more info about it or confirm this?
I do believe that Tutti Frutti was originally called Loose Booty. The new name and lyrics were just to make the song releasable.
Tutti Frutti's lyrics were cleaned up but it was not called loose booty and there is no recording of the original lyrics.
"A WOP BOP A LOO BOP A GOOD GOD D***! TUTTI FRUTTI GOOD BOOTY, TUTTI FRUTTI GOOD BOOTY TUTTI FRUUUTI GOOD BOOTY, TUTTI FRUTTI GOOD BOOTY, TUTTI FRUTTI GOOD BOOTY. A WOP BOP A LOO BOP A GOOD GOD D**!
Little Richard performed this at his early live shows in the Atlanta area of Georgia in the very early 1950s.
That's the story according to a tv movie I saw, but I don't generally trust those to be accurate so much 88.218.162.41 ( talk) 23:06, 10 August 2009 (UTC)
I don't trust that discography at all. Little Richard is not about albums. In fact, to list all his albums is to do him a disservice (one that he asked for), because many of his albums consist of nothing but remakes of his hits recorded with other musicians for other record companies. Plus, I just plain don't believe that his first album was released in 1956 and called Cast a long shadow. Ortolan88 04:34, 4 Nov 2004 (UTC)
Little Richard was bisexual if you read the official biography of Little Richard you will find that out.
What's the reference that he is gay? Alison9 07:24, 27 Jan 2005 (UTC)
I will add http://www.glbtq.com/arts/little_richard.html to the article. Hyacinth 17:54, 27 Jan 2005 (UTC)
he aint gay thats all i know
uh, yes he is. He admitted it at one point, and then renounced it, which some say was due to pressure from his faith and the public's shock
Its not hard to beleive, i mean, look at his hair! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.10.126.34 ( talk) 13:59, 17 December 2007 (UTC)
More references concerning LR's sexual orientation:
And yeah, I'd say a rock musician's sexual orientation was pretty damn pertinent to his biography and to his art. Tutti-frutti! Kaicarver 12:46, 28 July 2006 (UTC)
So now we all know about the fact that Little Richard WAS gay during his ealy years, I think it's appropiate we add the LBGT project section for him. Spokenwordsegment ( talk) 15:20, 26 December 2007 (UTC)
? 83.253.38.57 21:39, 10 March 2006 (UTC)
Should anyone care whether or note he's gay or bi-sexual? He is an True American Idol and historic figure. He fits my definition of transvestite ( heavy make-up, wigs, etc.) Oh well, thank God our society has moved beyond racism, bigotry, and homophobia, so that we don't have wonder whether or not we should enjoy a talented and entertaining artist.
wth is wrong with tht person? ^^^ dude chill. i need this stuff for my home work and anyway biographies are a way to remeber the great legends of our country, our sociaty. Everybody wants to be remembered and i think we should give such great influential people of this world credit and recognitions for all there work and contributions. and i luv rock music
Is it true, that after 1957 Little Richard walked door to door trying to buy his own records (that he now regarded as sinful) back from people? -- 128.214.205.4 09:08, 8 September 2006 (UTC)
The items in this section need to be incorporated into the body of the article. This isn't me "whining", it's a guideline in the Wikipedia Manual of Style - specifically Wikipedia:Avoid trivia sections in articles. Almost all of the items in this section are uncited as well, so if they can't be incorporated into the article, then the section just needs to be removed. -- Roswell native 13:40, 18 February 2007 (UTC)
As suggested in WP:TRIVIA, I'm moving the trivia section here to capture the info until sources can be verfied for incorporation back into the article.
According to the first sentence Little Richard died today. I have searched and searched for anything about it, and so far nothing has been said in the media that I could find. Someone should check this out and correct it if he hasn't died. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 76.173.179.174 ( talk) 06:06, 31 March 2007 (UTC).
Well, I just saw him perform live on the capitol Mall in Washington D.C. so he's most definitely alive. The performance by the way was amazing. Drama Porch 05:24, 5 July 2007 (UTC)
I corrected a factual error, which said the song "Great God A'Mighty" had its title changed to "It's a Matter of Time". Not according to my copy of the single: the title was changed to "Great Gosh A'Mighty", but that's it. 23skidoo ( talk) 23:41, 8 January 2008 (UTC)
See Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref(erences/)> tags Nhl4hamilton ( talk) 04:42, 1 February 2008 (UTC)
Why is there no mention of his religion in this article? He says he attends the Seventh-Day Adventist church and is even a minister. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.94.127.252 ( talk) 20:08, 16 January 2013 (UTC)
Not dead. provided link in article confirms he is not dead — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.26.27.35 ( talk) 23:42, 24 March 2017 (UTC)
Little Richard is a well known icon —Preceding unsigned comment added by 162.40.2.174 ( talk) 22:01, 22 March 2010 (UTC)
I'm surprised that Little Richard's influence on John Lennon is not mentioned in the article. Didn't John call Little Richard "The King of rock and roll"? 70.29.76.82 ( talk) 09:00, 24 January 2010 (UTC)
I've started an article on Joe Lutcher, who reportedly influenced Little Richard's evangelistic activities around 1957, and toured with him. If any editor with access to offline sources can add any details to that article, I'd be grateful. Ghmyrtle ( talk) 17:35, 17 August 2010 (UTC)
I think most of us know that Little Richard and Richard Wayne Penniman are one and the same person. But in the article, I see an inconsistent way of mentioning him by name. I'm sure it's complicated by his widely known stage name.
There are at least four names used: Little Richard, Penniman, Richard, and "Little Richard" Penniman.
My own feeling is that, unless it's included as a direct quotation or title of something, there should be one common name used, and that it should be Penniman - which is currently the most common name used in the article.
But before making changes.... Comments, anybody? thyrd ( talk) 19:25, 20 November 2010 (UTC)
In a book on the history of rock and roll it said that Little Richard had a dream of the Apocalypse that shook him up, afterward he quit rock and roll for seven years.
It says, "A horrifying dream showed him the Apocalypse and the ugly stain of his own damnation. On an airline flight soon after (which may or may not have been threatened by a fire on board), Richard prayed to God to hold that plane in the air. Evidently, the Lord in His infinite wisdom obliged.When Richard reached safety he threw his jewelry into the harbor at Sydney, Australia and vowed to cease his evil ways." Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll. p.57 Natural ( talk) 03:11, 12 April 2011 (UTC)Natural
Little Richard didn't record for the RCA Camden label, he recorded for RCA Victor. The RCA Camden label didn't even exist in 1951, it appeared c.1955. His eight 1951 RCA recordings were originally issued on 45 and 78 RPM discs on the regular RCA Victor label, then reissued on Camden after Little Richard became successful in 1956. I'm adding this note about my edit of 2011-02-27 which effectively reverts BrothaTimothy's edit of 2010-11-28. The date of death of Little Richard's father, Charlie Penniman, was and still is supported by only one source: the Social Security Death Index. The SSDI source is easily verified from different web sites such as ancestry.com etc, and consistently shows his date of death as "February 1952". If anybody has better information than that which comes from a verifiable source, that would be great. But please provide a verifiable source for that change to replace the SSDI reference. In all cases, verified information should only be replaced by verified information. Otherwise, any change is likely to be reverted again. Thanks. Thyrd ( talk) 17:03, 27 February 2011 (UTC)
Thanks to BrothaTimothy, who's updated and improved the article with a more accurate source. I've removed the SSDI source (which I suspect was based upon the date of notification rather than the date of death anyway). Thyrd ( talk) 15:43, 19 April 2011 (UTC)
Little Richard is not ex gay since this is a modern day term and he may be Christian but he is not against LGBT people like the ex gay people are. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.185.189.36 ( talk) 16:29, 19 July 2010 (UTC)
Also, a quote in the same account states, "I gave up rock & roll for the Rock of Ages. If God can save me, an old homosexual, he can save anybody," he exhorted the crowd." Don't know if the article mentions that, but it is of note from several viewpoints, his homosexuality along with conversion. Perhaps a relevant point to include in the article. Rolling Stone, p 59 Natural ( talk) 03:16, 12 April 2011 (UTC)Natural
Is this Little Richard?
http://www.wimp.com/oldschool/
Chain emails are being passed around saying it is him.
I doubt that at this age with very religious parents that he would would have been allowed to be in Hollywood movies. Besides without the internet or American Idol, how would an African American preschooler from the segregated south get the attention of Hollywood? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.32.191.181 ( talk) 11:02, 22 June 2011 (UTC)
It is NOT beyond the realm of possibility ... one would have to ASK Little Richard, a similar material would be a VERY young Billy Preston playing with Nat King Cole ... there is a video of that ... he was a little older than this kid.
— Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.8.24.67 ( talk) 06:03, 7 July 2011 (UTC)
I came here specifically to learn the details of his failed lawsuit against Specialty to regain control of his catalog. I think it's a serious omission.
Newspaper archive shows an AP article from 11.29.1984 that says Penniman would appeal the dismissal of the suit for $115 million, based on songwriting royalties, not performance rights. Suit was filed in June, 1984, against Specialty Records, ATV Music, Venice Music, and Specialty owner Arthur Rupe. 184.0.94.83 ( talk) 03:32, 24 April 2012 (UTC)
Are the following lines vandalism? -
"In 1976, he re-recorded twenty of his biggest Specialty hits in Nashville for a K-Tel Records album.[107]
Penniman also continued his wild partying through the first half of the seventies[108] and, reportedly, by late 1971, developed a dependency on a variety of drugs and alcohol.[109] He and his brothers started their own management company, Bud Hole Incorporated.[110]"
I don't think K-Tel recoreded many, if any, albums. They put together compilations. And Bud Hole Incorporated? That has to be a lame joke. 216.36.132.66 ( talk) 19:44, 17 July 2012 (UTC)
I check pages listed in Category:Pages with incorrect ref formatting to try to fix reference errors. One of the things I do is look for content for orphaned references in wikilinked articles. I have found content for some of Little Richard's orphans, the problem is that I found more than one version. I can't determine which (if any) is correct for this article, so I am asking for a sentient editor to look it over and copy the correct ref content into this article.
Reference named "rs":
I apologize if any of the above are effectively identical; I am just a simple computer program, so I can't determine whether minor differences are significant or not. AnomieBOT ⚡ 09:35, 2 December 2012 (UTC)
Like all the stuff about his career after he returned to secular music in the 1960s and everything. And the religion and his later years need to be condensed. I feel it's too large. Plus most of the info is dated. Not to mention there's some dead links. And I think legacy needs to be add to influence. I changed it earlier tonight but someone reverted back to the original. BrothaTimothy ( talk · contribs) 07:03, 5 December 2012 (UTC)
It's superficial to include "Elvis Presley" under those who are influenced by Little Richard, Remembering he himself never cited him as influence and came before him. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Justicejayant ( talk • contribs) 02:23, 18 March 2012 (UTC)
Are we going to remove the name of Elvis under "Little richard" Followers or not then? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Justicejayant ( talk • contribs) 15:15, 20 March 2012 (UTC)
I'm not a fan of the introduction. I'm also not a fan of having his nicknames (or titles) as part of his "aliases". I thought there was a rule here that we shouldn't put nicknames or titles on the alias portion? That just reminds me, I need to take that out of Marvin's Gaye infobox as well. I think we need to use better sources too and not have everything look so lopsided, plus it is just too long in my honest opinion and I don't know why we can change every other section but not the introduction. I'll propose this intro that I have used twice before it was reverted back:
Richard Wayne Penniman (born December 5, 1932), better known by his stage name Little Richard, is an American pianist, singer and songwriter whose hits in the mid- 1950s shaped the development of rock and roll. Penniman's songs such as " Tutti Frutti" (1955), " Long Tall Sally" (1956), " Keep A-Knockin'" (1957) and " Good Golly Miss Molly" (1958) combined childishly amusing lyrics with sexually suggestive undertones, helping to influence a number of performers of various genres. Overtime, Penniman earned the titles, "Quasar of Rock", "King of Rockin' & Rollin' Rhythm and Blues Soulin'", "The King (and Queen) of Rock and Roll" and, most notably, the "Architect of Rock and Roll".
Born to a religious family in a dirt-poor section of Macon, Georgia, Penniman first began singing in church and made his first public performance with Sister Rosetta Tharpe at the Macon City Auditorium at the age of twelve. Dropping out of high school in his early teens, he left home and joined various traveling vaudeville shows until being discovered by blues singer Billy Wright who helped Penniman land a deal with RCA's Camden R&B subsidiary in 1951. Penniman's early recordings with Camden and, later Don Robey's Peacock Records, consisted of usual blues and jump blues material, producing little success. After his Peacock contract was bought out by Specialty Records in 1955, Penniman worked with Robert "Bumps" Blackwell and recorded his breakthrough single, "Tutti Frutti" - a song he had devised in clubs a couple years prior - at Cosimo Matassa's J&M Studios in New Orleans. The song became a hit, selling over a million copies and reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Rhythm and Blues Chart. For a year and a half, Penniman would score seventeen additional hit singles and become a popular live performer, with several film appearances to his name. However, Penniman quit at the height of his career in October of 1957 to follow a life in the ministry, recording only gospel music between 1959 and 1961, to little success.
Penniman returned to secular music following a couple of European tours in the early 1960s and recorded for a various number of record labels finding little success. Penniman's successful live performances in the late 1960s led to several modestly successful hit singles in the early 1970s. However, after experiencing a period of wild living, including drug addictions, Penniman quit again in 1976 and rejoined the ministry and his evangelism, selling Bibles and only recording sporadically between 1979 and 1981. Penniman returned to the spotlight in 1984 after the release of Charles White's authorized biography, Quasar of Rock: The Life and Times of Little Richard. The press from the biography led to Penniman revitalizing his secular career, albeit with a stronger religious emphasis, stating his new music of that time period as "message music" or "messages in rhythm" and reconciling his dual roles as evangelist and rock musician.
Penniman has been listed as an influence on artists such as Elvis Presley, James Brown, Otis Redding, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson and numerous other artists in various genres. Penniman and his 1950s road band, the Upsetters, were cited by Brown as among the first to include proto-funk rhythms and backbeats to popular music. Redding later cited Penniman as an early contributor to soul music.
Penniman was among the first group of musicians who were inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. Penniman has been featured in several Rolling Stone "Greatest of All Time" lists including being ranked number eight on its 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame listed three of Penniman's songs that, in their opinion, were among the 500 songs that shaped rock and roll including "Tutti Frutti", "Long Tall Sally" and "Good Golly Miss Molly". As of 2012, Penniman continues to perform live.
What you think? Let's discuss. BrothaTimothy ( talk · contribs) 05:48, 17 December 2012 (UTC)
I think what also needs to be addressed before people can think it's right to put links is check if the link to information is either still there or not. Some of the links I deleted because they were reported as dead links. So before putting it back in, maybe it'll be best to check the link info before putting it in as a source. BrothaTimothy ( talk · contribs) 18:47, 19 December 2012 (UTC)
I was the one who had originally edited the intro to include the words "transitioning from rhythm and blues to rock and roll" way back in 2009 and wanted it changed. BrothaTimothy ( talk · contribs) 00:57, 28 December 2012 (UTC)
I love Little Richard as much as the next guy but the way the article is, you think the man was Jesus Christ. Little Richard wasn't the only one who was such a "high voltage" performer in those days. Maybe he's the first whites saw that was that way, but I can argue that Elvis himself was a "high voltage performer", same with Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry. But it seems to go with the argument that Little Richard was "the first and only" when that's not actually a good source though it's excused by some of the editors as such. I'm not taking anything away from Richard's legacy as his is as rich and varied as his other fifties rock peers but the article tries so hard to make a positive Little Richard story that it almost reads like a fan page. And yet this is being defended for "accuracy". Not to also mention, badly written. BrothaTimothy ( talk · contribs) 17:55, 29 January 2013 (UTC)
I wrote the last comment and edit as Smoovedogg. I am sorry that I am not as familiar as I should be in regard to reporting things that I see going on that are problematic, such as when well sourced information is altered or removed. I didn't even know how to sign this post properly lol. However, I am very knowledgable about the topic and am doing the best I can along the way to make info on Wikipedia more accurate and informative. By the way, I added the sax info in 'early life and career section, as this is significant, since saxophones have almost always played a very key role in his music and how he was so interested in rhythm 'banging pots n pans and the steps and everything before he took up the instrument prior to playing in the marching band. It did add to the length of the article but I will try to edit along with others that are good writers and editors to make this article top notch. Thank you all again for your time and consideration. -Smoovedogg 05:51, 3 February 2013 (UTC)
For the record, Little Richard did perform some blues music in his earlier career. He even called himself the King (and Queen) of the Blues (words from Johnny Otis, who worked with Richard in the early years) and I don't know of any of his post-1950s material having been funk. James Brown is funk's originator, not Little Richard. James does credit him for bringing proto-funk beats to popular music, but Little Richard didn't invent funk, his drummer, if anything, was always credited by Brown for doing what he did. BrothaTimothy ( talk · contribs) 06:42, 17 December 2012 (UTC)
From the article, it suggests that Richard began his professional performing career when he was only 12 (seeing as he performed with Rosetta Tharpe in 1945 and he didn't turn 13 that year until December 5, it's suggested he might've still been 12 when he sang with her that night) but other articles point out that he might've started his professional career either in 1948 (when he would've been 15 or 16) or 1949 (16 or 17). Others even say 1950 (17). I'm guessing Richard didn't play piano in those days when he started until after Esquerita taught him to play piano around 1952 (Esquerita being around 17 and Richard being 19). So maybe we can correct that part of the biography. BrothaTimothy ( talk · contribs) 19:47, 13 December 2012 (UTC)
I honestly don't like the picture being used for Richard's infobox. In fact, it wouldn't hurt having a few photos from his heyday since the only photos used come from his post heyday. Least any picture between 1956 and 1973 would do. BrothaTimothy ( talk · contribs) 02:24, 24 February 2013 (UTC)
It was about time. And also, this page needs to be semi-protected since some wise crack edited the early life and career section with this ridiculous notion of Richard being born in Quiznos, New Mexico. Anyway, hope someone finally reads what's going on and fix this long-winded article. And if anyone edits, warn them not to make the article too long at least. BrothaTimothy ( talk · contribs) 04:28, 3 February 2013 (UTC)
I just skimmed through the three suggested articles and have the following commentary. I am most impressed with the Dylan article froma writer's perspective. All three seem longer in the body than Penniman's - that without looking at actual word counts. The intro of Penniman's is currently not too much longer than the others. I think the middle paragraph could be shorter but contains a relatively reasonable amount of information. Penniman's intro was beginning to look a lot like Berry's - I noticed this before - just switch the name of Berry with Penniman and you would almost have the same article. I like how Penniman's has developed to explain his influence on other genres besides rock and roll (i.e soul and funk), which is less known but important to highlight. I find the Influence section fascinating, and think most readers with an interest in music will as well. The quotes help demonstrate Penniman's influence, which was wider and more sweeping than many of his contemporaries. Some people, sadly and for whatever reason, are jealous or do not like this FACT and may labor to remove this info. Smoovedogg ( talk) 15:10, 3 February 2013 (UTC)
I've been shaving down the intro, particularly the middle section as discussed. Smoovedogg ( talk) 03:57, 4 February 2013 (UTC)
And what about the following for a shortened lead paragraph:
Richard Wayne Penniman (born December 5, 1932), known by his stage name Little Richard, is an American pianist, singer and songwriter, whose innovative music, distinctive vocals and performance style of the mid-1950s played a defining role in the development of rock and roll music.(with citations) Penniman and his road band of that same period also sparked the musical transition from 1950s rock and roll to 1960s funk.(with citations) In addition, Penniman’s music and vocalizations contributed to the early development of soul music.(with citations) Penniman's vast musical influence has extended from the twentieth century into the new milenium, impacting on generations of performers in diverse genres from soul to funk and rock to rap. (with citations)
I like Elvis Presley's intro paragrah. While Dylan's impressed me from a writing-style perspective, I think it isn't short and to the point like an encyclopedia should be. Your feedback is welcome. Smoovedogg ( talk) 21:18, 5 February 2013 (UTC)
![]() | This is an archive of past discussions. Do not edit the contents of this page. If you wish to start a new discussion or revive an old one, please do so on the current talk page. |
Archive 1 | Archive 2 | Archive 3 |
It is irrelevant that he is African-American!! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.44.149.123 ( talk) 02:52, 31 October 2007 (UTC)
You know, I'm a little surprised that this article is labeled "Seventh-day Adventist", yet has barely any mention of how he is connected with the group. Isn't he a minister at the Ephesus church in LA? Also he attended Oakwood College, which is run bu Seventh-day Adventists. Shouldn't his upbringing, conversion, education, and current life be added to the article? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.70.43.241 ( talk) 14:21, 11 June 2009 (UTC)
It's Wikipedia. If you feel it belongs, write it in. If you have no references, include "references required" to point others to areas where they can contribute. As to whether he "is a minister" in terms of being paid by the respective conference, or is a lay leader who performs acts of ministry, is another matter. I think it can be documented that, while he has had interaction with a number of Christian denominations, if one had to be picked, he'd consider himself a Seventh-day Adventist.
208.72.4.1 (
talk)
15:40, 30 June 2009 (UTC)
According to a Youtube video info: ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-nijNBAnGM) Part of Hendrix's flamboyant stage persona may have been inspired by rock pioneer Little Richard, with whom he toured as part of Richard's back-up band, "The Upsetters". Could I have more info about it or confirm this?
I do believe that Tutti Frutti was originally called Loose Booty. The new name and lyrics were just to make the song releasable.
Tutti Frutti's lyrics were cleaned up but it was not called loose booty and there is no recording of the original lyrics.
"A WOP BOP A LOO BOP A GOOD GOD D***! TUTTI FRUTTI GOOD BOOTY, TUTTI FRUTTI GOOD BOOTY TUTTI FRUUUTI GOOD BOOTY, TUTTI FRUTTI GOOD BOOTY, TUTTI FRUTTI GOOD BOOTY. A WOP BOP A LOO BOP A GOOD GOD D**!
Little Richard performed this at his early live shows in the Atlanta area of Georgia in the very early 1950s.
That's the story according to a tv movie I saw, but I don't generally trust those to be accurate so much 88.218.162.41 ( talk) 23:06, 10 August 2009 (UTC)
I don't trust that discography at all. Little Richard is not about albums. In fact, to list all his albums is to do him a disservice (one that he asked for), because many of his albums consist of nothing but remakes of his hits recorded with other musicians for other record companies. Plus, I just plain don't believe that his first album was released in 1956 and called Cast a long shadow. Ortolan88 04:34, 4 Nov 2004 (UTC)
Little Richard was bisexual if you read the official biography of Little Richard you will find that out.
What's the reference that he is gay? Alison9 07:24, 27 Jan 2005 (UTC)
I will add http://www.glbtq.com/arts/little_richard.html to the article. Hyacinth 17:54, 27 Jan 2005 (UTC)
he aint gay thats all i know
uh, yes he is. He admitted it at one point, and then renounced it, which some say was due to pressure from his faith and the public's shock
Its not hard to beleive, i mean, look at his hair! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.10.126.34 ( talk) 13:59, 17 December 2007 (UTC)
More references concerning LR's sexual orientation:
And yeah, I'd say a rock musician's sexual orientation was pretty damn pertinent to his biography and to his art. Tutti-frutti! Kaicarver 12:46, 28 July 2006 (UTC)
So now we all know about the fact that Little Richard WAS gay during his ealy years, I think it's appropiate we add the LBGT project section for him. Spokenwordsegment ( talk) 15:20, 26 December 2007 (UTC)
? 83.253.38.57 21:39, 10 March 2006 (UTC)
Should anyone care whether or note he's gay or bi-sexual? He is an True American Idol and historic figure. He fits my definition of transvestite ( heavy make-up, wigs, etc.) Oh well, thank God our society has moved beyond racism, bigotry, and homophobia, so that we don't have wonder whether or not we should enjoy a talented and entertaining artist.
wth is wrong with tht person? ^^^ dude chill. i need this stuff for my home work and anyway biographies are a way to remeber the great legends of our country, our sociaty. Everybody wants to be remembered and i think we should give such great influential people of this world credit and recognitions for all there work and contributions. and i luv rock music
Is it true, that after 1957 Little Richard walked door to door trying to buy his own records (that he now regarded as sinful) back from people? -- 128.214.205.4 09:08, 8 September 2006 (UTC)
The items in this section need to be incorporated into the body of the article. This isn't me "whining", it's a guideline in the Wikipedia Manual of Style - specifically Wikipedia:Avoid trivia sections in articles. Almost all of the items in this section are uncited as well, so if they can't be incorporated into the article, then the section just needs to be removed. -- Roswell native 13:40, 18 February 2007 (UTC)
As suggested in WP:TRIVIA, I'm moving the trivia section here to capture the info until sources can be verfied for incorporation back into the article.
According to the first sentence Little Richard died today. I have searched and searched for anything about it, and so far nothing has been said in the media that I could find. Someone should check this out and correct it if he hasn't died. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 76.173.179.174 ( talk) 06:06, 31 March 2007 (UTC).
Well, I just saw him perform live on the capitol Mall in Washington D.C. so he's most definitely alive. The performance by the way was amazing. Drama Porch 05:24, 5 July 2007 (UTC)
I corrected a factual error, which said the song "Great God A'Mighty" had its title changed to "It's a Matter of Time". Not according to my copy of the single: the title was changed to "Great Gosh A'Mighty", but that's it. 23skidoo ( talk) 23:41, 8 January 2008 (UTC)
See Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref(erences/)> tags Nhl4hamilton ( talk) 04:42, 1 February 2008 (UTC)
Why is there no mention of his religion in this article? He says he attends the Seventh-Day Adventist church and is even a minister. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.94.127.252 ( talk) 20:08, 16 January 2013 (UTC)
Not dead. provided link in article confirms he is not dead — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.26.27.35 ( talk) 23:42, 24 March 2017 (UTC)
Little Richard is a well known icon —Preceding unsigned comment added by 162.40.2.174 ( talk) 22:01, 22 March 2010 (UTC)
I'm surprised that Little Richard's influence on John Lennon is not mentioned in the article. Didn't John call Little Richard "The King of rock and roll"? 70.29.76.82 ( talk) 09:00, 24 January 2010 (UTC)
I've started an article on Joe Lutcher, who reportedly influenced Little Richard's evangelistic activities around 1957, and toured with him. If any editor with access to offline sources can add any details to that article, I'd be grateful. Ghmyrtle ( talk) 17:35, 17 August 2010 (UTC)
I think most of us know that Little Richard and Richard Wayne Penniman are one and the same person. But in the article, I see an inconsistent way of mentioning him by name. I'm sure it's complicated by his widely known stage name.
There are at least four names used: Little Richard, Penniman, Richard, and "Little Richard" Penniman.
My own feeling is that, unless it's included as a direct quotation or title of something, there should be one common name used, and that it should be Penniman - which is currently the most common name used in the article.
But before making changes.... Comments, anybody? thyrd ( talk) 19:25, 20 November 2010 (UTC)
In a book on the history of rock and roll it said that Little Richard had a dream of the Apocalypse that shook him up, afterward he quit rock and roll for seven years.
It says, "A horrifying dream showed him the Apocalypse and the ugly stain of his own damnation. On an airline flight soon after (which may or may not have been threatened by a fire on board), Richard prayed to God to hold that plane in the air. Evidently, the Lord in His infinite wisdom obliged.When Richard reached safety he threw his jewelry into the harbor at Sydney, Australia and vowed to cease his evil ways." Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll. p.57 Natural ( talk) 03:11, 12 April 2011 (UTC)Natural
Little Richard didn't record for the RCA Camden label, he recorded for RCA Victor. The RCA Camden label didn't even exist in 1951, it appeared c.1955. His eight 1951 RCA recordings were originally issued on 45 and 78 RPM discs on the regular RCA Victor label, then reissued on Camden after Little Richard became successful in 1956. I'm adding this note about my edit of 2011-02-27 which effectively reverts BrothaTimothy's edit of 2010-11-28. The date of death of Little Richard's father, Charlie Penniman, was and still is supported by only one source: the Social Security Death Index. The SSDI source is easily verified from different web sites such as ancestry.com etc, and consistently shows his date of death as "February 1952". If anybody has better information than that which comes from a verifiable source, that would be great. But please provide a verifiable source for that change to replace the SSDI reference. In all cases, verified information should only be replaced by verified information. Otherwise, any change is likely to be reverted again. Thanks. Thyrd ( talk) 17:03, 27 February 2011 (UTC)
Thanks to BrothaTimothy, who's updated and improved the article with a more accurate source. I've removed the SSDI source (which I suspect was based upon the date of notification rather than the date of death anyway). Thyrd ( talk) 15:43, 19 April 2011 (UTC)
Little Richard is not ex gay since this is a modern day term and he may be Christian but he is not against LGBT people like the ex gay people are. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.185.189.36 ( talk) 16:29, 19 July 2010 (UTC)
Also, a quote in the same account states, "I gave up rock & roll for the Rock of Ages. If God can save me, an old homosexual, he can save anybody," he exhorted the crowd." Don't know if the article mentions that, but it is of note from several viewpoints, his homosexuality along with conversion. Perhaps a relevant point to include in the article. Rolling Stone, p 59 Natural ( talk) 03:16, 12 April 2011 (UTC)Natural
Is this Little Richard?
http://www.wimp.com/oldschool/
Chain emails are being passed around saying it is him.
I doubt that at this age with very religious parents that he would would have been allowed to be in Hollywood movies. Besides without the internet or American Idol, how would an African American preschooler from the segregated south get the attention of Hollywood? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.32.191.181 ( talk) 11:02, 22 June 2011 (UTC)
It is NOT beyond the realm of possibility ... one would have to ASK Little Richard, a similar material would be a VERY young Billy Preston playing with Nat King Cole ... there is a video of that ... he was a little older than this kid.
— Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.8.24.67 ( talk) 06:03, 7 July 2011 (UTC)
I came here specifically to learn the details of his failed lawsuit against Specialty to regain control of his catalog. I think it's a serious omission.
Newspaper archive shows an AP article from 11.29.1984 that says Penniman would appeal the dismissal of the suit for $115 million, based on songwriting royalties, not performance rights. Suit was filed in June, 1984, against Specialty Records, ATV Music, Venice Music, and Specialty owner Arthur Rupe. 184.0.94.83 ( talk) 03:32, 24 April 2012 (UTC)
Are the following lines vandalism? -
"In 1976, he re-recorded twenty of his biggest Specialty hits in Nashville for a K-Tel Records album.[107]
Penniman also continued his wild partying through the first half of the seventies[108] and, reportedly, by late 1971, developed a dependency on a variety of drugs and alcohol.[109] He and his brothers started their own management company, Bud Hole Incorporated.[110]"
I don't think K-Tel recoreded many, if any, albums. They put together compilations. And Bud Hole Incorporated? That has to be a lame joke. 216.36.132.66 ( talk) 19:44, 17 July 2012 (UTC)
I check pages listed in Category:Pages with incorrect ref formatting to try to fix reference errors. One of the things I do is look for content for orphaned references in wikilinked articles. I have found content for some of Little Richard's orphans, the problem is that I found more than one version. I can't determine which (if any) is correct for this article, so I am asking for a sentient editor to look it over and copy the correct ref content into this article.
Reference named "rs":
I apologize if any of the above are effectively identical; I am just a simple computer program, so I can't determine whether minor differences are significant or not. AnomieBOT ⚡ 09:35, 2 December 2012 (UTC)
Like all the stuff about his career after he returned to secular music in the 1960s and everything. And the religion and his later years need to be condensed. I feel it's too large. Plus most of the info is dated. Not to mention there's some dead links. And I think legacy needs to be add to influence. I changed it earlier tonight but someone reverted back to the original. BrothaTimothy ( talk · contribs) 07:03, 5 December 2012 (UTC)
It's superficial to include "Elvis Presley" under those who are influenced by Little Richard, Remembering he himself never cited him as influence and came before him. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Justicejayant ( talk • contribs) 02:23, 18 March 2012 (UTC)
Are we going to remove the name of Elvis under "Little richard" Followers or not then? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Justicejayant ( talk • contribs) 15:15, 20 March 2012 (UTC)
I'm not a fan of the introduction. I'm also not a fan of having his nicknames (or titles) as part of his "aliases". I thought there was a rule here that we shouldn't put nicknames or titles on the alias portion? That just reminds me, I need to take that out of Marvin's Gaye infobox as well. I think we need to use better sources too and not have everything look so lopsided, plus it is just too long in my honest opinion and I don't know why we can change every other section but not the introduction. I'll propose this intro that I have used twice before it was reverted back:
Richard Wayne Penniman (born December 5, 1932), better known by his stage name Little Richard, is an American pianist, singer and songwriter whose hits in the mid- 1950s shaped the development of rock and roll. Penniman's songs such as " Tutti Frutti" (1955), " Long Tall Sally" (1956), " Keep A-Knockin'" (1957) and " Good Golly Miss Molly" (1958) combined childishly amusing lyrics with sexually suggestive undertones, helping to influence a number of performers of various genres. Overtime, Penniman earned the titles, "Quasar of Rock", "King of Rockin' & Rollin' Rhythm and Blues Soulin'", "The King (and Queen) of Rock and Roll" and, most notably, the "Architect of Rock and Roll".
Born to a religious family in a dirt-poor section of Macon, Georgia, Penniman first began singing in church and made his first public performance with Sister Rosetta Tharpe at the Macon City Auditorium at the age of twelve. Dropping out of high school in his early teens, he left home and joined various traveling vaudeville shows until being discovered by blues singer Billy Wright who helped Penniman land a deal with RCA's Camden R&B subsidiary in 1951. Penniman's early recordings with Camden and, later Don Robey's Peacock Records, consisted of usual blues and jump blues material, producing little success. After his Peacock contract was bought out by Specialty Records in 1955, Penniman worked with Robert "Bumps" Blackwell and recorded his breakthrough single, "Tutti Frutti" - a song he had devised in clubs a couple years prior - at Cosimo Matassa's J&M Studios in New Orleans. The song became a hit, selling over a million copies and reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Rhythm and Blues Chart. For a year and a half, Penniman would score seventeen additional hit singles and become a popular live performer, with several film appearances to his name. However, Penniman quit at the height of his career in October of 1957 to follow a life in the ministry, recording only gospel music between 1959 and 1961, to little success.
Penniman returned to secular music following a couple of European tours in the early 1960s and recorded for a various number of record labels finding little success. Penniman's successful live performances in the late 1960s led to several modestly successful hit singles in the early 1970s. However, after experiencing a period of wild living, including drug addictions, Penniman quit again in 1976 and rejoined the ministry and his evangelism, selling Bibles and only recording sporadically between 1979 and 1981. Penniman returned to the spotlight in 1984 after the release of Charles White's authorized biography, Quasar of Rock: The Life and Times of Little Richard. The press from the biography led to Penniman revitalizing his secular career, albeit with a stronger religious emphasis, stating his new music of that time period as "message music" or "messages in rhythm" and reconciling his dual roles as evangelist and rock musician.
Penniman has been listed as an influence on artists such as Elvis Presley, James Brown, Otis Redding, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson and numerous other artists in various genres. Penniman and his 1950s road band, the Upsetters, were cited by Brown as among the first to include proto-funk rhythms and backbeats to popular music. Redding later cited Penniman as an early contributor to soul music.
Penniman was among the first group of musicians who were inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. Penniman has been featured in several Rolling Stone "Greatest of All Time" lists including being ranked number eight on its 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame listed three of Penniman's songs that, in their opinion, were among the 500 songs that shaped rock and roll including "Tutti Frutti", "Long Tall Sally" and "Good Golly Miss Molly". As of 2012, Penniman continues to perform live.
What you think? Let's discuss. BrothaTimothy ( talk · contribs) 05:48, 17 December 2012 (UTC)
I think what also needs to be addressed before people can think it's right to put links is check if the link to information is either still there or not. Some of the links I deleted because they were reported as dead links. So before putting it back in, maybe it'll be best to check the link info before putting it in as a source. BrothaTimothy ( talk · contribs) 18:47, 19 December 2012 (UTC)
I was the one who had originally edited the intro to include the words "transitioning from rhythm and blues to rock and roll" way back in 2009 and wanted it changed. BrothaTimothy ( talk · contribs) 00:57, 28 December 2012 (UTC)
I love Little Richard as much as the next guy but the way the article is, you think the man was Jesus Christ. Little Richard wasn't the only one who was such a "high voltage" performer in those days. Maybe he's the first whites saw that was that way, but I can argue that Elvis himself was a "high voltage performer", same with Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry. But it seems to go with the argument that Little Richard was "the first and only" when that's not actually a good source though it's excused by some of the editors as such. I'm not taking anything away from Richard's legacy as his is as rich and varied as his other fifties rock peers but the article tries so hard to make a positive Little Richard story that it almost reads like a fan page. And yet this is being defended for "accuracy". Not to also mention, badly written. BrothaTimothy ( talk · contribs) 17:55, 29 January 2013 (UTC)
I wrote the last comment and edit as Smoovedogg. I am sorry that I am not as familiar as I should be in regard to reporting things that I see going on that are problematic, such as when well sourced information is altered or removed. I didn't even know how to sign this post properly lol. However, I am very knowledgable about the topic and am doing the best I can along the way to make info on Wikipedia more accurate and informative. By the way, I added the sax info in 'early life and career section, as this is significant, since saxophones have almost always played a very key role in his music and how he was so interested in rhythm 'banging pots n pans and the steps and everything before he took up the instrument prior to playing in the marching band. It did add to the length of the article but I will try to edit along with others that are good writers and editors to make this article top notch. Thank you all again for your time and consideration. -Smoovedogg 05:51, 3 February 2013 (UTC)
For the record, Little Richard did perform some blues music in his earlier career. He even called himself the King (and Queen) of the Blues (words from Johnny Otis, who worked with Richard in the early years) and I don't know of any of his post-1950s material having been funk. James Brown is funk's originator, not Little Richard. James does credit him for bringing proto-funk beats to popular music, but Little Richard didn't invent funk, his drummer, if anything, was always credited by Brown for doing what he did. BrothaTimothy ( talk · contribs) 06:42, 17 December 2012 (UTC)
From the article, it suggests that Richard began his professional performing career when he was only 12 (seeing as he performed with Rosetta Tharpe in 1945 and he didn't turn 13 that year until December 5, it's suggested he might've still been 12 when he sang with her that night) but other articles point out that he might've started his professional career either in 1948 (when he would've been 15 or 16) or 1949 (16 or 17). Others even say 1950 (17). I'm guessing Richard didn't play piano in those days when he started until after Esquerita taught him to play piano around 1952 (Esquerita being around 17 and Richard being 19). So maybe we can correct that part of the biography. BrothaTimothy ( talk · contribs) 19:47, 13 December 2012 (UTC)
I honestly don't like the picture being used for Richard's infobox. In fact, it wouldn't hurt having a few photos from his heyday since the only photos used come from his post heyday. Least any picture between 1956 and 1973 would do. BrothaTimothy ( talk · contribs) 02:24, 24 February 2013 (UTC)
It was about time. And also, this page needs to be semi-protected since some wise crack edited the early life and career section with this ridiculous notion of Richard being born in Quiznos, New Mexico. Anyway, hope someone finally reads what's going on and fix this long-winded article. And if anyone edits, warn them not to make the article too long at least. BrothaTimothy ( talk · contribs) 04:28, 3 February 2013 (UTC)
I just skimmed through the three suggested articles and have the following commentary. I am most impressed with the Dylan article froma writer's perspective. All three seem longer in the body than Penniman's - that without looking at actual word counts. The intro of Penniman's is currently not too much longer than the others. I think the middle paragraph could be shorter but contains a relatively reasonable amount of information. Penniman's intro was beginning to look a lot like Berry's - I noticed this before - just switch the name of Berry with Penniman and you would almost have the same article. I like how Penniman's has developed to explain his influence on other genres besides rock and roll (i.e soul and funk), which is less known but important to highlight. I find the Influence section fascinating, and think most readers with an interest in music will as well. The quotes help demonstrate Penniman's influence, which was wider and more sweeping than many of his contemporaries. Some people, sadly and for whatever reason, are jealous or do not like this FACT and may labor to remove this info. Smoovedogg ( talk) 15:10, 3 February 2013 (UTC)
I've been shaving down the intro, particularly the middle section as discussed. Smoovedogg ( talk) 03:57, 4 February 2013 (UTC)
And what about the following for a shortened lead paragraph:
Richard Wayne Penniman (born December 5, 1932), known by his stage name Little Richard, is an American pianist, singer and songwriter, whose innovative music, distinctive vocals and performance style of the mid-1950s played a defining role in the development of rock and roll music.(with citations) Penniman and his road band of that same period also sparked the musical transition from 1950s rock and roll to 1960s funk.(with citations) In addition, Penniman’s music and vocalizations contributed to the early development of soul music.(with citations) Penniman's vast musical influence has extended from the twentieth century into the new milenium, impacting on generations of performers in diverse genres from soul to funk and rock to rap. (with citations)
I like Elvis Presley's intro paragrah. While Dylan's impressed me from a writing-style perspective, I think it isn't short and to the point like an encyclopedia should be. Your feedback is welcome. Smoovedogg ( talk) 21:18, 5 February 2013 (UTC)