A Man Who Shook The World Passed Away. To Quote Arthur Miller, “Attention Must Be Paid”
Little Richard has died at 87. John Lennon was not wrong when he claimed “A-wop-bom-a-loo-mop-a-lomp-bom-bom!!” Is probably the greatest line ever written in rock history. If Chuck Berry provided much of the ground work for Rock’s musical inventiveness, Little Richard gave it its raw, infectious energy, its invigorating, leading from the heart and groin power that has sustained it through today.
Without Little Richard, there likely wouldn’t have been a Beatles. Paul McCartney claims Little Richard is the one who taught him to perfect that raspy, quintessential rock and roll voice.
He inspired Elton John’s piano style. He inspired David Bowie and Prince. He more or less introduced – no, introduced is the wrong word – thrusted androgyny onto America. If genius is doing what comes naturally to you what no one else could have thought of, then he was surely a genius.
I’d say Rest In Peace, but that doesn’t seem like something he’d have been that into.