Little Richard changed music forever. But the singer struggled with addiction, a segregated music industry, and his own sexuality.

Little Richard in Copenhagen in 1975
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  • Little Richard is remembered as one of the most lively pioneers of rock 'n' roll music.
  • Despite his status as a musical legend, Little Richard struggled throughout his career with addiction, his sexuality, and racism within the music industry.
  • The singer's life is subject of Magnolia Pictures upcoming documentary "Little Richard: I Am Everything."
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The vibrant life and complicated legacy of music pioneer Little Richard is brought back to center stage in the upcoming documentary, "Little Richard: I Am Everything."

Promotional poster for Little Richard documentary
Magnolia Pictures

The documentary is set to release on April 21.

Source: Essence

The Magnolia Films project is expected to spotlight the often overlooked contributions of Black queer artists to rock 'n' roll and how those same artists fought to cement their place in history.

Little Richard posing
Charlie Gillett Collection/Getty Images

Source: Essence

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Little Richard, or Richard Penniman, was born in Macon, Georgia, in 1932 to a family of preachers. He was one of 13 children.

Little Richard performing with his band
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Although he sang in his local church, Penniman was kicked out of his father's home at age 13 because of his flamboyant nature — but local Macon musicians became his chosen family.

Source: Rolling Stone

Six years later, Little Richard landed his first record deal with RCA Records after performing at the Tick Tock Club in Macon. He adopted his spirited musical and personal style from Esquerita, a South Carolina-based pianist who wore expressive makeup and a pompadour hairstyle.

Esquerita and Little Richard side by side
Esquerita, often regarded as a forgotten pioneer of music, is credited with inspiring Little Richard. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Source: Rolling Stone

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"When I first came along, I never heard any rock 'n' roll. When I started singing [rock 'n' roll], I sang it a long time before I presented it to the public because I was afraid they wouldn't like it. I never heard nobody do it, and I was scared," Little Richard told Rolling Stone magazine in 1990.

Little Richard performing live onstage at the London Rock and Roll Show at Wembley Stadium in London
David Redfern/Getty Images

Source: Rolling Stone

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His early climb to fame was slow and tumultuous. With little radio play in his first five years as a signed artist, Little Richard picked up shifts as a dishwasher at a Macon Greyhound Station to support his family.

Little Richard performing with a his band on television
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

It was there, while washing dishes, that he came up with the now-infamous line in his first hit "Tutti Frutti": "a-wop-bob-alu-bob-a-wop-bam-boom."

He sent the record to Specialty Records in Chicago. The song went on to peak at #17 on the pop chart.

Source: Rolling Stone

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In the years that followed, Little Richard released more hits, including "Long Tall Sally," which peaked at #6 on the pop chart, and "Slippin' and Slidin'." His integration of the Southern gospel and blues of Macon into the landscape of emerging rock 'n' roll, combined with his captivating performances, quickly caught the attention of the nation.

Little Richard performing at the London Hall of Fame
Michael Putland/Getty Images

Source: Rolling Stone

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Despite increasing national success, the music business remained a largely segregated industry in the 1950s.

Little Richard in London
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Infamously, Pat Boone's slowed down renditions of "Tutti Frutti" and "Long Tall Sally" charted higher than Little Richard's original versions.

Source: Rolling Stone

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After a brief hiatus from rock 'n' roll and a stint in gospel music, Little Richard re-emerged into music in the mid-1960s amongst other legends like the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan.

English singer-songwriter and actor David Bowie (1947-2016) and American rock musician, composer and bassist Tony Fox Sales, of the British-American hard rock supergroup Tin Machine, pose for a portrait with American musician, singer, and songwriter Little Richard (1932-2020) circa August, 1991 near LAX in Los Angeles, California.
Little Richard with David Bowie and tony Fox Sales of rock band tin Machine. Lester Cohen/Getty Images

His success by the end of the decade was marked by sold-out performances in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and Toronto. His international recognition solidified him as a living legend — but his personal struggles continued.

Source: New York Times

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The singer struggled with addiction, which included extensive use of LSD, PCP, heroin, and cocaine, famously telling People Magazine he was "blowing about $1,000 of cocaine a day."

Little Richard performing at New Orleans Jazz Festival in 1994
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"When I'd blow my nose, blood and flesh would come out on my handkerchief," Little Richard elaborated. Due to drug use, he would not be able to remember entire days at a time, lose track of time, and "somehow forgot that, because of a birth defect, his right leg was three inches shorter than his left."

Source: People

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In his 1984 biography, Little Richard condemned homosexuality as "contagious" and "not something you're born with."

Little Richard preaches the bible during a 1981 swing through Oakland, California
George Rose/Getty Images

Source: Rolling Stone

However, three years later in an interview with Playboy, he drastically changed his stance saying, "I love gay people. I believe I was the founder of gay… I was very beautiful; I had hair hanging everywhere. If you let anybody know you was gay, you was in trouble; so when I came out I didn't care what nobody thought."

Little Richard in costume at an empty Wembley Stadium
Little Richard in costume at an empty Wembley Stadium Tim Graham/Evening Standard/Getty Images

Source: Rolling Stone

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Then, in a 2010 interview with GQ, Little Richard called himself an "omnisexual," saying "Sex to me is like a smorgasbord. Whatever I feel like, I go for."

Little Richard singing
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Source: GQ

However in 2017, he took a different position, telling the Three Angels Broadcasting Group "[God] made men, men. He made women, women, you know? And you've got to live the way God wants you to live."

Musician Little Richard performs during the halftime show of the game between the Louisville Cardinals and the Boise State Broncos on December 31, 2004
Musician Little Richard performs during the halftime show of the game between the Louisville Cardinals and the Boise State Broncos on December 31, 2004 Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Source: Rolling Stone

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"He was very, very good at liberating other people. He was not good at liberating himself," said scholar and music journalist Jason King in the documentary's trailer. The layered context of Little Richard's life encapsulates the often tragic turmoil of Black queer artists, regardless of commercial success.

Little Richard playing piano
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

As one of the original inductees of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and recipient of the Lifetime Achievement award from the Recording Academy, his status as a legend is undeniable. As an non-conventional Black artist and pioneer, his contributions continue to shape artistry and industry today.

Source: Rolling Stone

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