The godfather of Rock ‘n’ Roll is dead; Little Richard has passed away at the age of 87. Almost no corner of contemporary music has not felt his influence. From his ground-breaking, earth-shaking performances, to his expressive, androgynous stage persona, Little Richard gave license to the next generation (and all those to follow) to be who they wanted to be on stage.
How different the world might have been had Little Richard, a flamboyant gay black man, not come onto the scene in the mid-fifties. What white musicians took from him forged the musical landscape of the 1960s, and found his persona channelled through the acts of iconic artists such as David Bowie, Elton John, Prince and countless others in the decades to follow.
Here, Wales Arts Review offers a small tribute by compiling a playlist of 50 tracks that gives the slightest suggestion of the reach of the legacy of Little Richard.
(Photo by Echoes/Redferns)
To learn more about Little Richard check out his official inductee page from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
_______________________________________________________________________
Recommended for you:
Shock and Awe | Glam Rock and its Legacy
In advance of the publication of Shock and Awe, his definitive take on glam rock and its cultural legacy, Simon Reynolds speaks with Craig Austin about this most decadent and provocative of musical genres.
_______________________________________________________________________
