Legacy of a Showman
A farewell to the one who started it all.
Long before there was ever an Elton, a Bowie, a Freddy, or indeed even Prince, there was the inventor of ‘Rock and Roll showman’.
Richard Wayne Perriman burst onto stages in the late nineteen-fifties, forever changing the listening habits of young music lovers around the world. Freedom of musical expression was never more evident than when this performer hit the stage.
Little Richard was not known for his musical prowess or his lyrical genius. The true pioneer of the Rock and Roll era brought an explosion of excitement and freedom to the musical stage. Dressed in wild and colorful costumes made from satin and even mink, Richard almost single-handedly informed a generation that music would change the world forever.
Little Richard, often recognized as a forefather of Rock and Roll, died today at the age of eighty-seven. He leaves behind a legacy of his creation that celebrates the art of live music performance.
It never mattered songs like Long Tall Sally and Tutti Frutti made no lyrical impact or for that matter, even made sense. Richard’s music, and how he rendered them to his audiences, was nothing more than an exercise of pure joy. At a time in history when the threat of the Cold War loomed heavily, Little Richard’s presence was a welcome elixir.
Perriman the man was far more than a mere entertainer.
In many ways, he lived his life as freely as he performed. As a professional, he not only paved the way for future greats to follow, he even gave some them their start. James Brown, Billy Preston, and yes — even Jimi Hendrix, all played on stage behind his spectacle of showmanship.
Wouldn’t that same kind of infectious exuberance and freedom of being, be a direly needed escape for the times we find ourselves in now?
Luckily for us, the music lives on. Little Richard records and live performances are readily available to us, thank goodness.
So, while you’re stuck in your home surrounded by loved ones, what better way to celebrate the true monarch of ‘boogy woogy’, then to pull out some Little Richard and “A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop-a-wop-bam-boom!” the night away.