Little Richard, the pianist singer behind “Tutti Frutti”, “Good Goly Miss Molly” and “Long Tail Sally”, passed away on Saturday May 9th 2020.
Richard Wayne Penniman, better known as Little Richard, was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. The musician’s son, Danny Jones Penniman, confirmed the pioneer’s death to Rolling Stone. The musician’s lawyer, Bill Sobel, added that the cause of death was bone cancer.
Nicknamed “The Innovator, The Originator, and The Architect of Rock and Roll”, Penniman’s most celebrated work dates from the mid-1950s, when his charismatic showmanship and dynamic music, characterized by frenetic piano playing, pounding back beat and raspy shouted vocals, laid the foundation for rock and roll.