Little Richard: King and Queen of Rock 'n' Roll

Little Richard can stake a claim on having invented rock 'n' roll. A black artist who grew up in the segregated south of the United States, Richard Penniman broke down barriers and took 1950s America by storm. The Beatles and The Rolling Stones supported him and drew inspiration from his musicianship and stagecraft. He went on to influence artists as diverse as David Bowie, Elton John, Michael Jackson and Prince. Yet Little Richard spent years feeling his contribution to music had been overlooked in favour of white rock 'n' roll stars like Elvis Presley and Pat Boone. On top of that, the inner conflict between his religious beliefs and the music style he pioneered – as well as his battles with his own sexuality – led him to quit rock 'n' roll not just once, but twice.

Cast

Little Richard Self (Archival Footage) Big Freedia Self Keith Richards Self Nile Rodgers Self Ringo Starr Self

Ron Jones Self

Charles White Self

Bobby Rush Self

Deacon John Moore Self

Robert Blackwell Self

Pat Boone Self

Sir Lady Java Self

Metadata from the source database.