Little Richard, one of the founders of rock & roll, died today. Richard Wayne Penniman was 87.
Richard's string of hits from 1955-58 — a potent, sexually-charged mix of piano-based boogie, gospel shouting, and jump blues, topped with the irreverent anarchy of youth — "Tutti Frutti", "Long Tall Sally", "Rip It Up", "The Girl Can't Help It", "Lucille", "Jenny, Jenny", "Keep A-Knockin'", "Good Golly Miss Molly" — have lost none of their explosive power in the more than 60 years since they were recorded.
Tim Weiner, New York Times:
Little Richard, delving deeply into the wellsprings of gospel music and the blues, pounding the piano furiously and screaming as if for his very life, raised the energy level several notches and created something not quite like any music that had been heard before — something new, thrilling and more than a little dangerous.