Friday, February 13th
basement jukebox
The Upsetters (feat. Little Richard), “Every Night About This Time” (A. Domino), 1962
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Illinois
music clip of the day
jazz/blues/rock/classical/gospel/more
Tag: Little Richard
2020
Friday, May 15th
only rock ‘n’ roll
Little Richard, 1932-2020
“Tutti Frutti,” 1956 (screen test, The Girl Can’t Help It)
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“Long Tall Sally,” 1956 (Don’t Knock the Rock)
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“Good Golly, Miss Molly,” 1958
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“Rip It Up,” early 1960s
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“Lucille,” 1973
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When you look at today’s Grammy winners – God bless them – half of them were discovered when they were 10 years old, were groomed, and had managers and publicists. Little Richard just clawed his way to the top at a very early age with nothing except a tremendous amount of talent and gumption.
—David Kirby, author of Little Richard: The Birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll (2009)
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Chicago
2020
Sunday, May 10th
passings
Little Richard (aka Richard Penniman), singer, pianist, songwriter, December 5, 1932–May 9, 2020
“Didn’t It Rain” (trad.), live, New York (Apollo Theater), 1985
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“Yes, God Is Real” (K. Morris), 1960
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“Peace in the Valley” (T. Dorsey), 1961
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Chicago (Columbus Park)
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reading table
The hope that is left after all your hopes are gone—that is pure hope, rooted in the heart.
—Br. David Steindl-Rast (1926-), Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer (1984)
2015
Sunday, July 19th
Before Jerry Lee, before Little Richard, there was . . .
Arizona Dranes (c. 1891-1963), “I Shall Wear a Crown,” c. 1927
2012
Sunday, 12/2/12
Marion Williams (1927-1994) and the Stars of Faith, “Packin’ Up,” live
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lagniappe
musical thoughts
I had gotten the inspiration for that ‘Wooo’ from gospel singer Marion Williams.
Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti” (single, 1955; album, 1957)
2012
Sunday, 9/23/12
Little Richard testifies.
With Jerry Lee Lewis, “I’ll Fly Away,” TV show, 1983
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With The Shirelles, “Joy, Joy, Joy,” TV show (England), 1963
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lagniappe
random thoughts
What do you do when it becomes apparent that the story of your life is being told by an unreliable narrator?
2012
Friday, 9/21/12
only rock ’n’ roll
Little Richard, “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” TV show (Shindig!), 1964
2010
Friday, 1/29/10
William Zinsser, author of On Writing Well:
Short words are better than long words.
Little Richard:
I’m gonna rip it up . . .
Little Richard, “Rip It Up,” live (TV broadcast), c. 1956
2009
Sunday, 10/25/09
When someone sounds as good as Aretha did last Sunday, only one word seems to fit: more.
Aretha Franklin (joined on the second number by Billy Preston and Little Richard), “Surely God Is Able,” “Packin’ Up,” live (Tribute to Marion Williams), Washington, D.C., 1993
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lagniappe
My heart is still there in gospel music. It never left.—Aretha Franklin
music clip of the day 