 LITTLE RICHARD--the originator, the emancipator, the architect of rock and roll. Exploding
into the American consciousness in the mid-50's'..."awop-bop-a-loo-mop-alop-bam-boom"...he single-handedly
laid the foundation and established the rules for a new musical form: rock and roll. Little Richard sent a
demo tape to Specialty Records, a fledgling Los Angeles label. The song, "Tutti Frutti," was his catalyst for
success and led to an uninterrupted run of smash hits--"Tutti Frutti," "Long Tall Sally," "Rip It Up,"
"Lucille," "Jenny Jenny," "Keep A Knockin'", "Good Golly Miss Molly," "Ooh! My Soul".
By 1968, Little Richard had sold over 32 million records internationally. In 1985, Little
Richard charged back stronger than ever, scoring rave reviews for his memorable appearance in 1985 box-office
smash "Down and Out in Beverly Hills," a film which also launched his hit single, "Great Gosh A Mighty."
Little Richard was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 and launched into a pattern of work
which has been virtually non-stop, encompassing not only recording, but television, films, soundtracks and
commercials: "Martin," "Full House," "Miami Vice," the 60th Annual Academy Awards, among other television
guest spots; a duet with Philip Bailey for the Universal Pictures' hit, "Twins"; background vocals on the
U2/BB King hit single, "When Love Comes to Town"; the CBS Records all-star benefit album and Showtime/PBS
documentary special, "A Vision Shared--A Tribute to Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly"; television pitchman for
Taco Bell, McDonald's, NBC-TV, Commodore/Amiga Computers and Revlon's "Charlie" perfume, in which he starred
with supermodel Cindy Crawford.
Driven by an incredible, hard-to-match energy which lends credence to his "wild man of
rock 'n' roll" image, Little Richard continues to tour extensively, delighting audiences with his unique
blend of music and humor. "Entertaining is a way to spread joy," says Little Richard. "I've come to terms
with that and with myself. You've got to do that before you can begin to help others."
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