Little Richard dead at 87

"Little" Richard Penniman, singer of Tutti Frutti and countless other hits, died Saturday morning. He was 87 years old. Rolling Stone reports that he died of cancer.

Starting with Tutti Frutti in 1956, Little Richard cut a series of unstoppable hits Long Tall Sally and Rip It Up that same year, Lucille in 1957, and Good Golly Miss Molly in 1958 driven by his simple, pumping piano, gospel-influenced vocal exclamations and sexually charged (often gibberish) lyrics. I heard Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, and that was it, Elton John told Rolling Stone in 1973. I didnt ever want to be anything else. Im more of a Little Richard stylist than a Jerry Lee Lewis, I think. Jerry Lee is a very intricate piano player and very skillful, but Little Richard is more of a pounder.

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