Why is Little Richard the king of rock and roll?

Although the piano wasn’t the instrument of choice for most rockers, it was Little Richard who taught the world what an entertainer should be. While Presley was shaking his ass and moving his hips, Little Richard was the architect of everything, grabbing the listener by the throat and demanding attention every time he sang.

His voice could never top the bill compared to what other people did with his songs. From the moment he shoutedTutti Frutti‘ fans were treated to one of the world’s greatest vocalists for the first time, and the rest of the world was given a tough test of what a vocalist should sound like.

So what made Little Richard’s voice so powerful?

Although most of his songs were based on blues structures, his approach to the microphone opened doors that most people did not think were possible in the mainstream. Suddenly, it was okay to look a little rough at times, and a new generation of rock stars would follow Richard’s model much more closely than Elvis Presley or Roy Orbison.

While these artists received well-deserved praise for their superior vocal methods, Little Richard was upfront about teaching The Beatles everything they knew when he took them on tour for their first concert. And listening to how he approached songs like Paul McCartney’s “Long Tall Sally” or his own “I’m Down,” he was almost trying to match what he heard his idol do, calling it an out-of-body experience every time he dived into it. rose to its higher register.

And it wasn’t just the actions of the British Invasion that praised him. The Beatles may have been his first mainstream fans, but Lemmy He thought Motorhead was the reason he wanted to be their singer, and eventually formed his own outfit to combine Richard’s growl with the frenetic energy of bands like the MC5.

It is also important to realize the number of subgenres that have emerged since Little Richard’s rise to prominence. The rootsy taste of rock and roll owes him a debt of gratitude, as John Fogerty’s trademark delivery on Creedence Clearwater Revival was inherited from Richard.

Richard can also be considered one of the early leaders of punk rock, as other bands such as The Sonics and MC5 also took this type of energy to the next level. He certainly didn’t think that way at the time, but yelling at the top of his lungs and not caring what anyone thought of him was the same mindset everyone from Joe Strummer to John Lydon had when they wanted to speak their mind. .

Later, when we look at the history of rock and roll, all the best singers after Little Richard were trying to imitate this energy. Whether it was Robert Plant trying to channel the same shout into Chris Cornell or putting his signature gravel into his voice, it was all done to serve the kind of throat-shredding people hear in tunes like ‘Keep A-Knockin’ or ‘Keep A-Knockin’. ‘Oh my God, Miss Molly’.

Looking at his covers of his songs, we see that he is truly one of a kind when it comes to the type of music he plays. Although people love the idea of ​​someone racist-bashing their songs, who would say Pat Boone’s version of ‘Tutti Frutti’ was better, complete with a buttery vocal from Wonderbread? sandwich?

But ever since Presley took the reins, Little Richard felt like he never quite got the credit he deserved. Rolling stone, “A lot of people call me the architect of rock & roll. I don’t call myself that, but I believe it’s true. You must remember that in 1951 I was already known. Before Elvis, I was recording for RCA-Victor – if you were black, it was called Camden Records.

And that’s before we get into how she pushed the genre in different directions with her looks, as one of the first truly androgynous superstars to break America. But no matter how much people tried to gloss over what he did with other artists, that didn’t stop people from seeking out the real classics. Because rock and roll was designed to be music that would annoy adults, and although countless parents disapproved of Little Richard with his high-pitched voice and made-up face, he was the one who pushed everyone to think outside the box. They stood in front of the microphone.

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