Sunday, May 10, 2020

RIP Little Richard: A Tribute By Michael Bangar Singapore


Thanks to Mr Michael Bangar who has again taken the time and trouble to write about another legend who had just passed away. Mike knows rock n roll history better than any  Singaporean musician around today.

Appreciate your contribution Michael.

Yes
✝🎹RIP Little Richard (Richard Penniman - actual name)🙏🏼

Just heard the news that one of the last  Founding Fathers Of Rock & Roll had passed away of  bone cancer at the age of 87.

We'll always remember him from his very influential R & R Hits : Tutti Frutti, Long Tall Sally, Good Golly Miss Molly etc, his showmanship & his flamboyant stage persona.

He influenced all of the 60s British Invasion Bands & all other R & R Artistes ever since. He has sung & performed from his arrival on the scene in the 50s right through to every decade to  the present.🎹✝


Re-Cap for all blog readers:

He now joins the list of Founding Fathers who have left us for that Big Gig Up There.

First ones, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens & The Big Bopper (JP Richardson) on 3rd. Feb.'59 in a plane crash; Eddie Cochran on 17th. Apr.'60 in a traffic collision.

Gene Vincent on 12 Oct.'70 from stomach ulcer and Bill Haley 9th. Feb.'81 from brain tumour. The King Of R & R Elvis Presley died on 16th. Aug.'77 from a heart attack. And the one after him was Ray Charles on 10th. Jun.'04 from alcohol-related liver disease.

Two more important Founding Fathers left out of the Little Richard Tribute: Ricky Nelson, on the 31st. of Dec. 1985 in a plane crash & Fats Domino on the 24th. of Oct. 2017 of natural causes.  All of these Founding Fathers were very influential in making Rock & Roll Music what it is today.

Not forgetting Chuck Berry on 18th. Mar.'2017 died of cardiac arrest. And  Phil Everly of the  Everly Brothers on 3rd. Jan.2014 passed away because of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Our secret  wish is that they are all still Rocking wherever they are, togther with the next generation of deceased Rockers : Jones, Hendrix, Allman, Lennon, Harrson & all the other great deceased or dead entertainers from every decade. And that they are still performing & making great music.

RIP All & Thanks For All The Great Music, All Those Many Many Years.

That leaves only one Founding Father of R & R left : "The Killer" - Keyboardist Jerry Lee Lewis. We Wish Him Well.🎤🎹🎸🙏🏼

14 comments:

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Thanks Michael for another exclusive from you. I can only say that I was still a teenager when I heard Richard sing. It was from the home PYE radio.

He was loud and he was strong, screaming away with tonsils so rare, my Mother remarked, “If that is music, then the Americans are going crazy!”

But my schoolmates and I loved him and learnt his, A BOP BOP A LU-MOP A LOP BAM BOOM better than our Literature poems!
RIP MR LITTLE RICHARD.

HORACE WEE (LIVING LEGEND) said...

I saw him live in the late 50s with a bunch of other rock n rollers.
Probably like Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny & The Hurricanes. Rock and Roll acts in the day came in a kind of variety show. Similar to the black performers in the 60/70s at the Apollo Theater in New York where James Brown performed. Memories are a bit foggy there!
Dyno- mite performer! Super high hairdo, extreme extrovert performer. Had his own band complete with a horn section
🤭 OMG I’m ANCIENT 😂😂😂

JIMMY YAP said...

ANOTHER SUPERSTAR ROCKER TO BE MISSED
BY HIS FAMILY N FRIENDS IN SINGAPORE
AND AROUND THE MUSIC WORLD !

PAUL IBRAHM said...

We used to play one of his song, Great balls of fire, if I am not wrong. What a showman.

MERLIN LIM ORIGINAL SILVER STRINGS RHYTHMIST said...

GOOD GOLLY !!
RIP Mr Little Richard.
He Is Definitely Far, Far From Being " Little."
A Legend Of Rock n Roll, A Dynamic Performer n A Great Entertainer.
We Grew Up Listening n Playing His Music.
Never Tired Of His Many Wonderful Songs / Hits.
The MAN May Be Gone but His Fabulous Songs Will Remain Throughout the Ages.. An Evergreen.
WE Are Grateful To Have HIM n So Many Other Talented Musicians During Our Lifetime.
GONE but Will NOT Be FORGOTTEN. ROCK ON.
REST IN PEACE
LITTLE RICHARD.

JIMMY YAP & FRIENDS said...

Jimmy Yap’s Friends come from all over. Here are some comments received but unnamed:

1) Actually I don't really know this Richards guy but for the tutti fruiti hit..

2) Most people will rock to his Long Tall Sally n Good Golly Miss Jolly !!

3) Sad - all the good ones are passing on.

4) Yeah just seeing his tribute.

FL said...

It is sad to hear another world's singing legend, Little Richard, has left us to be with the Lord. Those who are in the pioneer generation and music lovers will remember him well. As a kid, I used to listen to many great singers, included Richard from the Jukebox near my old hometown in the 1950s. RIP Little Richard.

RICHARD KHAN (DRUMMER OCTOBER CHERRIES) said...

In Singapore they prefer Cliff Richard and Elvis rock-roll king.

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

True Richard
Growing up years I prefer LR, Bill Haley, Elvis and JLLewis.
- 50’s.
Thanks
Keep well sir.

Thanks to all friends and readers who made comments and gave their opinion.

J.T. CHEN said...

Little Richard was underrated because he had a colourful veneer.

His contribution to the music scene in the 50s was only mentioned in subdued fashion. In Mojo's top 100 songs of Rock and Roll, 'Tutti Fruitti' was credited with starting the sound of rock and roll, with his unique vocalising against an irresistible onomatopoeic sound.

His performance drew both black and white audience. He had been quoted that his make-up made it safe for white female fans to attend his concerts. Some can imagine that he would remind one of Ella Fitzgerald he was shorn of his thinly manicured beard.

His acceptance within the younger set of white fans set off some trepidation in white families that Pat Boone was encouraged to record the song 'Tutti Fruitti'. Pat Boone is now panned for his insipid cover. Ironically, Boone's cover did better than Little Richard's in the pop chart.

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Thanks
Just read this one
Appreciate your very honest comment.
I think it’s that period in US history where “veneer” as you phrased it was “popular”.
I loved him better than many those years. He had that animality in him that separated him from many others.

Thanks to all others who wrote in to read Michael’s posting.

CEDRIC COLLARS PERTH AUSTRALIA said...

Hi Andy here we are again putting our lives on pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic and yet in the parallel side we have lost Millie Small and Little Richard to name a few to the ravages of normal illness.
May we not forget the magic of their music.
Cheers buddy 😷👍

TAN SOO KHOON said...

on The Vintage Showcase on Gold90, Brian Richmond paid tribute to Millie Small and Little Richard.

mattjsltan fandalism world bomb guitar said...

when you think about it, many shouters choose to shout ..
why? it's like the man who asked sir edmund hilary why he climbed
everest, to which he replied casually, "because it's there !
because i can !"

same thing. i woud rather shout than sing, because i can.

even paul of the beatles , you know. i am not a big fan of the beatles doing
their la dee da lovey dovey stuff.

but my all time favorites of the beatles are those when paul does his
little richard imitation..

i) i'm down
ii) helter skelter
iii) i saw her standing there

even from the beginning... when the beatles did their trademark..
wooooooo !...(she loves you)

that's all little richard !!!