As a child, he would 'beat on the steps of the house, and on tin cans and pots and pans, or whatever' while singing, which annoyed neighbors. Gifted with a loud singing voice, he recalled that he was 'always changing the key upwards' and that he was once stopped from singing in church for 'screaming and hollering' so loud, earning him the nickname 'War Hawk'. He had observed that people sang 'to feel their connection with God' and to wash their trials and burdens away. He later recalled that people in his neighborhood sang gospel songs throughout the day during segregation to keep a positive outlook, because 'there was so much poverty, so much prejudice in those days'. He enjoyed the Pentecostal churches the most, because of their charismatic worship and live music. His family was very religious and joined various A.M.E., Baptist, and Pentecostal churches, with some family members becoming ministers. This produced an unusual gait, and he was mocked for his effeminate appearance. Possibly as a result of complications at birth, he had a slight deformity that left one of his legs shorter than the other. A mischievous child who played pranks on neighbors, he began singing in church and taking piano lessons at a young age. In childhood, he was nicknamed 'Lil' Richard' by his family because of his small and skinny frame. The Penniman children were raised in a neighborhood of Macon called Pleasant Hill. Initially, his first name was supposed to have been 'Ricardo', but an error resulted in 'Richard' instead.

His mother was a member of Macon's New Hope Baptist Church. His father was a church deacon and a brick mason, who sold bootlegged moonshine on the side and owned a nightclub called the Tip In Inn.

Richard Wayne Penniman was born in Macon, Georgia, on December 5, 1932, the third of twelve children of Leva Mae (née Stewart) and Charles 'Bud' Penniman. 'Tutti Frutti' was included in the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress in 2010, which stated that his 'unique vocalizing over the irresistible beat announced a new era in music'. In 2015, Richard received a Rhapsody & Rhythm Award from the National Museum of African American Music for his key role in the formation of popular music genres and helping to bring an end to the racial divide on the music charts and in concert in the mid-1950s changing American culture significantly. He was the recipient of Lifetime Achievement Awards from The Recording Academy and the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. He was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of its first group of inductees in 1986. Richard was honored by many institutions. Many of his contemporaries, including Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Bill Haley, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Everly Brothers, Gene Vincent, Pat Boone, and Eddie Cochran, recorded covers of his works. His music and concerts broke the color line, drawing black and white people together despite attempts to sustain segregation. Richard is cited as one of the first crossover black artists, reaching audiences of all races.

During this time, the Beatles opened for Richard on some tour dates. In 1962, after a five-year period during which Richard abandoned rock and roll music for born-again Christianity, concert promoter Don Arden persuaded him to tour Europe. His performances during this period resulted in integration between white Americans and black Americans in his audience. 1 on the Billboard Rhythm and Blues Best-Sellers chart, followed by a rapid succession of fifteen more in less than three years. His next hit single, ' Long Tall Sally' (1956), hit No. ' Tutti Frutti' (1955), one of Richard's signature songs, became an instant hit, crossing over to the pop charts in the United States and the United Kingdom. He influenced numerous singers and musicians across musical genres from rock to hip hop his music helped shape rhythm and blues for generations. Richard's innovative emotive vocalizations and uptempo rhythmic music also played a key role in the formation of other popular music genres, including soul and funk. Described as the ' Architect of Rock and Roll', Richard's most celebrated work dates from the mid-1950s, when his charismatic showmanship and dynamic music, characterized by frenetic piano playing, pounding back beat and powerful raspy vocals, laid the foundation for rock and roll. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Richard Wayne Penniman (Decem– May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter.

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