ROCK AND ROLL PIONEER LITTLE RICHARD TURNS 81

'Tutti Fruiti'classin 1957 with Alan Freed announcing helped put Richard
on the map where he has been ever since as one  of the real handful\
of rock and roll pioneers, there at the beginning , paying the way for
the Michael Jacksons and latter artists

ROCK AND ROLL PIONEER LITTLE RICHARD TURNS 81

December 5
Hard to see Little Richard as an 81 year old rocker but then also  will be hard  if he really does
retire as he has claimed in recent interviews.

Richard had it all...the voice, the look and the lyrics, even though   considered controversial in the day but nothing as compared to today's artists  He has inspired many of those later artists like Michael Jackson. Nice to have artists like Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis still with us when many hard-living rockers have moved on.

from Wikipedia:

Richard Wayne Penniman (born December 5, 1932), known by his stage name Little Richard, is an American recording artist, songwriter, and musician. He has been an influential figure in popular music and culture for over six decades. Penniman's most celebrated work dates from the mid 1950s where his dynamic music and charismatic showmanship laid the foundation for rock and roll. His music also had a pivotal impact on the formation of other popular music genres, including soul and funk. Penniman influenced numerous singers and musicians across musical genres from rock to rap.

Penniman has been honored by many institutions, including inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is the recipient of Lifetime Achievement Awards from The Recording Academy and the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. Penniman's "Tutti Frutti" (1955) was included in the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry in 2010, claiming the "unique vocalizing over the irresistible beat announced a new era in music."