Little Richard, regarded as the founding father of rock music, has died aged 87.
Key points:
- The rock legend drew in young white fans despite 1950s segregation
- Little Richard was torn between rock and roll and religion
- He influenced singers from James Brown to David Bowie
His son Danny Penniman confirmed the singer’s death to Rolling Stone but said the cause of death was unknown.
Born Richard Wayne Penniman in Georgia in 1932, he began his performing career as a teenager in the late 1940s, but his breakthrough came when he signed to Specialty Records in 1955.
He released a run of singles that were am