{"id":2144,"date":"2017-10-17T13:04:10","date_gmt":"2017-10-17T18:04:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/americanmusic\/?p=2144"},"modified":"2017-10-17T13:04:10","modified_gmt":"2017-10-17T18:04:10","slug":"little-richard-an-unsung-rock-roll-icon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/americanmusic\/2017\/10\/17\/little-richard-an-unsung-rock-roll-icon\/","title":{"rendered":"Little Richard: an unsung Rock & Roll icon"},"content":{"rendered":"

Little Richard achieved international fame in 1955 with the release \"\"<\/a>of his hit single \u201cTutti Frutti.\u201d \u00a0His unique sound, blending aspects of rhythm and blues and boogie woogie, came to be known as \u201crock and roll,\u201d and marked the beginning of an exciting new trend in American popular music. \u00a0Despite Little Richard\u2019s extraordinary success and far-reaching influence, he experienced significant resistance when trying to create a music that was palatable to white audiences. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In an interview with Andy Gill, Richard described some of the frustrations he had with \u00a0record companies early on in his career: \u201cThey wanted me to sound like other people, to be a blues singer. I had this other thing, they\u2019d never heard nothin\u2019 like it, so they was afraid of it. But when I went to Specialty with Awopbopaloobopalopbamboom! they said, <\/span>\u2018OK!\u2019 \u201d (<\/span>Rip It Up<\/span><\/i>). Hesitancy on the part of record companies to endorse Little Richard\u2019s unique new style illustrates a racial bias in the popular music industry: they believed that a African-American popular musicians could only sing the blues, and that a black artist singing anything else would not be financially successful. \u00a0When Specialty published \u201cTutti Frutti\u201d in 1955, however, the exact opposite proved to be true, with the track rocketing to No. 2 on Billboard\u2019s Rhythm and Blues chart and No. 17 on Billboard\u2019s Hot 100.\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Little Richard also had to combat racist attitudes when crafting his band\u2019s public image. \u00a0White audie\"\"<\/a>nces oftentimes stereotyped black men as lascivious sexual predators, and white men often discouraged their wives from attending concerts by black artists such as Little Richard. \u00a0To subvert this harmful and untrue stereotype, Richard cultivated an effeminate, androgynous image, attempting to convince audiences that he and his bandmates were gay. \u00a0He wore heavy makeup and hairspray and donned flamboyant clothing, all in the name of crafting an image that was \u201cpalatable\u201d to white audiences.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although Little Richard was clearly one of the first rockers, white artists like Elvis Presley are more frequently celebrated as the early leaders of the genre. \u00a0To this day, Little Richard\u2019s legacy continues to struggle against the racist structures that he struggled with during his life. \u00a0It is important that we keep these structures in mind when we study the popular music of America.<\/span><\/p>\n