Born and raised in Macon, Georgia, Richard Wayne Penniman (1932-present) began performing when only a young boy. Immersed in the gospel tradition of the African American church, when he took the stage as a secular performer (at the ripe young age of 13) he would evolve to include boogie woogie, jump blues, and queer burlesque. By the time he reached his early twenties, his music had quiet simply changed the world.
Little Richard is one of the architects of rock ‘n roll music. While no single person can authentically be called “the father” of rock ‘n roll, if such a competition were to be held, Little Richard would likely find himself in the final round.
This song–“Freedom Blues”–comes from his 1970 album The Rill Thing, and at the time of its release was his first hit in more than a decade.
LATINO LIKE ME 