R.I.P. Little Richard

[sagegrouse]

He was 87 years old. NY Times obituary. One of the most influential and certainly the most flamboyant of the rock and roll pioneers -- Tutti Frutti, Long Tall Sally, Good Golly Miss Molly, Ready Teddy and more. Very influential on James Brown and many others -- even Paul McCartney.

[ncexnyc]

We've lost a true pioneer of Rock and Roll.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news...cid=spartandhp

[Duke79UNLV77]

We've lost a true pioneer of Rock and Roll.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news...cid=spartandhp

Sad. Who is left from the first generation of rock?

[devildeac]

Sad. Who is left from the first generation of rock?

Jerry Lee Lewis.

[jimsumner]

Jerry Lee Lewis.

Don Everly is still around. Phil died in 2014.

[Duke79UNLV77]

Don Everly is still around. Phil died in 2014.

I should have remembered that. I actually saw Don a couple of years ago make a guest appearance and sing “Bye, Bye Love” with Paul Simon in Nashville on Paul’s farewell tour. Paul introduces him as one of his handful of idols in his life.

[jimsumner]

I should have remembered that. I actually saw Don a couple of years ago make a guest appearance and sing “Bye, Bye Love” with Paul Simon in Nashville on Paul’s farewell tour. Paul introduces him as one of his handful of idols in his life.

Speaking of Paul Simon, he and Art Garfunkel under the name "Tom and Jerry" had a modest hit single in 1957 called "Hey Schoolgirl."

So that makes both Paul and Artie surviving members of rock and roll's first generation.

And Wanda Jackson and Brenda Lee are still very much with us.

[sagegrouse]

Speaking of Paul Simon, he and Art Garfunkel under the name "Tom and Jerry" had a modest hit single in 1957 called "Hey Schoolgirl."

So that makes both Paul and Artie surviving members of rock and roll's first generation.

And Wanda Jackson and Brenda Lee are still very much with us.

Holy, moly! Simon and Garfunkel had a top-50 song when they were 15? Born in October and November 1941.

[jimsumner]

Holy, moly! Simon and Garfunkel had a top-50 song when they were 15? Born in October and November 1941.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bsqt5jXFkYU

Peaked at no. 49 on Billboard singles charts.

[ncexnyc]

Well if you don't count Pat Boone then how about Paul Anka? And you might as well throw in Fabian and Frankie Avalon.

[jimsumner]

Well if you don't count Pat Boone then how about Paul Anka?

I'm slightly more amenable to Anka. For one reason he actually wrote the songs he sung, unlike Boone.

But he still represented a pretty sanitized version of rock and roll.

And he loses major points for writing "You're Having My Baby." A more execrable piece of dreck was never written.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Well if you don't count Pat Boone then how about Paul Anka? And you might as well throw in Fabian and Frankie Avalon.

Fabian couldn't sing very well. He was a "manufactured pop idol." https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Music/Fabian

[Duke79UNLV77]

Holy, moly! Simon and Garfunkel had a top-50 song when they were 15? Born in October and November 1941.

Paul has his first copyrighted song even 2 years before that!

[weezie]

There was a Little Richard tribute party at Chez weezie tonight. My mother was a big fan of his music and husband-of-weezie was laughing at how I knew most of the words to many of the songs. "The Girl Can't Help It" was played at our wedding.

I'll bet Little Richard is rocking in heaven tonight and that my mother is in the front row.

[jv001]

There was a Little Richard tribute party at Chez weezie tonight. My mother was a big fan of his music and husband-of-weezie was laughing at how I knew most of the words to many of the songs. "The Girl Can't Help It" was played at our wedding.

I'll bet Little Richard is rocking in heaven tonight and that my mother is in the front row.

Loved that song in high school or was it the 8th grade and loved "Jim Dandy" by Laverne Baker. Released in 1956 and written by Lincoln Chase. Good music.

GoDuke!

[devildeac]

Sad. Who is left from the first generation of rock?

Elvis14...

[sagegrouse]

Sad. Who is left from the first generation of rock?

Popular singer and actor, who did cover some Little Richard songs -- Pat Boone. Born June 1, 1934. Sold a ton or records, a lot of them covers of other artists, and had a popular TV show. It is said (Wikipedia) that Elvis Presley opened for him in Cleveland in 1955.

[dudog84]

Sad. Who is left from the first generation of rock?

Popular singer and actor, who did cover some Little Richard songs -- Pat Boone. Born June 1, 1934. Sold a ton or records, a lot of them covers of other artists, and had a popular TV show. It is said (Wikipedia) that Elvis Presley opened for him in Cleveland in 1955.

Surely you jest.

[sagegrouse]

Surely you jest.

Don't you give me a hard time -- I didn't say, "rock and roll legend." I said, on purpose, "popular singer and actor." Actually I agree with you -- sixty years ago I loved Elvis Presley and hated Pat Boone.

[OldPhiKap]

Little Richard with his opening band, Hamburg, 1962:

087441D1-8EE2-4C7F-88A6-7ED44538DFA4.jpg

(side note, Ringo had just replaced Pete Best)