Little Richarda founding father of rock 'n' roll who was known for his flamboyant style and pompadour as well as hits such as "Tutti Frutti" and "Long Tall Sally"has died at age 87.
People.com said that the cause of death was bone cancer..
Although he never hit the top 10 again after 1958, Little Richard's influence was huge. The Beatles recorded several of his songs, and acts such as Creedence Clearwater Revival and the Kinks covered his work, Rolling Stone noted. Many musicians, such as Lollapalooza founder Perry Ferrell ( in a Windy City Times interview ), said they listened to Richard's music while growing up. Film director John Waters told WCT that Richard's mustache was the inspiration for his own pencil-thin version.
Richard ( real name: Richard Wayne Penniman ), with his androgynous style, was the subject of much speculation about his sexuality. However, he never came outand, in fact, condemned homosexuality in the 1984 biography The Life and Times of Little Richard, and again in a 2017 interview. ( In between these times, he had said he was "omnisexual." )
The Rolling Stone item is at Website Link Here .