Inspired by LITTLE RICHARD

Iconic print of Little Richard.

All illustrations are printed on high quality 250gsm smooth art paper for the premium finish.

Available print sizes : 

A4 Art Print  : 21cm x 29.7cm 

A3 Art Print : 29.7cm x 42cm  

A2 Art Print : 42cm x 59.4cm  

WANT IT FRAMED?

Our iconic illustrations are also available framed A4 or A3 sized.

A Brief History Of Little Richard

Even as a young pup, the showbiz universe seemed to have big things planned for Little Richard.

Way back in 1947, this skinny little 14-year old kid from Macon, Georgia, got his foot in the door by selling frosty bottles of Coca-Cola during live gospel gigs around town. His first big break came when a star of the circuit, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, overheard him belting out a couple of her tunes before a show and invited him on stage to warm up the crowd for her.

The bug bit him quickly, so much so that soon after he decided to ditch school and join Dr. Hudson’s Medicine Show, a travelling band that toured around the county. This is where Richard’s trademark flamboyance started taking shape, inspired by a number of vaudeville acts and drag performers. In an age when gender fluidity was definitely not part of mainstream society, that took some serious balls.

He became instrumental in the growth of rock n’ roll and started putting out tunes with slightly spicier lyrical content (‘Tutti Frutti’ springs to mind) which gained him props among U.S. youth. He also proved to be a big influence on The Beatles, John Lennon in particular, who took ‘Long Tall Sally’ as the basis for an EP in 1964.

And that’s what sets Little Richard apart from his contemporaries: he’s quoted as a major inspiration for such a diverse range of artists that it’s enough to say his influence was entirely unique.

Big up.

Selected cuts…

• Little Richard – Slippin’ and Slidin’ (1957)
• Little Richard – The Girl Can’t Help It (1958)
• Little Richard – Tutti Frutti (1955)

Words - Daniel Jones