Little Richard
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Review
'The contentiousness of [this book] is refreshing, and a welcome alternative to merely rehashing facts and figures.' Record Collector--,
Product Description
This book is a concise, evocative, and thoroughly researched study of one of the great rock'n'roll pioneers. After "Tutti Frutti," Little Richard began garnering fans from both sides of the civil rights divide. He brought black and white youngsters together on the dance floor and even helped to transform race relations. In June, 2007, Little Richard's 1955 Specialty Records single, "Tutti Frutti" topped "Mojo" magazine's list of '100 Records That Changed the World'. But back in the early 1950s, nobody gave Little Richard a second glance. It was a time in America where the black and white worlds had co-existed separately for nearly two centuries. After "Tutti Frutti" Little Richard began garnering fans from both sides of the civil rights divide. He brought black and white youngsters together on the dance floor and even helped to transform race relations. "Little Richard: The Birth of Rock 'n' Roll" begins by grounding the reader in the fertile soil from which his music sprang. In Macon, Georgia, David Kirby interviews local characters, who knew Little Richard way back when, citing church and family as his true inspiration. Kirby sees Little Richard as a warrior, one fighting with skill and cunning to take his place among the greats. In the words of Keith Richards (on hearing "Tutti Frutti" for the first time), 'it was as though the world changed suddenly from monochrome to Technicolor'. Those sentiments have consistently been echoed by the music-listening world, and the time is ripe for a reassessment of Little Richard's genius and legacy.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is not relly a biography, but an essay on the importance of Little Richard Penniman and Tutti frutti in the birth and development of r'n'r
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
21 reviews
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
If Music, Sex and Race Interest You...
9 Dec 2009
Format:Hardcover
Read this book. David Kirby's vibrant prose left me with an entirely new appreciation of "the architect". As a Maconite, I've long been aware of the special place Little Richard holds in the history of rock n' roll, however, not until I read this well-researched book did I understand the breadth and depth of Penniman's influence. Kudos to Kirby for an important addition to the understanding of an extraordinary musician.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-lop-bam-boom!
25 Jan 2010
Format:Hardcover
In the introduction to this new Little Richard biography, poet David Kirby lets us know right off what kind of book this is going to be."If this book were a car," he declares, "it'd be a hooptie -- an Oldsmobile 88, say."
Kirby proceeds to take us on a fast and bumpy (yet stylin') ride through the mad career of The Georgia Peach: Mr. Richard Wayne Penniman. Along the way we're treated to Kirby's witty, poetical musings on pop music, the 1950s, the "Old, Weird America", Gay Macon, and the occasional Chuck Berry zinger. In fact Kirby drives us right into the heart -- I mean the birth -- of Rock `n' Roll.
Strangely, it's not so much the biography of a man, but the biography of a song. "Tutti Frutti" was Richard's breakout 1955 single, and it must have horrified people when it first erupted from A.M. radios. Kirby asks: how exactly did a song like that come to be?
He begins with Richard's magical incantation: A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-lop-bam-boom, a phrase born in the dish pit of the Macon Greyhound Station, where young Richard used it as a way to curse out his boss. We see it evolve from there into a bar song about anal sex, and then (as Kirby claims) into the world's first Rock 'n' Roll song.
Try as he might, Kirby is never able to nail down an interview with The Queen of Rock `n' Roll himself. The closest he gets is a phone conversation with the man at the home of Willie Ruth Howard, Richard's cousin. Here, in a hilarious exchange, Little Richard tricks Kirby into giving Willie Ruth 88 dollars.
Little Richard: The Birth of Rock `n' Roll is a funny, strange, and totally fitting tribute to a long-overlooked genius. Was "Tutti Frutti" really the "first" Rock `n' Roll song, as Kirby insists? Sure, I'll buy that. And even if you disagree, I think you'll love this book anyway. Any musician, music-lover, or lover of weirdness should hop on in.
Kirby proceeds to take us on a fast and bumpy (yet stylin') ride through the mad career of The Georgia Peach: Mr. Richard Wayne Penniman. Along the way we're treated to Kirby's witty, poetical musings on pop music, the 1950s, the "Old, Weird America", Gay Macon, and the occasional Chuck Berry zinger. In fact Kirby drives us right into the heart -- I mean the birth -- of Rock `n' Roll.
Strangely, it's not so much the biography of a man, but the biography of a song. "Tutti Frutti" was Richard's breakout 1955 single, and it must have horrified people when it first erupted from A.M. radios. Kirby asks: how exactly did a song like that come to be?
He begins with Richard's magical incantation: A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-lop-bam-boom, a phrase born in the dish pit of the Macon Greyhound Station, where young Richard used it as a way to curse out his boss. We see it evolve from there into a bar song about anal sex, and then (as Kirby claims) into the world's first Rock 'n' Roll song.
Try as he might, Kirby is never able to nail down an interview with The Queen of Rock `n' Roll himself. The closest he gets is a phone conversation with the man at the home of Willie Ruth Howard, Richard's cousin. Here, in a hilarious exchange, Little Richard tricks Kirby into giving Willie Ruth 88 dollars.
Little Richard: The Birth of Rock `n' Roll is a funny, strange, and totally fitting tribute to a long-overlooked genius. Was "Tutti Frutti" really the "first" Rock `n' Roll song, as Kirby insists? Sure, I'll buy that. And even if you disagree, I think you'll love this book anyway. Any musician, music-lover, or lover of weirdness should hop on in.
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
WOP BAM BOOM!!
21 Dec 2009
Format:Hardcover
As a huge fan of both Little Richard and early rock n roll history I was very excited when I heard about the book. I was also apprehensive worried that someone would screw up a piece of history I love (See: Cadillac Records). However, after the introduction I knew Little Richard was in safe hands with Kirby.
David Kirby is a passionate writing who makes grand statements: i.e. Tutti Frutti is the center of western culture. But by god, he backs it up with one hell of an argument in this book.
If you are already a fan of Little Richard, you'll love this book and have further appreciation for the Georgia Peach. If you're new to little Richard or just a fan of Rock n Roll this book might be the beginning of a beautiful relationship
David Kirby is a passionate writing who makes grand statements: i.e. Tutti Frutti is the center of western culture. But by god, he backs it up with one hell of an argument in this book.
If you are already a fan of Little Richard, you'll love this book and have further appreciation for the Georgia Peach. If you're new to little Richard or just a fan of Rock n Roll this book might be the beginning of a beautiful relationship
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