The flamboyant rocker Little Richard, who retired to Middle Tennessee and over the decades had numerous Murfreesboro sightings, died Saturday (5/9/2020) at the age of 87.
Richard Wayne Penniman was born in Macon, Georgia in 1932. As one of twelve children, Richard left home at the age of 13.
He got his first big musical break in 1956 while working as a dishwasher in the restaurant at a bus station. He sent a demo tape of "Tutti Frutti" to a Chicago record company. Word is that the original was "very racy", but a "milder version" was released and became a huge hit. Allegedly, the kitchen sounds of his work environment created the well remembered vocal line "wop bop a lup bop a wop bam boom".
And as you look to the writer credit line on the Specialty record label, it shows two talents: Dorothy La Bostrie and Richard Penniman. The duo worked together also on "True Fine Mama".
The star's Specialty hits also included "Rip It Up", "Long Tall Sally", "Ready Teddy", "Good Golly Miss Molly", "Send Me Some Lov'in" and others.
In a short period of time, Little Richard became wildly successful. In fact, in 1957 he went the opposite direction and became an ordained minister. Rumors spread about him throwing a giant diamond ring into the ocean to symbolize the change.
As the 1960s spread an exciting new type of music, Little Richard returned to his rock'n roll roots. In fact, at a packed Hamburg, Germany concert in 1964, a new musical group warmed-up the audience prior to Little Richard taking the stage as the main attraction. That quartet was known as the Beatles.
Over the years, Little Richard performed at numerous Middle Tennessee venues.
He loved the area so much that he moved to what was reported to be a 5,900 square foot home on a small farm near Lynchburg, Tennessee. It was from there that he traveled incognito to the 'Boro for get-aways. However, it was difficult to disguise such a talent with worldwide fame, and WGNS would receive regular reports of the rock'n roller being seen locally.
Those Little Richard sightings in Murfreesboro became more than rumors when WGNS reported a minor accident on South Church Street on August 25, 2014 when a vehicle driven by a Morrison, TN resident, pulled from a parking lot and crashed into the side of a passing Cadillac SUV. The police report identified Richard Penniman as not only a passenger, but the owner of the vehicle. Both vehicles had major damage, but there were no injuries.
The final times were reportedly split between his Lynchburg farm and living in the penthouse at Nashville's Downtown Hilton, between Music City's Broadway and the Country Music Hall of Fame.
His extreme popularity is still strong today, bolstered by regular appearances on the TV series like Miami Vice in the 80s, one of the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and more. The Volunteer State was such a fan of Little Richard, that in 2008 his star was placed on the Music City Walk of Fame.
CLICK HERE for the CBS story about Little Richard.
