TULLAHOMA, Tenn. — Rock ‘n’ roll legend Little Richard (born Richard Penniman), died last week of bone cancer at his home at the age of 87. Penniman had early hits in the mid-50s with “Tutti Frutti” and “Long Tall Sally” before turning to Gospel music at the end of the decade. He returned to secular music in the early 60s, performing for integrated audiences at the height of the Civil Rights movement.
Famous for his flamboyant performance style, he described himself as “one of the first gay people to come out.” Penniman struggled with cocaine addiction before returning to ministry in the late 1970s. As a minister, he officiated at several celebrity weddings and preached at the funerals of Wilson Pickett and Ike Turner.
