Little Richard, rock’n’roll pioneer, dies aged 87
His 1955 song Tutti Frutti, with the lyric ‘awopbopaloobop alopbamboom’, and a series of follow-up records helped establish the genre and influence a multitude of other musicians
Little Richard, one of the pioneers of the first wave of rock’n’roll, has died. He was 87.
Richard – whose real name was Richard Penniman – had been in poor health for several years, suffering hip problems, a stroke and a heart attack.