The Life And Times Of Little Richard

The first pages aren’t encouraging, limited to fawning exaggerations about Richard’s crucial impact on modern culture, with every sentence over-the-top and adjective-laden. Fortunately transcribed reminiscences from Richard, family and friends soon take over, and the exaggerations appear mainly in the mouth of Little Richard. This is a rich and candid narrative full of names, events, behaviours and impressions that really paint a picture of his character and circumstances and what he made of them.

Charles White takes the bulk of his material directly from interviews with Little Richard--as well as his band mates, managers, family, and lovers--and creates an essential portrait of the King (and Queen) of Rock 'n Roll. Pulling no punches, when interviewed Little Richard is frank (to the point of potentially offending some sensibilities) about the life he led and eventually left. Highly recommended reading for anyone interested in rock music, this was one of the most enjoyable rock portraits I've read in years.

To say that Little Richard is an interesting character is an understatement. If he's not the King of Rock 'n' Roll then Richard is the clown prince. In "The life and times of Little Richard" he doesn't hold anything back and while it's been 25 years since I read this I still have stark memories of some of the things he got up to.

Little Richard is also candid about his sexuality here, but you can tell he is a conflicted man (how much of which is due to religion I can't say) but it does seem odd that he was offended when John Lennon farted in his presence, yet admits that he once crapped in a box, wrapped it and gave to an elderly neighbour as a present.

Been on a bit of a celeb bio kick of late and this one might be my favorite. The man should be on our currency.

A hugely enjoyable biography of one of rock 'n' roll's originators and one of the most controversial performers in pop music.

Little Richard shines through as loudly and as outrageous as you would expect as he takes us through the highs and lows of his dazzling career.