Rev. Richard Wayne Penniman (born December 5 1932), better known by the stage name Little Richard, is a celebrated African-American singer, songwriter and pianist, who began performing in the 1940s and who was a key figure in the transition from rhythm & blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. His impact on twentieth century music was incalculable. Penniman's reputation rests on a string of groundbreaking hit singles from 1955 through 1957, such as "Tutti Frutti" and "Long Tall Sally", which helped lay the foundation for rock and roll music, influencing generations of rhythm and blues, rock and soul music artists. Little Richard's injection of funk during this period also influenced the development of that genre of music. Little Richard's early work was a mix of boogie-woogie, rhythm and blues and gospel music, but with a heavily accentuated back-beat, funky saxophone gro

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