, we see an old clip of the Beatles’ de facto leader, Paul McCartney, discuss how watching Little Richard perform was like going to rock school, and that their earliest songs were them doing their best impersonation of the man who called himself “The Bronze Liberace.”’ first tours was opening for Little Richard in ’63, and in the film lead singer Mick Jagger cops to being inspired by witnessing his infectious live act.
“We were basically a cover band — we hadn’t written much. I would be by the side of the stage every night to watch him. English bands, they were very static,” explains Jagger. “Watching Richard, you thought, you don’t have to stand there! Use the whole stage. Richard would work that audience. Get them up out of their seats swaying, shouting, waving their arms, calling and responding stuff. Thirty dates.
The record labels were even worse. At the height of his fame, Little Richard said he was making half a cent per record sold. Later on, since Little Richard left Specialty Records 18 months into a three-year contract — owing in part to his mistreatment — the label went after him, and ultimately made him forego all future royalties. In other words: Little Richard never received a penny from then on out for his songs and recordings.
“I looked around and didn’t have any money,” said Little Richard. “Those record companies paid me nothing, you know? Nobody had paid me a dime. All those hits.”In desperate need of money to care for his mother and sisters, Little Richard ended up picketing on Hollywood Boulevard over his lost wages. “Famous Little Richard trying to get that famous money that he made so many years ago that he’s never seen,” he said. “I saw all my friends on the hill and I was still in the valley, and it bothered me.” . While presenting Best New Artist with the New York Dolls’ David Johansen, the legendary musician pointed at Johansen’s pompadour hairdo — a carbon copy of how he wore it in his ‘50s heyday — and remarked, “I used to wear my hair like that. They take everything I get — they take it from me.
🎶 And the guitar man got famous, business man got rich 🎶
Music industry was bad in those days. At one point I was interviewing people who had had top hits, and this one woman of color was working in a bra factory. Where did all that money go?
'Dinosaurs will slowly die and I do believe no one would cry' -NoFx
Understand not only people of color,many bands both white and black were raped by the industry.i have zero respect for Richard because he always plays was only him everyone else was rich not true.
Look who those publishers were. They should be sued
Once the great crimes of the 20th century is Pat Boone's dreadful recording of 'Tutti Frutti'.My mother thought his version was the original at the time. She still listens to Little Richard today. Boone's just a footnote to a racist time.
Please tell us something we do not know. Greed and exploitation goes way back.