Editing Little Richard (section)

==Music career==
===1947–1955: Beginnings===
In October 1947, Sister Rosetta Tharpe overheard the fourteen-year-old Richard singing her songs before a performance at the [[Macon City Auditorium]]. She invited him to open her show.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ajc.com/entertainment/music/sister-rosetta-tharpe-singer-influenced-key-rock-roll-figures/UTzkpIsRNvvenWoaTGamtM/|title=Sister Rosetta Tharpe: Singer influenced key rock 'n' roll figures|last=Ruggieri|first=Melissa|date=March 12, 2018|website=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|access-date=December 5, 2019|archive-date=December 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191205091706/https://www.ajc.com/entertainment/music/sister-rosetta-tharpe-singer-influenced-key-rock-roll-figures/UTzkpIsRNvvenWoaTGamtM/|url-status=live}}</ref> After the show, Tharpe paid him, inspiring him to become a professional performer.{{sfn|White|2003|p=17}}{{sfn|Lauterbach|2011|p=152}} In 1949, he began performing in Doctor Nubillo's traveling show. Richard was inspired to wear turbans and capes in his career by Nubillo, who also "carried a black stick and exhibited something he called 'the devil's child'—the dried-up body of a baby with claw feet like a bird and horns on its head." Nubillo told Richard he was "gonna be famous".{{sfn|White|2003|pp=21–22}}

Before entering the tenth grade, Richard left his family home and joined Hudson's Medicine Show in 1949, performing [[Louis Jordan]]'s "[[Caldonia]]".{{sfn|White|2003|pp=21–22}} Richard recalled that the song was the first secular R&B song he learned since his family had strict rules against playing R&B music, which they considered "devil music".{{sfn|White|2003|p=22: "It was the only song I knew that wasn't a church song"}} Other sources also indicate that Little Richard was influenced by Jordan. In fact, according to one reliable source, the whoop sound on Jordan's record "Caldonia" sounds eerily like the vocal tone Little Richard would adopt in addition to the "Jordan-style pencil-thin mustache".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/documents/Caldonia.pdf|title=Caldonia Louis Jordan (1945) Library of Congress|website=[[Library of Congress]]|access-date=February 21, 2021|archive-date=March 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210318102826/https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/documents/Caldonia.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cleveland.com/onstage/2015/01/vintage_photos_rock_hall_induc.html|title=Vintage photos: Rock Hall inductee Louis Jordan is the music master behind 'Five Guys Named Moe'|first1=rea|last1=Simakis|work=The Plain Dealer|date=January 23, 2015|access-date=February 21, 2021|archive-date=July 31, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210731192032/https://www.cleveland.com/onstage/2015/01/vintage_photos_rock_hall_induc.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Richard also performed in [[drag (clothing)|drag]] during this time, performing under the name "Princess LaVonne".{{sfn|White|2003|pp=22–25}} In 1950, Richard joined his first musical band, Buster Brown's Orchestra, where Brown named him Little Richard.{{sfn|White|2003|pp=22–23}} Performing in the [[minstrel show]] circuit, Richard, in and out of drag, appeared for [[vaudeville]] acts such as Sugarfoot Sam from Alabam, the Tidy Jolly Steppers, the King Brothers Circus, and the Broadway Follies.{{sfn|White|2003|pp=24–25}} Having settled in [[Atlanta]] at this point, Richard began listening to rhythm and blues and frequented Atlanta clubs, including the Harlem Theater and the Royal Peacock, where he saw performers such as [[Roy Brown (blues musician)|Roy Brown]] and [[Billy Wright (musician)|Billy Wright]] onstage. Richard was further influenced by Brown's and Wright's flashy showmanship and even more so by Wright's flamboyant persona. Inspired by Brown and Wright, he decided to become a rhythm-and-blues singer. After befriending Wright, he began to learn how to be an entertainer from him, and began adapting a [[Pompadour (hairstyle)|pompadour hairdo]] similar to Wright's, wearing flashier clothes, and using Wright's brand of pancake makeup.{{sfn|White|2003|p=25}}

Impressed by his singing voice, Wright put him in contact with Zenas Sears, a local DJ. Sears recorded Richard at his station, backed by Wright's band. The recordings led to a contract that year with [[RCA Victor]]{{when|date=August 2023}}.{{sfn|White|2003|p=28}} Richard recorded a total of eight sides for RCA Victor, including the blues ballad, "Every Hour", which became his first single and a hit in [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]].{{sfn|White|2003|p=28}} The release of "Every Hour" improved his relationship with his father, who began regularly playing the song on his nightclub jukebox.{{sfn|White|2003|p=28}} Shortly after the release of "Every Hour", Richard was hired to front Perry Welch and His Orchestra and played at clubs and army bases for $100 a week.{{sfn|White|2003|p=29}} Richard left RCA Victor in February 1952 after his records failed to chart; the recordings were marketed with little promotion, although ads for the records showed up in ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''.

After his father's death in 1952, Richard began to find success through RCA Victor's reissue of the recordings on the budget [[RCA Camden]] label. He continued to perform during this time and Clint Brantley agreed to manage Richard's career. Moving to [[Houston]], he formed a band called the Tempo Toppers, performing as part of blues [[package tour]]s in Southern clubs such as Club Tijuana in [[New Orleans]] and Club Matinee in Houston. Richard signed with [[Don Robey]]'s [[Peacock Records]] in February 1953, recording eight sides, including four with [[Johnny Otis]] and his band that were not released at that time.{{sfn|White|2003|pp=36–38}} Like his venture with RCA Victor, none of his Peacock singles charted, despite his growing reputation for high energy antics onstage.<ref name="Britannica">{{Cite web|publisher=Britannica Online Encyclopedia|title=Little Richard (American musician)|first=Langdon C.|last=Winner|url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/344190/Little-Richard|access-date=March 7, 2013|archive-date=March 7, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130307125738/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/344190/Little-Richard|url-status=live}}</ref> Richard began complaining of monetary issues with Robey, leading Robey to knock him out during a scuffle.

Disillusioned by the record business, Richard returned to Macon in 1954. Struggling with poverty, he settled for work as a dishwasher for [[Southeastern Greyhound Lines|Greyhound Lines]]. While in Macon, he met [[Esquerita]], whose flamboyant onstage persona and dynamic piano playing would deeply influence Richard's approach.<ref name="esquerita">{{Cite web |work=[[Oxford American]] |url=https://www.oxfordamerican.org/magazine/item/1857-esquerita-and-the-voola |title=Esquerita and the Voola |last=Woods |first=Baynard |date=November 19, 2019 |access-date=May 9, 2020 |archive-date=May 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200514032201/https://www.oxfordamerican.org/magazine/item/1857-esquerita-and-the-voola |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="rsobit">{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/little-richard-dead-48505/ |last=Browne |first=David |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=May 9, 2020 |access-date=May 9, 2020 |title= Little Richard, Founding Father of Rock Who Broke Musical Barriers, Dead at 87}}</ref> That year, he disbanded the Tempo Toppers and formed a harder-driving rhythm and blues band, [[The Upsetters (American band)|the Upsetters]], which included drummer [[Charles Connor]] and saxophonist Wilbert "Lee Diamond" Smith that toured under Brantley's management. The band supported R&B singer Christine Kittrell on some recordings, then began to tour successfully, even without a bassist, forcing drummer Connor to thump "real hard" on his bass drum to get a "[[bass fiddle]] effect".{{sfn|White|2003|pp=38–39}} In 1954, Richard signed on to a Southern tour with [[Little Johnny Taylor]].{{sfn|White|2003|pp=38–39}}<ref name="Allmusic2013a">{{Cite web|website=AllMusic|title=Grady Gaines|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p78484/biography|pure_url=yes}}|access-date=March 6, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |first=Jonny |last=Whiteside |url=https://www.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/2014/05/14/charles-connor-the-rock-and-roll-original |title=Charles Connor: The Rock and Roll Original |work=LA Weekly |date=May 14, 2014 |access-date=July 30, 2020 |archive-date=December 23, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223080226/http://www.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/2014/05/14/charles-connor-the-rock-and-roll-original |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:In Person 'Lucille' Little Richard and his Orchestra.jpg|alt=A poster advertising Little Richard and his orchestra|thumb|A poster for a Little Richard show, {{circa}} 1956]]
At the suggestion of [[Lloyd Price]], Richard sent a demo to Price's label, [[Specialty Records]], in February 1955. Months passed before Richard got a call from the label.{{sfn|White|2003|pp=40–41}} Finally, in September of that year, Specialty owner [[Art Rupe]] loaned Richard money to buy out his Peacock contract and set him to work with producer [[Robert "Bumps" Blackwell]].{{sfn|Nite|1982|p=390}} Upon hearing the demo, Blackwell felt Richard was Specialty's answer to [[Ray Charles]], however, Richard told him he preferred the sound of [[Fats Domino]]. Blackwell sent him to New Orleans where he recorded at [[Cosimo Matassa]]'s J&M Studios, recording there with several of Domino's session musicians, including drummer [[Earl Palmer]] and saxophonist [[Lee Allen (musician)|Lee Allen]].{{sfn|White|2003|pp=44–47}} Richard's recordings that day failed to produce much inspiration or interest (although Blackwell saw some promise).{{sfn|White|2003|pp=55–56}}<ref name=Allmusic2013b>{{Cite web|website=AllMusic|title=Little Richard|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p4765|access-date=March 6, 2013|archive-date=July 18, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718180023/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p4765|url-status=live}}</ref>

Frustrated, Blackwell and Richard went to relax at the Dew Drop Inn nightclub. According to Blackwell, Richard then launched into a risqué [[dirty blues]] he titled "[[Tutti Frutti (song)|Tutti Frutti]]". Blackwell said he felt the song had hit potential and hired songwriter [[Dorothy LaBostrie]] to replace some of Richard's sexual lyrics with less controversial ones.{{sfn|White|2003|pp=55–56}}<ref name=Allmusic2013b/> Recorded in three takes in September 1955, "Tutti Frutti" was released as a single that November{{sfn|White|2003|p=264}} and became an instant hit, reaching No. 2 on ''[[Billboard magazine|Billboard]]'' magazine's [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|Rhythm and Blues Best-Sellers]] chart and crossing over to the pop charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom. It reached No. 21 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Top 100]] in America and No. 29 on the British singles chart, eventually selling a million copies.<ref name="Britannica" /><ref name=pc6>{{Cite web|url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19752/|title=Show 6 – Hail, Hail, Rock 'n' Roll: The rock revolution gets underway|publisher=Digital.library.unt.edu|date=March 16, 1969|access-date=September 18, 2010|archive-date=July 13, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100713133116/http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19752/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===1956–1962: Initial success and conversion===
{{quote box|width=20%|quote=A lot of songs I sang to crowds first to watch their reaction. That's how I knew they'd hit.|source= —Little Richard{{sfn|Du Noyer|2003|p=14}}}}Richard's next hit single, "[[Long Tall Sally]]" (1956), hit number one on the R&B chart and number 13 on the Top 100, while reaching the top 10 in Britain. Like "Tutti Frutti", it sold more than a million copies. Following his success, Richard built up his backup band, The Upsetters, with the addition of saxophonists Clifford "Gene" Burks and [[bandleader|leader]] [[Grady Gaines]], bassist Olsie "Baysee" Robinson and guitarist Nathaniel "Buster" Douglas.{{sfn|White|2003|p=58}} Richard began performing on package tours across the United States. Art Rupe described the differences between Richard and a similar hitmaker of the early rock and roll period by stating that, while "the similarities between Little Richard and Fats Domino for recording purposes were close", Richard would sometimes stand up at the piano while he was recording, and that onstage, where Domino was "plodding, very slow", Richard was "very dynamic, completely uninhibited, unpredictable, wild. So the band took on the ambience of the vocalist."{{sfn|White|2003|pp=74–75}} Richard's high-energy antics included lifting his leg while playing the piano, climbing on top of his piano, running on and off the stage and throwing souvenirs to the audience.{{sfn|Bayles|1996|p=133: "He'd be on the stage, he'd be off the stage, he'd be jumping and yelling, screaming, whipping the audience on&nbsp;..."}} He also began using capes and suits studded with multi-colored stones and sequins. Richard said he became more flamboyant onstage so no one would think he was "after the white girls".{{sfn|White|2003|p=70}}

Richard's performances, like most early rock and roll shows, resulted in [[Racial integration|integrated]] audience reaction during an era where public places were divided into "white" and "colored" domains. In these package tours, Richard and other artists such as Fats Domino and [[Chuck Berry]] would enable audiences of both races to enter the building, albeit still segregated (e.g. blacks on the balcony and whites on the main floor). As his later producer [[H. B. Barnum]] explained, Richard's performances enabled audiences to come together to dance.{{sfn|Pegg|2002|p=50: "Although they still had the audiences together in the building, they were ''there'' together. And most times, before the end of the night, they would be all mixed together"}} Despite broadcasts on television from local [[racism|supremacist]] groups such as the North Alabama [[White Citizens Council]] warning that rock and roll "brings the races together", Richard's popularity was helping to shatter the myth that black performers could not successfully perform at "white-only venues" especially in the South, where racism was most overt.{{sfn|White|2003|pp=82–83}}

Richard claims that a show at [[Baltimore]]'s [[Royal Theatre (Baltimore)|Royal Theatre]] in June 1956 led to women throwing their [[undergarments]] onstage at him, resulting in other female fans repeating the action, saying it was "the first time" that had happened to any artist.{{sfn|White|2003|p=66}} Richard's show would stop several times that night to restrain fans from jumping off the balcony and then rushing to the stage to touch him.{{sfn|White|2003|p=66}}

Overall, Richard produced seven singles in the United States alone in 1956, with five of them also charting in the UK, including "[[Slippin' and Slidin']]", "[[Rip It Up (Little Richard song)|Rip It Up]]", "[[Ready Teddy]]", "[[The Girl Can't Help It (song)|The Girl Can't Help It]]" and "[[Lucille (Little Richard song)|Lucille]]". Immediately after releasing "Tutti Frutti", "safer" white recording artists such as [[Pat Boone]] covered the song, charting in the top twenty, higher than Richard's. His fellow rock and roll peers [[Elvis Presley]] and [[Bill Haley]] also recorded his songs later that same year. Befriending [[Alan Freed]],{{sfn|White|2003|pp=83–84}} the disc jockey eventually put him in his "rock and roll" movies such as ''[[Don't Knock the Rock]]''{{sfn|White|2003|p=80}} and ''[[Mister Rock and Roll (film)|Mister Rock and Roll]]''. Richard was given a larger singing role in the film, ''[[The Girl Can't Help It]]''.<ref name="WallStreet">{{Cite news|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703545604575407661245246210|title=Little Richard, The First|author=Myers, Marc|date=October 10, 2010|access-date=September 29, 2011|archive-date=December 30, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141230152527/http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703545604575407661245246210|url-status=live}}</ref> That year, he scored more hit success with songs such as "[[Jenny, Jenny]]" and "[[Keep A-Knockin']]", the latter becoming his first top ten single on the Billboard Top 100. By the time he left Specialty in 1959, Richard had scored a total of nine top-40 pop singles, as well as seventeen top-40 R&B singles.{{sfn|White|2003|p=241}}{{sfn|White|2003|pp=264–265}}

On September 2, 1956, Richard performed at the twelfth [[Cavalcade of Jazz]], held at [[Wrigley Field (Los Angeles)|Wrigley Field]] in Los Angeles, which was produced by [[Leon Hefflin, Sr.]] Also performing that day were [[Dinah Washington]], The Mel Williams Dots, Julie Stevens, [[Chuck Higgins]]' Orchestra, [[Bo Rhambo]], Willie Hayden & Five Black Birds, The Premiers, [[Gerald Wilson]] and His 20-Pc. Recording Orchestra, and [[Jerry Gray (arranger)|Jerry Gray]] and his Orchestra.<ref>{{Cite news |title=12th Annual Cavalcade of Jazz starring Little Richard |work=Los Angeles Sentinel |date=August 9, 1956}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Stars Galore Set for Sept. Jazz Festival |work=The California Eagle |date=August 23, 1956}}</ref>

[[File:Little richard specialty 624 a.jpg|thumb|"Good Golly, Miss Molly", 45&nbsp;rpm recording on Specialty Records]]
Shortly after the release of "Tutti Frutti", Richard relocated to Los Angeles. After achieving success as a recording artist and live performer, Richard moved into a wealthy, formerly-predominantly-white neighborhood, living close to black celebrities such as boxer [[Joe Louis]].{{sfn|White|2003|pp=82}} Richard's first album, ''[[Here's Little Richard]]'', was released by Specialty in March 1957 and peaked at number thirteen on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' Top LPs]] chart. Similar to most albums released during that era, the album featured six released singles, as well as "filler" tracks.<ref name="entertainment.time.com">{{Cite magazine|last=Light |first=Alan |url=https://entertainment.time.com/2006/11/02/the-all-time-100-albums/slide/heres-little-richard/ |title=Here's Little Richard |magazine=Time |date=January 27, 2010 |access-date=January 17, 2017}}</ref> In October 1957, Richard embarked on a package tour in Australia with [[Gene Vincent]] and [[Eddie Cochran]]. In the middle of the tour, he shocked the public by announcing he was following a life in the [[minister (Christianity)|ministry]]. In early 1958, Specialty released his second album, ''[[Little Richard (album)|Little Richard]]'', which did not chart.{{sfn|White|2003|pp=89–92}}

Richard claimed in his autobiography that, during a flight from Melbourne to Sydney, while his plane was experiencing some difficulty, he saw the plane's red-hot engines, and felt angels were "holding it up".{{sfn|White|2003|p=91}} At the end of his Sydney performance, Richard saw a bright red fireball flying across the sky above him and claimed he was "deeply shaken".{{sfn|White|2003|p=91}} Though he was eventually told that it was the first [[artificial satellite|artificial Earth satellite]] [[Sputnik 1]], Richard took it as a "sign from God" to stop performing secular music and repent for his wild lifestyle.{{sfn|White|2003|pp=89–92}}

Returning to the States ten days earlier than expected, Richard later read news of his original flight having crashed into the Pacific Ocean, and took it as a further sign to "do as God wanted".{{sfn|White|2003|p=92}} After a "farewell performance" at the [[Apollo Theater]] and a "final" recording session with Specialty later that month, Richard enrolled at [[Oakwood College]] in [[Huntsville, Alabama]], to study theology.{{sfn|White|2003|p=95}}{{sfn|Miller|1996|p=248}} Despite his claims of spiritual rebirth, Richard later admitted his reasons for leaving were more monetary. During his tenure at Specialty, despite earning millions for the label,{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}} Richard complained that he did not know the label had reduced the percentage of royalties he was to earn for his recordings.{{sfn|White|2003|pp=88–89}} Specialty continued to release Richard's recordings, including "[[Good Golly, Miss Molly]]", and his unique version of "[[Kansas City (Leiber and Stoller song)|Kansas City]]", until 1960. Ending his contract with the label, Richard agreed to relinquish [[royalties]] for his material.{{sfn|White|2003|pp=95–97}}

In 1958, Richard formed the Little Richard Evangelistic Team, traveling across the country to preach.{{sfn|White|2003|pp=94–95}} A month after his decision to leave secular music, Richard met Ernestine Harvin, a secretary from Washington, D.C., and the couple married on July 11, 1959.{{sfn|White|2003|p=97}} Richard ventured into gospel music, first recording for [[End Records]], before signing with [[Mercury Records]] in 1961, where he eventually released ''King of the Gospel Singers'', in 1962, produced by [[Quincy Jones]], who later remarked that Richard's vocals impressed him more than any other vocalist he had worked with.{{sfn|White|2003|p=102: "Richard had such a unique voice and style that no one has ever matched it – even to this day"}} His childhood heroine, [[Mahalia Jackson]], wrote in the liner notes of the album that Richard "sang gospel the way it should be sung".{{sfn|White|2003|p=103: "He sang gospel the way it should be sung. He had that primitive beat and sound that came so naturally&nbsp;... the soul in his singing was not faked. It was real"}} While Richard was no longer charting in the U.S., with pop music, some of his gospel songs such as "He's Not Just a Soldier" and "He Got What He Wanted", and "Crying in the Chapel", reached the pop charts in the U.S. and the UK.{{sfn|White|2003|p=267}}

===1962–1979: Return to secular music===
{{quote box
| width = 20%
| quote = I heard so much about the audience reaction, I thought there must be some exaggeration. But it was all true. He drove the whole house into a complete frenzy&nbsp;... I couldn't believe the power of Little Richard onstage. He was amazing.
| source = —[[Mick Jagger]]{{sfn|White|2003|p=119}}
}}

In 1962, concert promoter [[Don Arden]] persuaded Little Richard to tour Europe after telling him his records were selling well there. With soul singer [[Sam Cooke]] as an opening act, Richard, who featured a teenage [[Billy Preston]] in his gospel band, figured it was a gospel tour and, after Cooke's delayed arrival forced him to cancel his show on the opening date, performed only gospel material during the show, leading to boos from the audience expecting Richard to sing his rock and roll hits. The following night, Richard viewed Cooke's well-received performance. Bringing back his competitive drive, Richard and Preston warmed up in darkness before launching into "Long Tall Sally", resulting in frenetic, hysterical responses from the audience. A show at [[Mansfield]]'s Granada Theatre ended early after fans rushed the stage.{{sfn|White|2003|p=112}}

Hearing of Richard's shows, [[Brian Epstein]], manager of [[the Beatles]], asked Don Arden to allow his band to open for Richard on some tour dates, to which he agreed. The first show for which the Beatles opened was at [[New Brighton, Merseyside|New Brighton]]'s Tower Ballroom that October.{{sfn|Winn|2008|p=12}} The following month they, along with Swedish singer [[Jerry Williams (singer)|Jerry Williams]] and his band The Violents,<ref name="liret">{{Cite news|last1=Steen|first1=Håkan|title=Håkan Steen: Tack så mycket för liret "Jerka"|trans-title=Håkan Steen: Thanks so much for the jive "Jenka"|url=https://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/a/Kvq3L6/hakan-steen-tack-sa-mycket-for-liret-jerka|access-date=March 28, 2018|work=[[Aftonbladet]]|date=March 26, 2018|archive-date=March 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180328003311/https://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/a/Kvq3L6/hakan-steen-tack-sa-mycket-for-liret-jerka|url-status=live}}</ref> opened for Richard at the [[Star-Club]] in Hamburg.{{sfn|Harry|2000|p=600}} During this time, Richard advised the group on how to perform his songs and taught [[Paul McCartney]] his distinctive [[vocal music|vocalizations]].{{sfn|Harry|2000|p=600}} Back in the United States, Richard recorded six rock and roll songs with his 1950s band, the Upsetters for [[Little Star Records]], under the name "World Famous Upsetters", hoping this would keep his options open in maintaining his position as a minister.

In the fall of 1963, Richard was called by a concert promoter to rescue a sagging tour featuring [[The Everly Brothers]], [[Bo Diddley]] and [[the Rolling Stones]]. Richard agreed and helped to save the tour from flopping. At the end of that tour, Richard was given his own television special for [[Granada Television]] titled ''The Little Richard Spectacular''. The special became a ratings hit and after 60,000 fan letters, was rebroadcast twice.{{sfn|White|2003|p=121}} In 1964, now openly re-embracing rock and roll, Richard released "Bama Lama Bama Loo" on Specialty Records. Due to his UK exposure, the song reached the top twenty there but only hit 82 in the U.S.{{sfn|White|2003|p=248}} Later in the year, he signed with [[Vee-Jay Records]], then on its dying legs, to release his "comeback" album, ''[[Little Richard Is Back (And There's a Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On!)|Little Richard Is Back]]''. Due to the arrival of the Beatles and other British bands as well as the rise of soul labels such as [[Motown]] and [[Stax Records]] and the popularity of [[James Brown]], Richard's new releases were not well promoted or well received by radio stations. However, his first Vee Jay album made number 136 on a major chart. In November/December 1964, [[Jimi Hendrix]] joined Richard's Upsetters band as a full member.{{sfn|McDermott|2009|p=13}}<ref>{{Cite book |first1=Richard |last1=Havers |first2=Richard |last2=Evans |title=The Golden Age of Rock 'N' Roll |publisher=Chartwell Books |year=2010 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AZSeU_rmdxYC&pg=PA126 |page=126 |isbn=978-0785826255}}</ref>

In December 1964, Richard brought Hendrix and childhood friend and piano teacher Eskew Reeder to a New York studio to re-record an album's worth of his greatest hits. He went on tour with his new group of Upsetters, to promote the album. In early 1965, Richard took Hendrix and Billy Preston to a New York studio where they recorded the [[Don Covay]] soul ballad, "I Don't Know What You've Got (But It's Got Me)", which became a number&nbsp;12 R&B hit.<ref>{{harvnb|McDermott|2009|p=12}}: Hendrix recording with Penniman; {{harvnb|Shadwick|2003|pp=56–57}}: "I Don't Know What You Got (But It's Got Me)" recorded in New York City.</ref> Three other songs were recorded during the sessions, "Dance a Go Go" aka "Dancin' All Around the World", "You Better Stop", and "Come See About Me" (possibly an instrumental), but "You Better Stop" was not issued until 1971 and "Come See About Me" has yet to see official release.{{sfn|Shadwick|2003|p=57}} Around this time, Richard and Jimi appeared in a show starring [[Soupy Sales]] at the [[Brooklyn Paramount]], New York. Richard's flamboyance and drive for dominance reportedly got him thrown off the show.

[[File:Little Richard (1966) (cropped).png|thumb|Little Richard in 1966]]
Hendrix and Richard clashed over the spotlight, as well as Hendrix's tardiness, wardrobe and stage antics. Hendrix also complained over his pay. In early July 1965, Richard's brother Robert Penniman "fired" Jimi, however, Jimi wrote to his father, Al Hendrix, that he quit Richard as "you can't live on promises when you're on the road, so I had to cut that mess aloose". Hendrix had not been paid "for five-and-a-half weeks" and was owed 1,000 dollars. Hendrix then rejoined [[the Isley Brothers]]' band, the IB Specials.{{sfn|Shadwick|2003|pp=56–60}} Richard later signed with [[Modern Records]], releasing a modest charter, "Do You Feel It?" before leaving for [[Okeh Records]] in early 1966. His former Specialty labelmate [[Larry Williams]] produced two albums for Richard on Okeh - the studio release ''[[The Explosive Little Richard]]'', which used a [[Motown]]-influenced sound and produced the modest charters "Poor Dog" and "Commandments of Love" and ''[[Little Richard's Greatest Hits: Recorded Live!]]'' which returned him to the album charts.<ref name="HallofFame1986">{{Cite web|publisher=The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame|year=1986|title=Little Richard|url=https://rockhall.com/inductees/little-richard/|access-date=March 6, 2013|archive-date=July 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160705051632/http://rockhall.com/inductees/little-richard/|url-status=live}}</ref>{{sfn|White|2003|pp=253–255}}{{sfn|White|2003|pp=268–269}} Richard was later scathing about this period, declaring Larry Williams "the worst producer in the world".<ref>{{Cite magazine |last1=Dalton |first1=David |date=May 28, 1970 |title=Little Richard: Child of God |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/little-richard-child-of-god-2-177027/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=August 12, 2020}}</ref> In 1967, Richard signed with [[Brunswick Records]], but after clashing with the label over musical direction, he left the following year.

[[File:Little Richard (1967).png|thumb|upright|Little Richard in 1967]]
Richard felt that producers on his labels did not promote his records during this period. Later, he claimed they kept trying to push him to  make records similar to Motown and felt he was not treated with appropriate respect.<ref>"Religion and Rock and Roll", ''Joel Martin Show'', WBAB 102.3 FM, NY. Guests: [[Harry Hepcat]] and Little Richard, August 16, 1981.</ref> Richard often performed in dingy clubs and lounges with little support from his label. While Richard managed to perform in huge venues overseas such as in England and France, in the U.S. Richard had to perform on the [[Chitlin' Circuit]]. Richard's flamboyant look, while a hit during the 1950s, failed to help his labels to promote him to more conservative black record buyers.{{sfn|Gulla|2008|p=41}} Richard later claimed that his decision to "[[backslide]]" from his ministry, led religious clergymen to protest his new recordings.{{sfn|White|2003|p=132}} Making matters worse, Richard said, was his insistence on performing in front of integrated audiences at the time of the black liberation movement, which caused many black radio disk jockeys in certain areas of the country, including Los Angeles, to choose not to play his music.{{sfn|White|2003|p=133}} Now acting as his manager, Larry Williams convinced Richard to focus on his live shows. By 1968, he had ditched the Upsetters for his new backup band, the Crown Jewels, and performed on the Canadian TV show, ''[[Where It's At (TV series)|Where It's At]]''. Richard was also featured on the [[Monkees]] TV special ''[[33⅓ Revolutions per Monkee]]'' in April 1969. Williams booked Richard shows in [[Las Vegas]] casinos and resorts, leading Richard to adopt an even wilder, flamboyant, and androgynous look, inspired by Hendrix's success. Richard was soon booked at rock festivals such as the [[Atlantic City Pop Festival]] where he stole the show from headliner [[Janis Joplin]]. Richard produced a similar show stealer at the [[Toronto Rock and Roll Revival]] with [[John Lennon]] as the headliner. These successes brought Little Richard to talk shows such as the ''[[Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson]]'' and the ''[[Dick Cavett Show]]'', raising his celebrity status.{{sfn|Gulla|2008|pp=41–42}}

Responding to his reputation as a successful concert performer, [[Reprise Records]] signed Richard in 1970 and he released the album, ''[[The Rill Thing]]'', with the philosophical single, "Freedom Blues", becoming his biggest single in years. In May 1970, Richard made the cover of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine. Despite the success of "Freedom Blues", none of Richard's other Reprise singles charted with the exception of "Greenwood, Mississippi", a [[swamp rock]] original by guitar hero, [[Travis Wammack]], who incidentally played on the track. It charted briefly on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], Cash Box pop chart, and ''Billboard'' Country charts. It made a strong showing on [[WWRL]] radio in New York. Richard became a featured guest instrumentalist and vocalist on recordings by acts such as [[Delaney and Bonnie]], [[Joey Covington]] and [[Joe Walsh]] and was prominently featured on [[Canned Heat]]'s 1972 hit single, "Rockin' with the King". To keep up with his finances and bookings, Richard and three of his brothers formed a management company, Bud Hole Incorporated. By 1972, Richard had entered the rock and roll revival circuit, and that year, he co-headlined the [[London Rock and Roll Show]] at [[Wembley Stadium]] with [[Chuck Berry]]. When he came on stage he announced himself "the king of rock and roll", also the title of his 1971 album. He was booed during the show when he climbed on top of his piano and stopped singing; he also seemed to ignore the crowd. To make matters worse, he showed up with just five musicians and struggled through low lighting and bad microphones. When the concert film documenting the show came out, his performance was considered generally strong, though his fans noticed a drop in energy and vocal artistry. Two songs he performed did not make film's final cut. The following year, he recorded a charting soul ballad, "In the Middle of the Night", released with proceeds donated to victims of [[tornadoes]] that had caused damage in twelve states.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NkMDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA62|title=New York Beat|date=July 5, 1973|magazine=[[Jet (magazine)|Jet]]|volume=44|number=15|page=62}}</ref>

Richard did no new recordings in 1974, although two "new" albums were released. In the summer, came a major surprise for fans, ''Talkin' 'bout Soul'', a collection of previously released Vee Jay recordings, as well as some unreleased numbers, all never before available on a domestic LP. Two were new to the world: the title tune and "You'd Better Stop", both up tempo.

Later that year came a set recorded in one night, early the previous year, called ''Right Now!'', and featuring "roots" material, including a vocal version of an unreleased Reprise instrumental "Mississippi", released in 1972 as "Funky Dish Rag"; his third try at his gospel-rock tune "In the Name"; and a 6-minute plus rocker, "Hot Nuts", based upon a 1936 song by Li'l Johnson ("Get 'Em From The Peanut Man").

1975 was a big year for Richard, with a world tour and acclaim over high energy performances throughout England and France. His band was perhaps his best to date. He cut a top 40 single (US and Canada), with [[Bachman-Turner Overdrive]], "Take It Like a Man". He worked on new songs with sideman Seabrun "Candy" Hunter. In 1976, he decided to retire again, physically and mentally exhausted, having experienced family tragedy and the drug culture. He was talked into once again recutting his greatest hits, for Stan Shulman in Nashville. This time, they used original arrangements. Richard re-recorded eighteen of his hits for [[K-Tel Records]] in stereo, with a single featuring the new versions of "Good Golly Miss Molly" and "Rip It Up" reaching the [[UK singles chart]].<ref name="betts">{{Cite book| first= Graham| last= Betts| year=2004| title= Complete UK Hit Singles 1952–2004| edition= 1st|publisher= Collins| location= London| isbn= 978-0-00-717931-2| page=457}}</ref> Richard later admitted that at the time he was addicted to drugs and alcohol.

By 1977, worn out from years of drug abuse and wild partying as well as a string of personal tragedies, Richard quit rock and roll again and returned to [[evangelism]], releasing one gospel album, ''[[God's Beautiful City]]'', in 1979.{{sfn|White|2003|p=201}} At the same time, while touring as a minister and returning to talk shows, a controversial album was released by the discount label, Koala, taken from a 1974 concert. It includes an 11-minute discordant version of "Good Golly, Miss Molly". The performances are widely panned as subpar and it gained notoriety among collectors.

===1984–1999: Comeback===
[[File:Little Richard 1998 color.jpg|thumb|upright|Little Richard holding a photograph of himself at a [[Best Buddies International]] event, 1998]]
In 1984, Richard filed a $112&nbsp;million lawsuit against [[Specialty Records]], [[Art Rupe]] and his publishing company, Venice Music, and [[Sony-ATV Music Publishing|ATV Music]] for not paying royalties to him after he left the label in 1959.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Little Richard Files Suit To Claim Lost Royalties |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1356&dat=19840817&id=4bdPAAAAIBAJ&pg=5519,795258 |newspaper=Ocala Star-Banner |date=August 17, 1984 |access-date=January 4, 2013 |page=2 |archive-date=July 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200711024713/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1356&dat=19840817&id=4bdPAAAAIBAJ&pg=5519,795258 |url-status=live }}</ref> The suit was settled out of court in 1986.<ref>{{Cite magazine|magazine=Billboard|title=Inside Track |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0iQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA84|date=May 17, 1986 |volume=98|number=20|page=84}}</ref> According to some reports, [[Michael Jackson]] allegedly gave him monetary compensation for his work, which he co-owned with Sony-ATV, songs by the Beatles and Richard.<ref name=msnbc>{{Cite web|url=https://www.today.com/id/32297409/ns/today-today_entertainment/t/michael-jacksons-mom-played-role-business/|title=Michael Jackson's mom played role in business – Entertainment – Celebrities|work=Today|agency=Associated Press|date=August 5, 2009|access-date=December 28, 2012|archive-date=December 2, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202231357/http://www.today.com/id/32297409/ns/today-today_entertainment/t/michael-jacksons-mom-played-role-business/|url-status=live}}</ref> In September 1984, [[Charles White (Dr Rock)|Charles White]] released the singer's authorized biography, ''Quasar of Rock: The Life and Times of Little Richard'', which returned Richard to the spotlight.<ref name=RS13/> Richard returned to show business in what ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' referred to as a "formidable comeback" following the book's release.<ref name=RS13>{{Cite magazine |title=Little Richard Biography|magazine=Rolling Stone |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/little-richard/biography|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110529103603/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/little-richard/biography|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 29, 2011|access-date=March 7, 2013}}</ref>

Reconciling his roles as evangelist and rock and roller for the first time, Richard stated that the genre could be used for good or evil.{{sfn|White|2003|p=221}} After accepting a role in the film ''[[Down and Out in Beverly Hills]]'', Richard and Billy Preston penned the faith-based rock and roll song "Great Gosh A'Mighty" for its soundtrack.{{sfn|White|2003|p=221}} Richard won critical acclaim for his film role and the song found success on the [[Billboard Hot 100|American]] and [[Official Charts Company|British]] charts.{{sfn|White|2003|p=221}} The hit led to the release of the album ''[[Lifetime Friend]]'' (1986) on [[Warner Bros. Records]], with songs deemed "messages in rhythm", including a [[gospel rap]] track.{{sfn|White|2003|p=273}} In addition to a version of "Great Gosh A'Mighty", cut in England, the album featured two singles that charted in the UK, "Somebody's Comin'" and "Operator". Richard spent much of the rest of the decade as a guest on television shows and appearing in films, winning new fans with what was referred to as his "unique comedic timing."<ref>{{IMDb name|id=0005153}}</ref>

In 1988, he introduced a new song written by his guitarist, Travis Wammack ("King of the Swamp Guitar"), "(There's ) No Place Like Home", a slow, reflective biographical Country ballad, which fans believed would become a major Country hit. It was performed at major musical events and captured on a commercial video from Italy and released in an Australian DVD.  (Seven years later, a single was pressed but withdrawn. Richard discovered it was bootlegged.) That same year, he surprised fans with a tribute to [[Otis Redding]] at his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, singing several Redding songs, including "Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa (Sad Song)", "These Arms of Mine", and "[[(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay|(Sittin' on the) Dock of the Bay]]". Richard told Redding's story and explained how his 1956 tune "All Around the World" was Redding's reference on his 1963 side, "Hey, Hey Baby". In 1989, Richard provided rhythmic preaching and background vocals on the extended live version of the [[U2]]–[[B.B. King]] hit "[[When Love Comes to Town]]". That same year, Richard returned to singing his classic hits following a performance of "Lucille" at an AIDS benefit concert.{{sfn|Chalmers|2012}}

[[File:President Bill Clinton greets musician Little Richard.jpg|thumb|left|President [[Bill Clinton]] greets Little Richard at the [[White House]] in 1994]]
In 1990, Richard contributed a spoken-word rap on [[Living Colour]]'s hit song, "[[Elvis Is Dead]]", from their album ''[[Time's Up (Living Colour album)|Time's Up]]''.{{sfn|Mahon|2004|p=151}}{{sfn|Rodman|1996|p=46}} That same year he appeared in a cameo for the music video of [[Cinderella (band)|Cinderella]]'s "[[Shelter Me (Cinderella song)|Shelter Me]]". In 1991, he appeared the home video ''Detonator Videoaction 1991'' by the [[hair metal]] band [[Ratt]], and the same year, he was one of the featured performers on the hit single and video "[[Voices That Care]]" that was produced to boost the morale of U.S. troops involved in [[Operation Desert Storm]]. The same year, he recorded a version of "[[The Itsy Bitsy Spider]]" for the [[Pediatric AIDS Foundation]] benefit album ''For Our Children''. The album's success led to a deal with [[Walt Disney Records]], resulting in the release of a hit 1992 children's album, ''[[Shake It All About (album)|Shake It All About]]''.

In 1994, Richard sang the theme song to the award-winning [[PBS Kids]] and [[TLC (TV network)|TLC]] animated television series ''[[The Magic School Bus (TV series)|The Magic School Bus]]''. He also opened [[Wrestlemania X]] from Madison Square Garden that year miming to his reworked rendition of "[[America the Beautiful]]".

Throughout the 1990s, Richard performed around the world and appeared on TV, film, and tracks with other artists, including [[Jon Bon Jovi]], [[Elton John]], and [[Solomon Burke]]. In 1992 he released his final album, ''[[Little Richard Meets Masayoshi Takanaka]],'' featuring members of Richard's touring band.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/may/04/little-richard-denies-claims-of-poor-health-illness-untrue|title=Little Richard denies claims of poor health|newspaper=The Guardian|date=May 4, 2016|access-date=October 26, 2017|archive-date=October 27, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171027025800/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/may/04/little-richard-denies-claims-of-poor-health-illness-untrue|url-status=live}}</ref>

===2000–2020: Later years===
In 2000, Richard's life was dramatized for the biographical film ''[[Little Richard (film)|Little Richard]]'', which focused on his early years, including his heyday, his religious conversion and his return to secular music in the early 1960s. Richard was played by [[Leon Robinson]], who earned an [[NAACP Image Award]] nomination for his performance. In 2002, Richard contributed to the [[Johnny Cash]] [[tribute album]], ''[[Kindred Spirits: A Tribute to the Songs of Johnny Cash]]''. In 2004–2005, he released two sets of unreleased and rare cuts, from the Okeh label 1966/67 and the Reprise label in 1970/72. Included was the full ''Southern Child'' album, produced and composed mostly by Richard, scheduled for release in 1972, but shelved. In 2006, Little Richard was featured in a popular [[GEICO]] advertisement.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-unlikely-titan-of-advertising/ | publisher=CBS News | title=The Unlikely Titan of Advertising | date=February 14, 2007 | access-date=July 30, 2020 | archive-date=June 2, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602102703/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3445_162-2476130.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Little Richard in 2007 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Little Richard performing in 2007]]
A 2005 recording of his duet vocals with [[Jerry Lee Lewis]] on a cover of the Beatles' "[[I Saw Her Standing There]]" was included on Lewis's 2006 album, ''[[Last Man Standing (Jerry Lee Lewis album)|Last Man Standing]]''. The same year, Richard was a guest judge on the TV series ''[[Celebrity Duets]]''. Richard and Lewis performed alongside [[John Fogerty]] at the [[2008 Grammy Awards]] in a tribute to the two artists considered to be cornerstones of rock and roll by the [[NARAS]]. That same year, Richard appeared on radio host [[Don Imus]]' benefit album for sick children, ''The Imus Ranch Record''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/10/arts/television/10radi.html|title=Singers Aid a Charity and The Man Who Runs It|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 10, 2008|last1=Steinberg|first1=Jacques|access-date=February 19, 2017|archive-date=September 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904100035/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/10/arts/television/10radi.html?_r=0|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2009, Richard was Inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame in a concert in New Orleans. In June 2010, Richard recorded a gospel track for an upcoming tribute album to songwriting legend [[Dottie Rambo]].

Throughout the first decade of the new millennium, Richard kept up a vigorous touring schedule, performing primarily in the United States and Europe. However, [[sciatic nerve]] pain in his left leg and then replacement of the involved hip began affecting the frequency of his performances by 2010. Despite his health problems, Richard continued to perform to receptive audiences and critics. ''Rolling Stone'' reported that at a performance at the [[Howard Theater]] in Washington, D.C., in June 2012, Richard was "still full of fire, still a master showman, his voice still loaded with deep gospel and raunchy power."<ref name="rollingstone.com">{{Cite magazine|first=Patrick |last=Doyle |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/little-richard-tears-through-raucous-set-in-washington-d-c-20120617 |title=Little Richard Tears Through Raucous Set in Washington, D.C.  |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=June 17, 2012 |access-date=March 2, 2013}}</ref> Richard performed a full 90-minute show at the Pensacola Interstate Fair in [[Pensacola, Florida]], in October 2012, at age 79, and headlined at the Orleans Hotel in [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]] during Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend in March 2013.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gopensacola.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=E6&Dato=20121028&Kategori=GOPENSACOLA08&Lopenr=210280801&Ref=PH|title=Little Richard in concert|work=GoPensacola.com|date=October 28, 2012|access-date=April 14, 2013|archive-date=December 3, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203025234/http://www.gopensacola.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=E6&Dato=20121028&Kategori=GOPENSACOLA08&Lopenr=210280801&Ref=PH|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.lasvegassun.com/vegasdeluxe/2013/apr/01/photos-little-richard-headlines-viva-las-vegas-ro/ |title=Photos: Little Richard headlines at Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend at The Orleans|newspaper=Las Vegas Sun|date=April 1, 2013|access-date=April 2, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202222115/http://www.lasvegassun.com/vegasdeluxe/2013/apr/01/photos-little-richard-headlines-viva-las-vegas-ro/|archive-date=December 2, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> In September 2013, ''Rolling Stone'' published an interview with Richard who said that he would be retiring from performing. "I am done, in a sense, because I don't feel like doing anything right now", he told the magazine, adding, "I think my legacy should be that when I started in showbusiness there wasn't no such thing as rock'n'roll. When I started with 'Tutti Frutti', that's when rock really started rocking."<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/little-richard-80-birthday-neil-strauss-996672/ |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |title= Little Richard's Long Goodbye |last=Strauss |first=Neil |date=September 12, 2013 |access-date=May 9, 2020}}</ref> Richard would perform one last concert in Murfreesboro, Tennessee in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://ontargetnews.com/2020/05/09/music-icon-little-richard-died-in-his-sleep-on-saturday-in-tullahoma/ |title=Music Icon Little Richard Died in His Sleep on Saturday in Tullahoma |last=Knott |first=Lucky |date=May 10, 2020 |website=On Target News.com |access-date=May 19, 2020 |archive-date=June 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613214704/https://ontargetnews.com/2020/05/09/music-icon-little-richard-died-in-his-sleep-on-saturday-in-tullahoma/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In June 2015, Richard appeared before a benefit concert audience, clad in sparkly boots and a brightly colored jacket at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville to receive the Rhapsody & Rhythm Award from and raise funds for the [[National Museum of African American Music]]. It was reported that he charmed the crowd by reminiscing about his early days working in Nashville nightclubs.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.musicrow.com/2015/06/nashvilles-african-american-music-museum-to-honor-little-richard-cece-winans/ |title=Nashville's African American Music Museum To Honor Little Richard, CeCe Winans : MusicRow – Nashville's Music Industry Publication – News, Songs From Music City |date=June 17, 2015 |publisher=Musicrow.com |access-date=August 17, 2015 |archive-date=September 29, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929015417/http://www.musicrow.com/2015/06/nashvilles-african-american-music-museum-to-honor-little-richard-cece-winans/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="tennessean1">{{Cite web |first=Juli|last=Thanki|url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2015/06/19/little-richard-cece-winans-honored-nashville/28999825/|title=Little Richard, Cece Winans, more honored in Nashville |work=The Tennessean|date=June 19, 2015|access-date=September 5, 2019}}</ref> In May 2016, the National Museum of African American Music issued a press release indicating that Richard was one of the key artists and music industry leaders that attended its third annual Celebration of Legends Luncheon in Nashville honoring [[Shirley Caesar]], [[Kenny Gamble]] and [[Leon Huff]] with Rhapsody & Rhythm Awards.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://nmaam.org/nmaam-hosted-successful-2016-my-music-matters-a-celebration-of-legends-luncheon/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906034853/https://nmaam.org/nmaam-hosted-successful-2016-my-music-matters-a-celebration-of-legends-luncheon/ |url-status=dead|archive-date=September 6, 2017 |publisher=National Museum of African American Music|title=NMAAM Hosted Successful 2016 My Music Matters™: A Celebration of Legends Luncheon|date=May 11, 2016|access-date=September 5, 2017 }}</ref> In 2016, a new CD was released on Hitman Records, ''California (I'm Comin')'' with released and previously unreleased material from the 1970s, including an [[a cappella]] version of his 1975 single release, "Try to Help Your Brother". On September 6, 2017, Richard participated in a television interview for the Christian [[Three Angels Broadcasting Network]], appearing in a wheelchair, clean-shaven, without make-up, dressed in a blue paisley coat and tie, where he discussed his Christian faith.<ref>{{Cite news|date=September 6, 2017|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTXfx4h4iPs|title=3 Angels Broadcasting Network: Little Richard 2017|access-date=January 13, 2018|archive-date=November 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171115095147/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTXfx4h4iPs&gl=US&hl=en|url-status=live}}</ref>

On October 23, 2019, Richard addressed the audience after appearing to receive the Distinguished Artist Award at the 2019 Tennessee Governor's Arts Awards at the Governor's Residence in Nashville, Tennessee.<ref name="knoxnews.com">{{Cite web |url=https://www.knoxnews.com/picture-gallery/news/2019/10/24/2019-tennessee-governors-arts-awards/4081184002/ |title=2019 Tennessee Governor's Arts Awards |website=Knoxnews.com |date=October 24, 2019 |access-date=April 22, 2020 |archive-date=January 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116113505/https://www.knoxnews.com/picture-gallery/news/2019/10/24/2019-tennessee-governors-arts-awards/4081184002/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="musicrow.com">{{Cite web |url=https://musicrow.com/2019/10/bobby-karl-works-the-room-the-tennessee-governors-arts-awards/ |title=Bobby Karl Works The Room: The Tennessee Governor's Arts Awards |work=MusicRow|date=October 25, 2019 |access-date=October 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191027165635/https://musicrow.com/2019/10/bobby-karl-works-the-room-the-tennessee-governors-arts-awards/ |archive-date=October 27, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>