Little Richard, who died May 9 at age 87, was widely regarded as a foundational figure in rock-and-roll, and he aggressively promoted his role in music history. “There’s only one originator, there’s only one architect: Little Richard,” he once told Playboy.
That’s not to say his assessment, however immodest, was inaccurate. In the span of three years — 1955 to 1958 — he poured out hit after definitive hit, including “Tutti-Frutti,” “Long Tall Sally,” “Good Golly Miss Molly,” “Rip It Up,” “Jenny, Jenny,” “Slippin’ and Slidin’ ” and “Lucille.”
image…AP