by Timothy Dexter Latus

With an early career as disc jockey, record producer and record company executive, I’ve made the rounds with dozens of leading performers of all varieties. But one I hadn’t had the privilege of meeting until recently has to be one of the most unusual.

Usually a man’s talent and reputation makes him appear larger than life on stage. But paradoxically, this man’s reputation actually makes him appear SMALLER.

I speak of none other than Little Richard. Actually of above average 5’ 11" height, he uses a number of staging tricks to appear well, little. What’s a guy to do whose world-wide reputation is connected with a moniker picked up early in his career? In truth, there is not much "little" bout this remarkable showman.

Recently, at the wonderful old 1894 Grand Opera House on the Texas Gulf Coast at Galveston, I had the opportunity to see the famous Little Richard. He is preparing to head off into a "sunset of his years" retirement, but his spirit is a lesson for all of us.

Actually Richard calls himself way more than a legend of rock and roll. He says he INVENTED the genre. He is the "originator, the architect, the creator, the emancipator, the king" AND "the Georgia peach beauty who is still on duty" at almost 70.

It all started when he quit school in the ninth grade and, despite the physical malady of a right leg shorter than his left, he joined a traveling medicine show, then hired on with Sugarloaf Sam, a minstrel show, going on to win a singing contest and RCA recording contract at age 18.

He had an enormous impact on rock and roll, shaking up USA segregationist music and radio until it would never be the same again. From his first giant hit, "Tutti Frutti" to "Good Golly Miss Molly" to "Long Tall Sally" to "Lucille," this singer/song writer, piano player extraordinaire has been cited as THE inspiration for performing by none other than Elvis Presley, John Lennon, James Brown, Otis Redding and David Bowie. In the 1960's a group called The Beatles opened his European shows and, being "a singer, not a businessman," he said he passed up their offer to purchase a 50% interest in the act.

No slouch himself, he personally has sold over 32 Million records, though his royalties were typically meager in the white-dominated business and he collected next to nothing.

He was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, won the BMI Ikon Award and just this year was honored for his "exhilarating showmanship" and inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame (even though he wants it known that his mother was American Indian. He points out that he "has the cheekbones" which he is glad of because "your face don't fall in as fast.")

For 54 years, vegetarian Little Richard has been performing. He says he hasn't taken a day off EVER and that finally he "is tired." Shortly after his 70th birthday on December 5th, he will have done his last public singing performance. Now calling himself a "black Jew," his history includes a couple of not-much-talked-about detours as a Seventh Day Adventist minister, a Bible salesman and forays into gospel singing.

Two life-threatening incidents marked turning points in his life and to this day he views his work as spiritual. His performance included a lament that contemporary society seems to have lost its way from the Ten Commandments. Of God, he says He has been his "director and protector" and "a blessin' and a lesson" in his life.

And you could certainly say that Little Richard's performance was "out of this world!" This wild man of flashy clothes, thickly sprayed, piled high hair, mascara accented eyebrows, high heeled sparkle boots and face made up like a Hollywood starlet, sang and pranced like no other 69 year old I've ever heard or seen before!

The audience had its fair share of octogenarians, but they all were there to have a good old rock and roll time. Little Richard didn't disappoint.

There were two great highlights of his show. The first was when he called for people of very shape, size and description to join him on stage. "Now I want a big, fat white woman," he hollered out at one point.

It didn't take long before there was quite an assortment of folks on stage, from his requested fat white woman in blue stirrup pants and tennis shoes to a giant American Indian complete with headdress, celebrating his birthday. These two dozen assorted stage companions, Little Richard and his band broke into the song "Old Time Rock & Roll," accompanied by self-styled dancing of every imaginable description. It was GREAT fun.

All those varied souls in common celebration was a wonderful metaphor of American culture -- a melting pot of diversity -- each dancing their OWN rock and roll dance and each having a greater time than the other.

Well done, Richard Wayne Penniman.

Shortly afterward the mood quieted. In his falsetto voice, and with unique expression, Little Richard shared his personal reactions while watching television on the morning of September 11, 2001.

"My gawd. Ooh no. Ooh my gawd. Mercy, mercy me. Ooh, my soul! My, my, my. And to think that the man flying that thing thinks he is going to heaven to meet virgins -- when he is really going to where there is a whole lot of heat."

After performing all over the world, Little Richard said he had come to realize how very lucky he was to be born in the USA.

And then, with the audience quickly joining in, we all SANG,

"You can do what you want to do

-- living in the USA.

You can eat what you want to eat

-- living in the USA.

You can preach what you want to preach

-- living in the USA.

You can buy what you want to buy

-- living in the USA.

You can learn what you want to learn

-- living in the USA.

You can go where you want to go

-- living in the USA.

You can say what you want to say

-- living in the USA.

You can believe what you want to believe

-- living in the USA.

You can see what you want to see

-- living in the USA.

You can be what you want to be

-- living in the USA.

I didn't find out whether Little Richard wrote that song himself, but I can tell you this. . .

Seeing a near 70 year old non-white American music legend with pompadour hair, full make up and glitter boots leading an audience full of wizened white hair and all colors of skin -- every one singing the praises of freedom. . .

was a memorable and uniquely AMERICAN experience.

We love our freedom!

Yes, you are SO right, Little Richard.

Your work IS spiritual.

Thank you for the breath of fresh SALTY air.

And Godspeed to you in retirement.

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Copyright 2002 Timothy Dexter Latus, All Rights Reserved.

About the Author: Timothy Dexter Latus, Ph.D., DPMP is President of Academy of Psychic Arts & Sciences. With 30+ years as a professional psychic consultant, he shares observations about your world from the New Age spiritual philosophy.

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