Little Richard: The Birth of Rock 'n' Roll

by David K. Kirby

A brilliant new biography of the extraordinary, outrageous performer who helped open the floodgates of Rock 'n' Roll. In June, 2007, Little Richard's 1955 Specialty Records single, "Tutti Frutti," topped Mojo magazine's list of "100 Records That Changed the World." But back in the early 1950s, nobody gave Little Richard a second glance. It was a time in America where the black and white worlds had co-existed separately for nearly two centuries. After "Tutti Frutti," Little Richard began garnering fans from both sides of the civil rights divide. He brought black and white youngsters together on the dance floor and even helped to transform race relations.

Little The Birth of Rock 'n' Roll begins by grounding the reader in the fertile soil from which Little Richard's music sprang. In Macon, Georgia, David Kirby interviews relatives and local characters, who knew Little Richard way back when, citing church and family as his true inspiration. His antics began as early as grade school, performing for his classmates every time the teacher would leave the room, connecting to an age-old American show biz tradition of charade and flummery. On the road, Little Richard faced competition from his peers, honing his stage show and making it, too, an act that could not be counterfeited.

Kirby sees Little Richard as a foxy warrior, fighting with skill and cunning to take his place among the greats. In the words of Keith Richards (on hearing "Tutti Frutti" for the first time), "it was as though the world changed suddenly from monochrome to Technicolor." Those sentiments have consistently been echoed by the music-listening world, and the time is ripe for a reassessment of Little Richard's genius and legacy.

Genres: Music

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Stanley Booth]

When I told Little Richard I was writing a book about the Rolling Stones, he said “I hope you sell one beelion.” I feel the same about his most recent biographer, the multi-talented David Kirby, whose work will be known by readers of GEORGIA MUSIC MAGAZINE, as well as poets, especially those drawn by catchy titles: SERIOUSLY FUNNY is an anthology Kirby put together with his wife, Barbara Hamby (UGA Press) and his last solo volume is TALKING ABOUT MOVIES WITH JESUS, which I suspect he does on a regular basis. Kirby can apparently write about anything, and he is directly responsible for one of my anniversary gifts. A friend sent me a review, which I promptly handed over to Diann, of a new biography of Big Bill Broonzy. “I’d like to read this book. It’s a damn well-written review.” First she rolled her eyes: “Of course it’s a ‘well-written review. David Kirby wrote the piece.” Then she ordered the book, which now sits at my place at the kitchen table. She begs me not to drip hummus upon it. Seriously.

[Craig Pittman]

If you want to read a fascinating, jaw-dropping, mostly serious biography of Little Richard, pick up Charles White's 2003 book, "The Life and Times of Little Richard." If, on the other hand, you would like to read a fun, funny and sometimes thoughtful meditation on what Little Richard and his groundbreaking song "Tutti Frutti" mean to the modern world, then by all means grab a copy of this book by Florida State professor and poet David Kirby. Instead of subtitling it "The Birth of Rock'n'Roll," he probably should have subtitled it, "What A-Wop-Bop-A-Loo-Bop-A-Wop-Bam-Boom Really Means."

Kirby opens this delightful little (a mere 200 pages) book by telling the story of a reporting trip to Little Richard's birthplace of Macon, Ga., to get background on his subject. He meets one of Richard's cousins, a 77-year-old woman who still lives there and talks to her famous relative on the phone -- at which point the man himself, Ricardo Penniman, calls to speak with her. Kirby manages to get on the line for a few seconds to chat with him, and he directs Kirby to do something bizarre. AND KIRBY DOES IT. It's a sign of how commanding that famous voice of his can be.

Kirby is less concerned with telling the life of Little Richard -- he too refers readers to the White bio -- and more focused on explaining how he came to record his first hit and how it shook the foundations of the musical world. He brings in anecdotes and quotes from Keith Richards ("it was as though the world changed suddenly from monochrome to Technicolor" he said of hearing "Tutti Frutti" the first time) and a host of other artists, and meditates on how and why we create great art. Kirby's conversation with legendary New Orleans music figure Cosimo Matassa, who recorded the song in his studio, is a true highlight. He also repeatedly mocks Pat Boone for attempting to cover (and blandify) Little Richard's tunes -- to the point where Richard purposely wrote and recorded a song that he bragged was too fast for Boone to handle!

All in all, this is a fun read, with only a little bit of ponderousness to wade through between delightful stories. In short, I wouldn't so much call this a biography as an appreciation, and good golly, Miss Molly, we all ought to appreciate Little Richard more than we do.

[Phil Bayly]

"A-WOP-BOP-A-LOO-MOP, A-LOP-BAM-BOOM." Is the very minute those lyrics were screamed into a microphone the moment Rock 'n' Roll was born?
That would mark the birthdate at September 14, 1955, when Little Richard squeezed into a closet-sized recording studio in New Orleans and propelled "Tutti Frutti" on it's way to a vinyl platter.
Florida State University professor David Kirby asserts that rock 'n' roll musicians following Little Richard may have been bigger stars and certainly better at playing the game, but Little Richard fired the first shot that could never be taken back.
Kirby's book follows rock 'n' roll through its religious and racial influences, as well as tactical accomplishments. Rock 'n' roll's early disciples saw for themselves, in concert halls and sock hops, that the human drum beat would not be denied.
I'm sorry I didn't get to take a class taught by Kirby at FSU. But this book is full of lessons and anecdotes about rock music, what it is and how it got there. Or, as Little Richard might say it, "It's not what you eat, it's the way you chew it."

[Colleen Reed]

I bought this book randomly after seeing it's pink cover at my university's bookstore. Although I love biographies and early rock and roll I had to admit that I did not know much about Little Richard or the mid 1950's when most of his hits were produced.

This book is not a typical biography in the sense that it has a strong temporal narrative or even fully chronicles the life of the singer. The story and dates tends to jump around and many passages do not focus solely on Little Richard. In some ways the biography of Little Richard is placed in a larger historical narrative that attempts to explain how music was changing in a specific time period and the kind of impact that Little Richard had on music as well as the impact that changes had on Little Richard.

This book also contains interview material from all kinds of people including the family of Little Richard, his record producers, and other musical artists. This material combined with the author's ability to explain the workings of "weird America" allows Little Richard's personality to shine through while still fitting in with the larger story that Kirby wants readers to see.

Overall I found this book very enjoyable even though it was not the kind of biography I thought that it would be.

[Jesse]

Breezy but heady. An extended Greil Marcus-style reverie on "Tutti Fruitti," a song totally worthwhile of such an associative historical/social treatment. The book is totally worthwhile in a 33 1/3 quick-read kind of way, though Kirby sets up maybe slightly more than he delivers. Maybe best read in conjunction with the official Charles White bio, which I haven't read but certainly (now) intend to, and also Elijah Wald's "How the Beatles Destroyed Rock & Roll."

[Phil Overeem]

Very little to disagree with in this rather slight tome about rock and roll's wildest founding father. Too much of its thrust is powered by other writers, a disappointment that, to Kirby's credit, he does nothing to hide.

[Shauna Parker]

It's a short book which makes for a very quick, though thoroughly entertaining, read. For the serious Little Richard fan there's probably a more in-depth book out there but as a casual fan looking for an overview of Richard's role in early rock 'n' roll history, this book fits the bill well.

[Rob Britt]

I could only read half. It was very disappointing. The author rarely talked about Little Richard. He just did a long stream-of-consciousness random ramble on American culture. I kept wondering when he was going to get to the point. I read half of the book, and he never did.

[Laurie]

I've always liked little richard. this is pretty interesting book with a lot of background and good references. i want to visit macon!