(RNS) Little Richard — the musician known for singing, shouting and flamboyant showmanship — was more than a little religious at times during his life.
The man born Richard Wayne Penniman in 1932 in Macon, Georgia, to a church deacon and a Baptist mother died Saturday (May 9) at the age of 87. He was known for such 1950s hits as “Tutti Frutti” and “Good Golly, Miss Molly.”
“Little Richard was a pioneer of rock and roll who was steeped in gospel and unashamedly borrowed from it to create his unique style,” wrote Steve Turner in the book “An Illustrated History of Gospel.”
Here are six examples of how religion played a role in Little Richard’s life.