Little Richard: I Am Everything

When Little Richard passed on in 2020 most of the news stories followed the familiar tale of the man as one of the founders of rock in the 50s who found religion, dropped out and then came back to the "devil's music". This film does a good job fleshing out Richard's story and delve deep into his background and the full arc of his life and career.

The CNN film paints a pretty detailed picture of Richards' complicated life. The doc highlights the central tension of his sexuality and 'evils' of rock n roll versus his religious upbringing. He had at least two major breaks from pop music which damaged his career commercially (he never again had a Top 40 single after first leaving rock in the late 50s). Richards' homosexuality was never truly hidden, but he himself was a contradiction by marrying a woman and renouncing his own lifestyle at times. It haunted him until the very end.

Despite his up and down career as a musician, his influence was phenomenal and both docs have testimonials from everyone like Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger to David Bowie. John Waters states that his pencil mustache is his decades long tribute to Richards' trademark 'stache. One of the "villains" of the piece is Pat Boone, who did toned down covers of Richards' songs to greater commercial success with white audiences.

A 2023 Max documentary on the famed flamboyant progenitor of all things rock 'n' roll. Reared & raised in meager straits, Richard would find himself into music emulating a gay performer (donning a big pompadour & wearing make-up) who toured the chitlin circuit which prompted him to do the same where he made a killing until he found out white performers like Elvis Presley & Pat Boone would outsell his releases when they re-recorded his tunes. Gaining fans from the unlikeliest of places; England (in the form of the Beatles & Stones) Richard was soon on his way musically but his own personal demons; being gay & non-secular at the same time would dog him for the rest of his career sometimes where he'd renounce his sexuality for the church & vice versa but his real annoyance came in the form of not being recognized for his sizable, quantifiable influence on rock music (witness the montage of artists he influenced w/Harry Styles himself wearing gender bending clothes appealing to the masses) which was hopefully rectified by the end of his life. Using audio interviews & archival footage of the man himself you'd be hard pressed to not have him be the eternal life of the party whose thumping sound & grandiose behavior enchanting & delighting all.

This perceptive documentary on the career and importance of Little Richard transcends the typical pop music tribute in the breadth and depth of its treatment -kudos to director Lisa Cortes.

It concisely covers many topics relevant to his rise as well as the roadblocks that were placed in his way. Being Black, Gay and a rebel added up to his becoming a revolutionary figure in popular culture. And the selection of interviewees, some famous, some less so, but all knowledgeable about facets of his life.

From his earliest influences and colleagues to the early White ripoffs of his songs starting with "Tutti Frutti" by Elvis and Pat Boone, and ultimately by an adoring Paul McCartney, the movie traces a circuitous history of a legendary performer.

His international influences are attested to by McCarthy, Mick Jagger, Tom Jones and many others -all ringing true.

Then later his turning to religion and getting involved with drugs and falling into poverty, ultimately turning against his gay identity. What emerges in this carefully crafted and structured documentary is a complex personality, living up to its title.

Thank you for recognizing one of the greatest musicians of all times. I believe that you did a wonderful job of chronicling the life of Richard Pinneman, however, one mistake was made that needs to be corrected and the public needs to know the truth. Near the beginning of the movie you showed a young boy playing a piano as little Richard. This is not true. This young man was and is Frank Isaac "Sugar Chile" Robinson, born 12/28/1938, and is still alive. That picture was taken from a 1946 movie that he was in with Van Johnson called "No Leave, No Love". He also recorded several albums between 1949 and 1952. Everyone always thinks that he is Little Richard. I would love to see this BLACK child prodigy get his proper respect.

This is a great and well done rockumentary. Little Richard was such a deeply complex and talented and conflicted individual. This movie, produced by CNN, captures very effectively the many facets of his life a career. Through archival footage, interviews old and new, and storytelling we learn about the musical influence of this trailblazer who impacted the Beatles, Otis Redding, The Rolling Stones, Elvis, Prince, Michael Jackson, and more. We also see the painful conflict regarding Little Richard's deeply complex relationship with himself-with his image, with his sexuality, and his relationship with God. This is a moving film. I loved it.