Film Review: Little Richard – King And Queen Of Rock ‘n’ Roll

As befits the legendary, lare pioneer of rock ‘n’ roll, Little Richard – King And Queen Of Rock ‘n’Roll is a wild ride.James House’s documentary for Arena is conventional in its linear structure- but Richard Penniman’s life was anything but.

Born in Macon, Georgia in 1932, Penniman was moved by gospel singers he’d heard in church, but also Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Mahalia Jackson, from whom he got his euphoric whoops. Drag was also a great love, and despite beatings from his abusive father after being caught in a dress, wig and makeup, he later pushed back by creating his own drag alter -ego, Princess LaVonne.

It’s this triumphant, forward- thinking spirit which guides the film: from bringing Black and white kids together to dance to his live shows during the Jim Crow era, to calling out the white pretenders who ripped off his music (Pat Boone, Elvis) and finally getting his dues as “the architect of rock ‘n’ roll.” He even successfully sued his former record company Specialty, for unpaid royalties.

His wilderness years are sad to witness: the lost figure who became an evangelist, denouncing “the devil’s music” and railing against homosexuality, but he seemed to get back out there as his authentic self in the latter years. The interviewees are well picked, too: Lee Angel; Keith Richards, Big Freedia and Rimgo Starr all tell compelling stories of his influence and outrageous showmanship.

But the finest moments come from the great man himself. One clip suggests he invented the pogo. “I taught Mick Jagger how to walk, and Paul McCartney how to go, “Whoooo!”” he squeals in other clips, with typical flamboyancy. It’s enough to make you want to cheer.

Available to watch on BBC I Player