Little Richard's Gospel Truth
January 14, 2000, by Dave Hoesktra - Little Richard calls himself the architect of rock 'n' roll. And every good architect draws from righteous angles. For Little Richard Wayne Penniman, few influences were bigger than Chicago gospel singer Mahalia Jackson.
"She was my inspiration," Penniman said in a call from his Sunset Boulevard digs in Los Angeles. "She used to call herself Haley. I met her when I was a boy, before I made [his 1955 debut single] `Tutti Frutti.' She would come into Macon [Ga.] to sing at the City Auditorium. She wasn't just screamin' and hollerin'. She could sing." And in a tender, high-pitched sway, Penniman began singing, "Go tell it on the mountain ..."
It's doubtful that Penniman
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