His music and stage personas influenced generations of musicians and performers.
Little Richard, one of the founding fathers of rock and roll, has died at the age of 87.
Richard – whose real name was Richard Penniman – had a series of health problems over the past number of years including suffering a stroke and a heart attack.
The musician’s son, Danny Penniman, confirmed his death to Rolling Stone, but said the cause of death was unknown.
His music influenced generations of musicians and was covered by countless others such as Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and David Bowie.
It was not just his music that influenced, the effects of Little Richard’s stage personas can be seen in performers down through the years with Prince a notable example.
He was among the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s first class of inductees in 1986.
In a post on Instagram, band member Kelvin Holly said: “Rest in peace, Richard. This one really stings. My thoughts and prayers go out to all my bandmates and fans all over the world. Richard truly was the king!”
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