Little Richard: The artist Bob Dylan thought would live on forever
An artist’s legacy isn’t defined during the creation of their greatest works; it’s shaped by how they’re remembered and whether people continue to follow them long after they’re gone. While Bob Dylan has become an integral part of American culture with his poetic genius, he recognized that the true icon who would endure for generations was Little Richard.
When it came to the genesis of rock and roll, though, Richard had a lot of competition when it came to the inaugural class of musicians. He could play the piano like no one else, but his intense energy also came around the same time that people like Chuck Berry were lighting up the charts, complete with a guitar-driven sound that got people to fall in love with the instrument.
But Richard didn’t need his wicked piano skills to get him by. As soon as the man opened his mouth, he gave fans everything they needed to hear, whether that was the nonsensical lyrics that fit perfectly with his melodies or the fact that he could scream like no one else could at the time.
Just look at how Elvis Presley approached his craft compared to Little Richard. He may have ended up cutting a handful of the icon’s tunes, but even ‘The King of Rock and Roll’ was no match for Richard’s version of ‘Tutti Frutti’ and was more likely never going to be able to cover tunes like ‘Keep A-Knockin’ or ‘Long Tall Sally’ convincingly.
And that harsh vocal tone has continued right through to the modern age. From the raw grit of Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin to Chris Cornell’s commanding voice, everyone who has ever tested the limits of their voice and screamed their heads off on a stage has a bit of Richards’s DNA on them. Dylan’s approach was much more literary, but he still knew he was looking at brilliance.
Aside from wanting to join his band once he left school, Dylan thought that what Richard did would be around long after he was gone, saying upon hearing of his death, “In his presence, he was always the same Little Richard that I first heard and was awed by growing up and I always was the same little boy. Of course, he’ll live forever. But it’s like a part of your life is gone.”
Beyond just the sound of his music, Richard’s bravery in not hiding his identity from the world also broke down doors for the glamorous side of rock and roll. He was still playing the same bluesy traditional songs that everyone knew, but it’s easy to draw a straight line between his eyeliner to David Bowie and, in turn, every other rock star who wasn’t afraid to look a bit androgynous when they performed.
While Dylan was always more cut and dry about his lyrics, Richard also taught him that nothing mattered as much as the song. Anyone can try to put together a track out of nothing, but for both Richard and Dylan, if the foundation wasn’t solid to begin with, it wasn’t a road worth going down.
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