How to deliver the best live performance, according to Little Richard
When it comes to rock ‘n’ roll greats, most minds immediately go to Elvis Presley. However, while the rocker no doubt changed the game to an incomprehensible degree, everything that became great about the entire genre can be traced back to the sheer force of Little Richard. This was someone who wasn’t just a voice—he was also the energy and charisma rock needed to thrive then and beyond.
More than just revolutionary for an entire genre, Little Richard was the lifeblood of the music industry, his impact rippling out into different corners and influencing countless stars with their own artistry and stage appeal. Bob Dylan, for one, once described him as “my shining star and guiding light” and the “original spirit that moved me to do everything I would do.”
Even in the 1990s, when Little Richard and Dylan toured together, the brooding troubadour said he never lost his light on stage and was “still dynamite as a performer”—one of the many things that drew people to his talent in the first place. On stage, he had this unmatched ability to exude energy and excitement, the kind that was entirely contagious among observers yet inexplicable by simple vernacular.
This, among many other reasons, is why countless 1960s legends became so popular. Little Richard, above all else, instated a standard that others chased recklessly to follow. It’s why audiences suddenly regained their interest in fast, upbeat music, and why artists like The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix leaned their craft so heavily on stage presence. It’s why Keith Richards’ first record was ‘Long Tall Sally’, something he said was akin to “an explosion one night.”
However, it’s easy to explain why Little Richard’s stage persona was unmatched, just as it’s simple to understand why certain experiences evoke such deep emotional passion. But hearing it from Little Richard himself feels different, especially regarding his formula for the best live performances, which followed a familiar structure. Rik Mayall, who met the singer, once recalled his advice.
“I met Little Richard once, and we talked about how to give the audience a good time,” he said. Adding: “He said, ‘Get the band on the stage, and you get the audience high. When they is high, you get on the stage yourself, then you take ’em higher, take ’em higher ’til they can’t get no higher, and when they can’t get no higher, you get off that stage.'”
Analysis has tried to explain his allure time and time again throughout the decades, but these words seem to be the only that truly capture the magic of his performances. After all, it was never about anything overly complex, which is also why it was so great. That said, while passion and energy form the crux of it, it couldn’t have been achieved so effortlessly by just anybody, making Little Richard a talent the world will never be able to replicate.
