It has long been said that music can soothe the savage beast. For some it can be used as a form of communication, meditation, or therapy, while for others it can serve as an aid in getting through times that are emotionally or physically straining. It can connect us to times past or forgotten and allow us to traverse generational gaps to connect with our ancestors. Its most basic function is that it permits us to drift and loosen our grip on the physical realm, carrying us to a place or feeling higher than ourselves, to connect with the spiritual. Perhaps music is the Almighty’s true divine language.
I lead with this because music lovers around the world are reeling from this past week’s events. Acclaimed R&B vocalist Hillard “Sweet Pea” Atkinson of the group Was, along with R&B vocalist and songwriter Betty Wright, known for soul anthems such as “Cleanup Woman,” both lost their lives this week; “Sweet Pea” due to heart attack at the age of 74, and Betty due to cancer at the age of 66. Their contributions to the music world were many and well received, but there was another person whom we lost this week. Richard Wayne Penniman, better known as “Little Richard,” passed away this week at the age of 87 due to cancer. His seven-decade career of music and songwriting ushered in a new era of music in America, if not the world, and influenced many other artists such as Paul McCartney, Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry. His discography, distinct vocals, and legendary performances still serve as a source of inspiration to artists around the world.
There are many reasons that Little Richard was such a captivating presence. At a time when it was unheard of he openly fought segregation lines at his concerts, using music to bridge the gaps. His character both on and off stage was ambiguous, ping ponging between direct quotes of being homosexual and having slept with men, and also not. As one of the most flamboyant male performers to ever be seen, excessive makeup, eye shadow and glittering costumes adorned with sequins led to counterparts and society in general not really knowing who the actual “Little Richard” was.
One of the more interesting aspects in regard to his ambiguity dealt with religion. Although born into a family with deep evangelical Christian roots and growing up participating with the church choir, during multiple interviews Richard claimed to be a practicing Jew or having Jewish roots. During a 1972 interview with the BBC he is quoted as responding to a question on the subject of influencing other artists as saying, “All of them came from me, po’ little bitty me, a lil’ Jewish boy, black bottom, from Georgia”. From refusing to shoot a movie scene for American Jewish director Paul Mazursky due to the shoot being scheduled for Friday evening, to stating in a 1986 interview for the “Florida Sun Sentinel” that he had not only converted to Judaism, but had celebrated Rosh Hashanah in New England of that year and had only missed going to synagogue one Saturday in the past year. His Judaism was acknowledged by multiple other sources as well, one of which being Bob Dylan.
The problem with this evidence is that it’s circumstantial at best. There are no records of an actual conversion. No one has come forward and said Little Richard helped us complete a minyan or sang Dayenu at the Seder table (epic would be an understatement to say the least). At most we have a few friends who said he did some Jewish things and a man who loved, if not lived, to play with ambiguity and perception. It should be noted that Richard at times was also extremely involved with the church and was an ordained Seventh Day Adventist minister who had performed marriage ceremonies in the name of the church.
Little Richard spent his life playing with personality and ambiguity, never really allowing anyone to know with whom they were truly dealing with. He was a legendary musician who was also an enigma in regard to cultural stereotypes, and during a time when it was dangerous to be such, he chose to cast his lot in with ours. There are many rumors as to what or who Little Richard was or wasn’t, but one thing we can know for certain is that he was an ally.
Baruch Dayan Emet.