Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1502512
LOCAL BUZZ Little Richard: I Am Everything A new documentary film explores the icon's complex life and elucidates his profound legacy YOU'D BE HARD-PRESSED TO FIND a Maconite who doesn't recognize the name "Little Richard" as a hometown musical genius. And if you ask a Maconite with family roots in the Pleasant Hill neighborhood, where he was born Richard Wayne Penniman in 1932, they'll likely remember him personally – or at least remember their grandma's stories about growing up with him. His cousin and CEO of Stewart Advertising, Stanley B. Stewart, says, "Richard's story is indeed the 'American Story' – and it just so happened to originate here in Macon, Georgia. Though he didn't (and doesn't) always get his due, his sheer force of musical talent and performance persona indelibly changed the course of popular music. By the end of Little Richard's lifetime, he'd been hailed as the king, queen, quasar, architect, and founder of rock and roll" as noted in a PBS article. He originated the wild, unrestrained, flamboyant performance style that would become the archetype for rock and roll stars like Elvis, David Bowie, Prince, Elton John, and even modern performers like Lil Nas X and Lizzo. He used a never-before-seen mix of camp and drama – perfected in his days performing at Black, and often queer, underground nightclubs on the "Chitlin Circuit" throughout the South where Penniman occasionally performed as drag queen "Princess LaVonne" – combined with the soulful depth of gospel and proto-rock-and-roll music he grew up singing in church. He opened for Sister Rosetta Tharpe at the Macon City Auditorium when he was only 13. Little Richard captivated crowds with his stage makeup, flamboyant, bold outfits, exuberant character, and self-expression onstage. His music held all of that excitement, drama, and tension, too, resulting in an explosive new sound that sent shockwaves of unabashed experimentation through the world of sound. A documentary film released in April 2023 explores, in director Lisa Cortés' words, how Little Richard "careened like a shiny cracked pinball between God, sex, and rock 'n' roll," unspooling the icon's complicated inner world and telling "the story of the Black queer origins of rock 'n' roll, exploding the whitewashed canon of American pop music to reveal the innovator – the originator – Richard Penniman." "Little Richard: I Am Everything" takes viewers on a thrilling ride through the contradictions, struggles, and successes of Little Richard's life and career, using archival and performance footage and interviews with a wide range of people, from childhood friends and family in Macon to superstars like Mick Jagger. Throughout the film, cutting-edge Black and queer scholars contextualize his contributions to our current pop music landscape, striving to elucidate the complicated web of experiences with racism, industry exploitation, homophobia, and crises of faith that resulted in the powerhouse genius that was Little Richard Penniman. The film was commissioned by Bungalow Media + Entertainment for CNN Films and HBO Max, in association with Rolling Stone Films, and premiered on the opening night of the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, with a special showing at The Douglass Theater on April 14. Now on various platforms, including Apple TV and Amazon Prime, you can find it streaming online today. — NORA JORGENSEN, MIMI RADER, & MACON MAGAZINE STAFF 36 maconmagazine.com | JUNE/JULY 2023