Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1536125
F ive years have passed since the world lost Little Richard. The innovator and architect of rock music, he was born Richard Wayne Penniman in Macon, Georgia in 1932. He had an undeniable cultural impact through his music and journey through life as a Black man who grew up a "Southern Child" that changed the world, particularly as one who broke the rules on embodying masculinity and sometimes acknowledged being queer during his life. The Macon community surely did not always embrace or uplift Little Richard during his lifetime – and Richard himself frequently lamented he was underrepresented nationally for his contributions to the history of rock 'n' roll, while being copied by megastars whose appeal brought them vast acclaim and fortune. In many ways, Richard was cast out and shut out. He had to insist on his own place in history, despite many who would rather forget him for being loud and boisterous. He was right, and it took time for us to see it. A New York Times headline upon his death declared: "Little Richard wasn't conceited. He was underappreciated." H O W L I T T L E R I C HAR D W O R E FAS H I O N LO U D E R T HAN EVE R AS T H E ARC H I T E CT O F RO C K ' N ' RO L L , W I T H S E Q U I N S , P O M PAD O U R S , AN D P U R E SWAG G E R . W HAT I T SAI D AB O U T H I M T H E N , W HAT W E B O R RO W F RO M H I M N O W, W H E R E W E CAN B E B E T T E R I N T H E F U T U R E . June/July 2025 | maconmagazine.com 49 STORY BY CARIS WEINBERG AND JULIA MORRISON | PHOTOS BY ERIC HART JR. D R E S S E D D R E S S E D D R E S S E D T O D I S R U P T T O D I S R U P T T O D I S R U P T