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Commending Little Richard; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, Little Richard— the originator, the emancipator, the architect of rock and roll— exploded into the American consciousness in the mid-50's and singlehandedly laid the foundation and established the rules for a new type of music called "rock and roll"; and

WHEREAS, Richard Wayne Penniman, better known as Little Richard, was born and raised in Macon, Georgia; and

WHEREAS, as a child he sang in the church choir and, while washing dishes in a Greyhound bus station, he sent a demo to Specialty Records. The song, "Tutti Frutti," was his catalyst for success and led to an uninterrupted run of smash hits; and

WHEREAS, as a result of such hits as "Tutti Frutti," "Long Tall Sally," "Rip It Up," "Lucille," "Jenny Jenny," "Keep a Knockin," "Good Golly, Miss Molly," and "Ooh, My Soul," by 1968, Little Richard had sold over 32 million records internationally; and

WHEREAS, after a self-imposed hiatus, he came back in 1985 with rave reviews for a memorable appearance in the boxoffice smash "Down and Out in Beverly Hills," which also launched his hit single, "Great Gosh A Mighty"; and

WHEREAS, in 1986, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and began a nonstop series of performances and appearances, including live concerts worldwide, recording projects, television, film, soundtracks, and commercials; and

WHEREAS, his performance of a rock and roll version of the children's tune "Itsy Bitsy Spider" was a standout track on the star-studded Disney Records' benefit album, For Our Children, which went gold and earned millions for the Pediatric AIDS Foundation; and

WHEREAS, Little Richard made another Disney album, Shake It All About, featuring children's songs redone in his own inimitable style, and as a result of these projects and guest appearances on children's shows, he garnered a whole new generation of young fans; and

WHEREAS, he was honored with a star on the world-renowned Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1990 and soon afterward returned to his hometown of Macon, Georgia, for the unveiling of "Little Richard Penniman Boulevard"; and

WHEREAS, in 1993, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, and, in 1994, he was awarded the Rhythm & Blues Foundation's prestigious Pioneer Award; and

WHEREAS, in 1997, in recognition of his contributions to music history, Little Richard was presented with the American Music Award's distinguished Award of Merit.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body take great pride in commending one of this state's most outstanding citizens, Little Richard, for his many accomplishments and especially for spreading joy and delighting people worldwide with his wonderful music and entertainment.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to Little Richard.

IN HOUSE
Read and Adopted
January 24, 2001

Robert E. Rivers, Jr.
Clerk