The pioneers of rock 'n' roll were queer Black musicians — with Little Richard leading the way.
Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures— Scottish filmmaker John Grierson’s definition of the art form as the “creative treatment of actuality” is commonly referenced.
By interspersing this footage with insights from ethnomusicologists, musicians, theologians and cultural experts, a narrative mosaic emerges that amplifies Little Richard’s contributions to queer Black music history as much as it contends with his contradictions. “You don’t have a Lil Nas X if you don’t have Little Richard. You don’t have Prince. You don’t have so many incredible artists if he had not laid a foundation.”Brief clips of Richard’s performances offer insight as to just how transcendent and innovative he was in his time, from his ribald approach to lyricism, sequin-heavy costumes and use of the piano as a percussive tool to his commitment to theatrics in his shows.
When a crisis of faith sent Richard rushing back to the church home that reared him, he repented of the queer life he had built for himself and chose to redirect his flamboyance into evangelism instead.
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