Mick Jagger, Spike Lee, Ringo Starr, Cyndi Lauper, Carole King, Billy Idol, Ava DuVernay and more celebrities posted tributes to social media following Little Richard's death on Saturday
May 9, 2020, 5:18 PM
3 min read
Reaction to the death of rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Little Richard, who died Saturday at 87.
— “I’m so saddened to hear about the passing of Little Richard, he was the biggest inspiration of my early teens and his music still has the same raw electric energy when you play it now as it did when it first shot through the music scene in the mid 50’s," Mick Jagger wrote on social media. “When we were on tour with him I would watch his moves every night and learn from him how to entertain and involve the audience and he was always so generous with advice to me. He contributed so much to popular music. I will miss you Richard, God bless."
— “It is with a heavy heart that I ask for prayers for the family of my lifelong friend and fellow Rocker ‘Little Richard.’ He will live on always in my heart with his amazing talent and his friendship! He was one of a kind and I will miss him dearly. God Bless his family and fans. Rest In Peace, my friend. Love Eternally," Jerry Lee Lewis said in an emailed statement.
— “God bless little Richard one of my all-time musical heroes. Peace and love to all his family," Ringo Starr tweeted.
— “Rest In Peace To One Of The True Creators Of Rock And Roll. This Is The Commercial I Directed With Little Richard And Michael Jordan, 1991," Oscar winner Spike Lee tweeted.
— “#LittleRichard Rest in peace and power," Carole King tweeted.
— “RIP Little Richard. The man who invented Rock and Roll. Elvis popularized it. Chuck Berry was the storyteller. Richard was the archetype," Steven Van Zandt tweeted. “Maureen and I were so honored being the first marriage he conducted. We were lucky to know him. He lives forever in the Underground Garage.
— “So sad Little Richard passed away. He married my husband and I. He was really one of the truely great rock and roll singers and one of the rock and roll pioneers. He will be missed," Cyndi Lauper tweeted.
— “RIP #LittleRichard the architect of rock n roll," Billy Idol tweeted.
— “I served soul food brunch to Little Richard every Sunday for a year while waitressing at Aunt Kizzy’s Back Porch in LA. I was a college student. He tipped me a crisp $100 bill each week on a $75 breakfast with friends. This was 30 years ago. Helped me so much. God rest his soul," filmmaker Ava DuVernay tweeted.
