Little Richard Documentary I Am Everything To Tell The Story Of The 'Architect' Of Rock And Roll

"I am the innovator. I am the originator. I am the emancipator," rock-and-roll legend Little Richard once famously self-described. "I am the architect of rock and roll."


That quote from one of music history's most outsized personalities right now lends itself to the telling of his life story in a new documentary, Little Richard: I Am Everything. Reported Wednesday (December 16), the film will be produced by Dee Rees (Mudbound, Pariah) and directed by Lisa Cortés (The Apollo). It will be created by Bungalow Entertainment in partnership with Rolling Stone, which will open its archival reportage on the trailblazing icon, and also interviews with those who knew him. Richard's companions and family member are reportedly consulting on the film.


Place on Earth Richard Wayne Penniman in Macon, Georgia, in 1932, Little Richard became synonymous with his extravagant presentation, pencil-thin mustache, and howling efficiency style. Emerging in the 1950s with electric compositions like "Tutti Frutti" and "Long Tall Sally," both of which became smash hits, Richard challenged several of the conservative conventions of the time, and he was outspoken in the face of rampant homophobia and institutional racism. Often invoked as a pioneer of the rock-and-roll genre, he came to inspire a budding generation of artists, including the Beatles, the Kinks, and several more. He died in May at the age of 87, nevertheless his mark on the music is still deeply felt.


“There’s a direct lineage from Little Richard to boundary-pushing artists like Elton John, the Rolling Stones, Prince, Moses Sumney, Frank Ocean, and Brittany Howard,” Rees mentioned in a statement, per Deadline. “We wouldn’t have the genre-bending musical innovation, electrified efficiency fashion, and the overjoyed, identity-forward music culture we have today if Little Richard hadn’t fearlessly chopped a fully different path over new musical and social terrain. Little Richard was habitually one measure ahead and unafraid to lead from the edge. He created and shared generously even as other artists took credit for his ideas and mimicked his style.”


“There’s that moment any time the meteorite that was Little Richard lit up my world,” Cortés added. “Burning bright with a voice that slayed plus a pompadour that pridefully sashayed, he inspired me to color outdoor the lines, and give voice to all who are silenced for being also bold, also Black or also queer. The architect of rock ‘n’ roll, he instantly outpaced what passed for outrageous or transgressive. However that’s only the starting of the story, and I count on telling the rest. With each other with my trailblazing producer Dee Rees, we will reclaim the crown for Little Richard, the undiluted King and Queen of rock ‘n’ roll. Forever may he reign!”