Hapy birthday, Little Richard!

Born Richard Wayne Penniman in Macon, Georgia, on December 5, 1932, he rocketed to stardom 23 years later with a little jam he recorded for the Specialty label called "Tutti Frutti." And the rest, as they say, is history!

Happy birthday, Richard! You still da man! :bounce: :party: :toast:

Did I mention that I met him once in a bathroom--enough said.

You have been there with me from the beginning, Little Richard.

You have appeared and disappeared, but you always come back, you have always been there. Your records were always tinkling out of jukeboxes when I was a boy. I have never seen anybody, and that means anybody, work a crowd the way you worked a crowd of 150,000 people into mass hysteria at the end of the night in Atlantic City in 1969. It was the maddest thing I've ever seen. And then that wonderful album you put out the year after, that was completely modern but completely Little Richard, and which has become I think a forgotten classic.

And then what? Your showing up on Johnny Carson one time, and you were like the maddest nelliest craziest southern queen that I have ever seen. Little Richard camping it up on Johnny Carson, flirting with and cruising a startled Ed McMahon. I couldn't believe what I was watching. Then you're telling Johnny about how you'd given up all the boys and the heroin, and had thrown all your jewels into the river, and thrown up all earthly temptation to use your instrument and talents for the Lord.

And then, Richard, and this is my favorite. The night at the Grammy's when you're supposed to present an award for somebody in some category and when you announce the winner, you announce yourself, Richard. You give that Grammy to yourself in front of the whole word, because the Grammy people had not given you one before and you feel you deserved one--even if you had to give it to yourself--and the whole audience jumped up and cheered you and applauded you for doing it. And I do too.

A few years ago I happened to catch a music clip, which, admittedly I rarely see, and there you were in a clip with two of your children: David Bowie and Mick Jagger, and maybe there were a couple of others, I've forgotten. All I do remember is that David and Mick look all wrinkly and haggard, but Little Richard, you still had the twinkle in your eye, and you were exactly the Little Richard who has always been with me, you crazy old thing.

I love you Richard
Happy Birthday

It's been a long time coming! :beer: