Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Little Richard has died

theguardian.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 61 posts

Re: Little Richard has died

#41

Post by [deleted] »

tptacek wrote: post #35
lisper wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I never realized that Little Richard was gay until I saw that video. That led me to this: https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7990551/richard-sexu... That piece also has some very interesting videos of LR performing in the 50s. The manifest racial segregation in those videos was the norm at the time but seems truly shocking today, at least to me.

Go track down the original lyrics to Tutti Frutti. :) He was a drag performer earlier in his career, too.

[deleted]

Re: Little Richard has died

#42

Post by pfarrell »

DonHopkins wrote: post #27
derriz wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Another wonderful tiny slice of LR is when he's interviewed about Jimi Hendrix (search for "Little Richard on Jim Hendrix" on youtube - it's a very short video). I must have seen it 20 or 30 times as I was a Hendrix fan and it was on some VHS copy of a documentary on Hendrix I had at the time. In theory it's an incoherent mix of religiosity, homosexuality, flamboyance and almost narcissistic self-regard but for some…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHlRa-RPjWE "That time that he used to make my big toe shoot up into my boot!" Wow. His freaky look gave Jimmy Hendrix confidence.

Wow. I love both Jimi and LR and had never seen that! He was something else. Thanks for mentioning it derriz and for posting the link DonHopkins.

Re: Little Richard has died

#43

Post by pfarrell »

lonelappde wrote: post #34
pfarrell wrote: post #5

Little Richard’s induction of Otis Redding into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is one of the best inductions ever. It’s a mess, in a good way. It’s unorganized. Richard talks more about himself, but it works and it’s pure Rock and Roll. RIP. He was a pioneer. Seriously, watch the first minute. It’s beautiful. https://youtu.be/YUvHBirr1PI

There is no greater tribute than to have the architect of Rock and Roll sing your songs. Nothing Little Richard could say about Otis Redding could top that.

You nailed it.

Re: Little Richard has died

#44

Post by Baeocystin »

seizethecheese wrote: post #23

I’m struggling to figure out how this is news that a hacker would find interesting. I certainly don’t. Celebrity death news is banal. If there has never been a front page article about someone’s lived actions, we should not have one upon their death.

Honest Answer- For better or worse, 'Disruption' is the mantra of the Valley. The entire zeitgeist is focused on enabling/creating the next Sea Change.

That's what Little Richard did. When he claimed that everyone that came after, copied him, he was right. He showed what was possible in a way that no one else could even conceive. The slack-jawed response from AC/DC's vocalist? Yeah, that was everyone.

I mean, I personally don't even particularly like his music, but I absolutely can acknowledge what he did, and just how unique his contributions were. I think his death is absolutely worthy of note on a site like this one.

Re: Little Richard has died

#47

Post by dntbnmpls »

coldtea wrote: post #24
seizethecheese wrote: post #23

I’m struggling to figure out how this is news that a hacker would find interesting. I certainly don’t. Celebrity death news is banal. If there has never been a front page article about someone’s lived actions, we should not have one upon their death.

> I’m struggling to figure out how this is news that a hacker would find interesting. I certainly don’t. I'm struggling to find how this type of comment is considered interesting. HN is a social voting site for startup guys and hacker types. If enough users upvote a story within some time frame (and nothing more involved happens with the moderation), it goes to the front page. Simple as that, and has been discussed a…

> I'm struggling to find how this type of comment is considered interesting.

Must have been somewhat interesting if you decided to write a few paragraphs in response.

> HN is a social voting site for startup guys and hacker types.

Nope. It's for one or the either. Not both. It was never for the latter and frankly, it's less and less about about the former.

> Things hackers can, and apparently do, find interesting.

Right and "hackers" can question it as well.

I found both you and the parent interesting in your own little ways.

Re: Little Richard has died

#48

Post by wutbrodo »

talentedcoin wrote: post #3

Little Richard was a true legend — there will never be another like him. I always can’t help thinking of this hilariously bonkers piece by John Waters about interviewing him: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/nov/28/john-waters-me... “I was in this hotel and I had a Chrysler my mother had mortgaged her home to get me. I went into the studio anyway, and they had me singing like Ray Charles, BB King. They wanted m…

I also enjoyed the short piece he wrote about himself for Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Artists Ever" list[0]. Oddly, he seems to be the only artist who wrote his own blurb, and his bitterness is palpable, but it's a fascinating perspective on what it must be like to look back on an incredibly influential life feeling like you didn't get appropriately rewarded.

[0] https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-...

Re: Little Richard has died

#49

Post by wyclif »

derriz wrote: post #19
pfarrell wrote: post #5

Little Richard’s induction of Otis Redding into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is one of the best inductions ever. It’s a mess, in a good way. It’s unorganized. Richard talks more about himself, but it works and it’s pure Rock and Roll. RIP. He was a pioneer. Seriously, watch the first minute. It’s beautiful. https://youtu.be/YUvHBirr1PI

Another wonderful tiny slice of LR is when he's interviewed about Jimi Hendrix (search for "Little Richard on Jim Hendrix" on youtube - it's a very short video). I must have seen it 20 or 30 times as I was a Hendrix fan and it was on some VHS copy of a documentary on Hendrix I had at the time. In theory it's an incoherent mix of religiosity, homosexuality, flamboyance and almost narcissistic self-regard but for some…

"[Jimi Hendrix] was a star! When I got him, he was a star!"

Easy for Little Richard to say that after Hendrix blew up, but apparently the reason Hendrix quit LR's band was because the band hadn't gotten paid in five weeks. There's a letter from Hendrix that he wrote to his Dad from the road where he talks about this.

OTOH, LR's brother claimed that Hendrix was fired because ‘he was always late for the bus and flirting with all the girls and stuff like that.’ So who knows what the real story was there.

I think it's closer to the truth to say that Little Richard could not tolerate anyone else getting the spotlight and diminishing his star power, while Hendrix was too flamboyant himself to settle for being a sideman and already had his own original ideas and ambition to go solo.

Post reply on HN