"Elvis was the King, Chuck Berry was the poet of Rock, but Little Richard Penniman, the self-proclaimed 'architect' of Rock N’ Roll was indeed just what he said he was," states W.A.S.P. frontman Blackie Lawless.

"He was the first to make that sound, the first to record that sound, the first to be dangerous. By any reasonable standard, that makes him the absolute, undisputed 'Architect of Rock'."

"Over the years I’ve thought a lot about him. Years ago he lived at the Hyatt House on Sunset. I was living there as well down the hall from him, and we would talk from time to time. The funny thing was, we never talked about music. With the exception of just a few times, the conversations were always about God. This was at a time in his life when he was actively preaching the Gospel. One time in a restaurant, a car salesman he knew came over to our table. He said: 'Rich, why don’t you come by? I know you always did like a fine automobile...', and Richard stopped for a second and said: 'that’s before I knew Jesus!'"

"He was never ashamed or shy to proclaim the name of God."

"The struggles he wrestled with were greater than anyone I’d ever known or even heard of before. You’d be hard pressed to find anyone else who’s ever lived, that had the extremes he had with radical sin on one hand, and a genuine love of Christ on the other. He was the real deal in every way. If you ever heard him preach you’d know what I mean. He once sang: 'you keep on knocking but you can’t come in.' Yesterday, I’m certain Heaven's door needed no knocking."

"He’s now at home with the Lord… Amen!"

Little Richard, a founding father of rock and roll whose fervent shrieks, flamboyant garb, and joyful, gender-bending persona embodied the spirit and sound of that new art form, died Saturday, May 9. He was 87. The musician’s son, Danny Penniman, confirmed the pioneer’s death to Rolling Stone, but said the cause of death was unknown.

Starting with “Tutti Frutti” in 1956, Little Richard cut a series of unstoppable hits – “Long Tall Sally” and “Rip It Up” that same year, “Lucille” in 1957, and “Good Golly Miss Molly” in 1958 – driven by his simple, pumping piano, gospel-influenced vocal exclamations and sexually charged (often gibberish) lyrics.

Little Richard received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993, one year after releasing his final studio album. He was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1986, and officially stopped performing in 2013.

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