Throughout his life, pop pioneer Little Richard careened like a shiny cracked pinball between God, sex, and rock n’ roll. But underneath the makeup and the flamboyant personality, who was the real Richard Wayne Penniman? A riotous and revealing documentary featuring interviews with legendary musicians, Black and queer scholars, accompanied by a treasure trove of archival footage.

Reviews

‘Does an impressive job of reminding us how much generations of rock stars, from Tom Jones to Mick Jagger, Elton John and Prince, have owed to Little Richard, and how radical his presence was in a world not yet ready to pay for his talent.’
★★★★
Mark Kermode, The Observer

‘It has a wider array of clips and a more affecting account of Richard’s personal struggles — the tempests that caused him to veer between hedonism and Christian anti-gay piety.’
★★★★
Edward Porter, The Sunday Times