What does Awopbopalubopalopbamboom actually mean

A.� It means that rock-and-roll is probably the most primal, energising and pure up-and-at-it style of music ever recorded; that its originator, Little Richard, has made some of the greatest records ever released; and that his influence on The Beatles and The Rolling Stones�- his support acts on his original UK tours�- changed the course of popular music for ever. That one word really does sum it all up.

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Q,� Who is Little Richard

A.� Little Richard is Richard Wayne Penniman, an original rock-and-roll star whose image would raise eyebrows even in these enlightened times. When he started in the early 1950s, he was a total outrage -�both visually and musically.

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Q.� Why

A.� Remember that in the early 1950s, rock-and-roll music was seen as subversive and repellent by the powers-that-were at the time - a corrupter of the world's youth and innocence, to be avoided and castigated at every opportunity. And that only referred to Elvis's habit of swinging his hips when he sang!
The world was simply not ready for Little Richard when he exploded on the musical landscape in 1956 with Tutti Fruitti, a more-or-less cleaned up version of a novelty song that made reference to the kind of unbridled enthusiasm for sexual activity that was surely going to spell the end of civilisation.

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Q.� What was it about Little Richard that caused such outrage

A.� Visually,�Richard's 'style' was somewhat outr� for the times. A diminutive black man, born with one leg shorter than the other, he affected a pompadour hairstyle that added a necessary six inches to his height, topped with a lacquered greasy quiff. At a time when women were frowned on as having dubious�morals for wearing bright lipstick, Richard wore not only lipstick, but mascara and powder as well!
Musically, Richard's outpourings were a verbal equivalent of his OTT visual presence. His first batch of singles, featuring his pounding piano playing and falsetto shrieking, comprise some of the blueprints for rock-and roll-music, and the starting point for pop music as a genre.
His Tutti Fruitti, including the meaningless but entirely appropriate Awopbopaloobop expression of the excitement of the song was, unbelievably, outsold by safe standard white crooner Pat Boone's version. But when Richard followed it with Long Tall Sally, Pat's attempt to outsell with his version was firmly rejected by the public who had decided that rock-and-roll was here to stay. The Beatles' cover version�- a footnote to their live sets in Hamburg�- was considered far more appropriate.

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Q.� So the music did the talking for Little Richard

A.� Absolutely. Slippin' and Slidin', Rip It Up, and the classic Lucille ensured Richard's fame, although his career was cut short after less than three years.

Q.� What happened

A.� During a tour of Australia, Little Richard decided that he no longer wanted to pursue a career in music, preferring to devote his life to his Christian faith.�He resigned from the tour, returned to the US and enrolled in a theological college to train as a Minister.

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Q.� Was this a 'road to Damascus' conversion

A.� Probably not as sudden as it appeared.�Richard had been considering his future for some time, but his abrupt decision to leave rock and roll and his famously debauched on-the-road lifestyle of sex, drugs and rock-and-roll to turn to the church was a considerable shock for his legion of fans, and the tour promoter, who commenced immediate legal proceedings to recoup some of his lost revenue.

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Q.� So that was the end of Little Richard as a performer

A.� No, he returned to tour in the early 1960s, the lure of rock-and-roll proving too strong. Having hired -�and then fired - a young session player called Jimi Hendrix for being too flashy, Richard toured the UK - supported on some dates by the up-and-coming British pop combos The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Their admiration of their hero is well documented�- Paul McCartney makes no secret of his falsetto whooping on early singles being copied directly from his hero.�

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Since then, Richard has periodically returned to his Ministry, and enjoyed a long and lucrative career on the rock-and-roll nostalgia circuit. His influence lives on through the work of artists such as Prince, David Bowie, and Michael Jackson, who have all learned aspects of OTT theatrical presentation from watching Richard ripping it up on stage and film�- foot up on his piano, pompadour nodding, makeup glistening with sweat, with the band stomping and shrieking behind his extravagant vocal acrobatics.

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Q.� And now

A.� Even today, Little Richard is considered enough of a draw on the chat-show circuit to appear reasonably regularly on television round the world, reminiscing about the more repeatable aspects of his former lifestyle. He has enjoyed cameo appearances on film and TV,�appearing as a bartender in Baywatch mixing a drink called, what else, a 'Tutti Frutti'.
His live career is on something of a wind-down, not many men of�69 can Wop Bop with the energy of 40 years ago. But Little Richard's status as the original inductee in the Rock-and-Roll Hall Of Fame is entirely appropriate, without his flamboyant groundbreaking music and performance, pop music may have taken a far less exciting path.

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by Andy Hughes