Sunday, February 20, 2000

Little Richard film can’t compete with real thing

Almost everything Little Richard says sounds like it SHOULD BE PRINTED IN CAPITAL LETTERS. The man is always ON, even when he’s not behind a piano pounding out "Tutti Frutti."
  The rock and roll legend, now 67, sees his life story come to the small screen tonight in "Little Richard," a made-for-TV movie airing at 8 p.m. on NBC. According to him, it’s about time TV got around to recognizing his contributions to popular music.
  During a recent meeting with TV critics in Los Angeles, Little Richard walked slowly and carefully to his seat at the front of a hotel conference room, where he was joined by the movie’s director, Robert Townsend ("The Five Heartbeats"), and star, Leon Robinson.
  Seated in the spotlight, Little Richard cranked up the FULL-VOLUME persona he’s so famous for. There he sat, in full Richard regalia: Tight black slacks, pointy black high-heeled boots, black velvet shirt with shiny gold brocade panels. And makeup so thick and creamy beige his smooth cheeks looked like wet clay.
  "I’ve ALWAYS been a rock and roll singer and I’ve always been a toe-tapper and a rapper! WHOOO-EEE!" Little Richard said by way of introduction.
  "So what’s HAPPENING! YOU UNDERSTAND ME? I’M STILL HERE and, thank GOD, looking decent. I’m almost 70 YEARS OLD and still SCREAMING LIKE A WHITE WOMAN! WHOO-EEE! Shut UP!"
  Whew.
  Born Richard Wayne Penneman, young Little Richard, one of 12 children, grew up in Macon, Ga., singing in his church choir. As a teen he performed in clubs throughout the South and in 1951 won an RCA Records contract in a talent contest.
  After two failed singles, he was back washing dishes in a bus station. But Little Richard’s demo of a rock and roll tune won him a spot on a Los Angeles record label where he turned out a series of hits throughout the ‘50s, including "Tutti Frutti," "Long Tall Sally," "Rip It Up," "Lucille," "Good Golly, Miss Molly" and other titles now considered rock and roll classics. By the late ‘60s he’d sold more than 30 million records and been credited as an influence on the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and scores of other music acts.
  In the ‘70s, Little Richard gave it all up to preach the Gospel, but in 1985 he revived his show biz career with a memorable cameo in the hit comedy "Down and Out in Beverly Hills." He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993.
  The TV-movie covers it all, the ups, the downs and most of the music. Actor Robinson, who played lead singer David Ruffin in last season’s hit NBC movie "The Temptations," took on the title role in "Little Richard" with great enthusiasm but a strict code of silence when it came to conversing with his alter-ego.
  "It was truly a pleasure," said the soft-spoken Robinson. "But I’m a bit of a method actor, so I like to embody my character and I totally become who I’m playing. So on the set, I was Little Richard. I was the only Little Richard. There were often times that (the real Little Richard) came on the set and I didn’t say a word to him. But that was out of no disrespect. I could not look at the man and play him at the same time."
  At this, he turned to the music legend beside him. "I just want to let you know now, I feel so honored to be able to play you."
  Little Richard: "I knew that."
  Mentioning friends like Elvis and Jimi Hendrix, Little Richard said he was glad he lived to see his story told in movie form.
  "I wanted to see the reaction of the public while I’m still alive," he said. "It didn’t matter whether it was a documentary or in the theaters. I think that any black man’s movie should be on television so everybody can see it, because they don’t push those black guy movies in the theaters. They push Buddy Holly and Elvis."
  But even a well-done TV project like "Little Richard" can’t compete with the outrageous energy of the real thing.
  "I’ve always been REAL," said Little Richard, "There’s no book never been closed in my life. I’ve always been on the TABLE, you KNOW? I’ve never hid NOTHING. I wore makeup when guys was afraid to wear it. I was beautiful when they was afraid to be beautiful. And I’ve ALWAYS THROWN MY LEGS IN THE AIR! Even when I can’t take ‘em down, I put ‘em in the air! BECAUSE I HAVE NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF!"
  Whoo-eee.
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