Little Richard, flamboyant rock ‘n’ roll pioneer, dead at 87

NASHVILLE, Tennessee: Little Richard, one of the chief architects of rock ‘n’ roll whose piercing wail, pounding piano and towering pompadour irrevocably altered popular music while introducing black R&B to white America, died on Saturday after battling bone cancer. He was 87.

Pastor Bill Minson, a close friend of Little Richard’s, told The Associated Press (AP) that Little Richard died on Saturday morning. His son, Danny Jones Penniman, also confirmed his father’s death, which was first reported by Rolling Stone.