Little Richard: I Am Everything

Little Richard: I Am Everything

The story of the Black queer origins of rock n' roll. It explodes the whitewashed canon of American pop music to reveal the innovator - the originator - Richard Penniman. Through a wealth of archive and performance that brings us into Richard's complicated inner world, the film unspools the icon's life story with all its switchbacks and contradictions.

  • Released: 2023-04-11
  • Runtime: 98 minutes
  • Genre: Documentaries, Music
  • Stars: Little Richard, Paul McCartney, Billy Porter, Mick Jagger, John Waters, Tom Jones
  • Director: Lisa Cortés
 Comments
  • masonfisk - 10 December 2023
    THE KING OF ROCK 'N' ROLL...!
    A 2023 Max documentary on the famed flamboyant progenitor of all things rock 'n' roll. Reared & raised in meager straits, Richard would find himself into music emulating a gay performer (donning a big pompadour & wearing make-up) who toured the chitlin circuit which prompted him to do the same where he made a killing until he found out white performers like Elvis Presley & Pat Boone would outsell his releases when they re-recorded his tunes. Gaining fans from the unlikeliest of places; England (in the form of the Beatles & Stones) Richard was soon on his way musically but his own personal demons; being gay & non-secular at the same time would dog him for the rest of his career sometimes where he'd renounce his sexuality for the church & vice versa but his real annoyance came in the form of not being recognized for his sizable, quantifiable influence on rock music (witness the montage of artists he influenced w/Harry Styles himself wearing gender bending clothes appealing to the masses) which was hopefully rectified by the end of his life. Using audio interviews & archival footage of the man himself you'd be hard pressed to not have him be the eternal life of the party whose thumping sound & grandiose behavior enchanting & delighting all.
  • El-Kapitoshka - 11 April 2023
    Great footage - ignores LR's final message.
    I am a massive Little Richard fan. The film celebrates how pioneering he is and I agree- he was the true king of rock and roll.

    But the film attempts to downplay a very important point about LR. Yes at the time he was miles ahead and outwardly open about his preferences.

    But toward the end of his life he totally rejected his old life along with rock and roll - in favour of God.

    Yes...this bit won't quite suit the narrative the film maker wishes to portray here that LR should be seen today as a "queer icon" of sorts that can be celebrated today as an excuse to simply be ourselves.

    Don't take my word for it - do a search on the tube for Little Richards Final Message and decide for yourself. LR was a massive fan of God and he claimed to have found true liberation through that only.

    Still, the footage is great and there are some fantastic interviews here with other big names.