POSTPONED! Mark Ribowsky - The Big Life of Little Richard Virtual Event

POSTPONED! Mark Ribowsky - The Big Life of Little Richard Virtual Event

Thursday, Aug 27, 2020 7:00 PM

Location:
A Cappella Books on Zoom

DUE TO TECHNICAL ISSUES, THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED.  APOLOGIES FOR THE INCONVENIENCE.

Acclaimed music biographer Mark Ribowsky joins us for a virtual discussion of the first major biography of Little Richard, “The Big Life of Little Richard”—a rollicking, nuanced celebration of the late singer-songwriter’s life and his role in the history of American music.

Ribowsky will talk with Atlanta music journalist and Smithsonian Folkways editor Chad Radford about his book, followed by an online Q&A session. This event is free to attend.

Or click this link: https://zoom.us/j/93658942879

A Cappella Books will have copies of “The Big Life of Little Richard” available after the event. Pre-order via the link below. At checkout, choose between the local delivery, curbside pick-up, or shipping options. For zip codes not listed in the above banner, select curbside pick-up or USPS shipping.

About the Book

Little Richard blazed the trail for generations of musicians—The Beatles, James Brown, the Everly Brothers, Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, Elton John, Prince . . . the list seems endless. He was “The Originator,” “The Innovator,” and the self-anointed “King and Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll.” When he died on May 9, 2020, The Big Life of Little Richard—a nearly-completed book—was immediately updated to cover the international response to his death. It is the first major biography of Macon, Georgia’s Richard Wayne Penniman, who was, until his passing, the last rock god standing.

Mark Ribowsky, acclaimed biographer of musical icons—the Supremes, the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding—takes readers through venues, gigs, and studios, conveying the sweaty energy of music sessions limited to a few tracks on an Ampex tape machine and vocals sung along with a live band. He explores Little Richard’s musicianship; his family life; his uphill battle against racism; his interactions with famous contemporaries and the media; and his lifelong inner conflict between his religion and his sexuality.

“The Big Life of Little Richard” not only explores a legendary stage persona, but also a complex life under the makeup and pomade, the neon-lit duds and piano pyrotechnics, along with a full-body dive into the waters of sexual fluidity.

By 2020, eighty-seven-year-old Little Richard’s electrifying smile was still intact, as were his bona fides as rock’s kingly architect: the ’50s defined his reign, and he extended elder statesmanship ever since. His biggest smash, “Tutti Frutti,” is one of history’s most covered songs—a staple of the pre-Invasion Beatles—and Elvis pivoted from country to blues rock after Little Richard made R&B’s sexual overtones a fundament of the new musical order. Even Hendrix, the greatest instrumentalist in rock history, toured with him before launching a meteoric solo career.

Whenever someone pushes the music and culture of rock to its outer borders, one should turn to Little Richard for assurance that anything is possible.

About the Author

Mark Ribowsky is the New York Times acclaimed author of “The Supremes: A Saga of Motown Dreams, Success, and Betrayal;” “He’s a Rebel: Phil Spector—Rock and Roll’s Legendary Producer;” and “Signed, Sealed, Delivered: The Soulful Journey of Stevie Wonder.” He has written for SPORTmagazine and Inside Sports, TV Guide, Playboy, and Penthouse. Ribowsky has appeared on “Dateline NBC,” “Primetime Live” (ABC), “The Tavis Smiley Show,” and many other network and cable TV shows. He lives in Boca Raton, Florida.