Born Richard Wayne Penniman on December 5, 1932, he was known by his stage name Little Richard. He influenced everybody from The Beatles to Elvis Presley to The Monkees to Elton John.
A founding father of rock and roll, Little Richard died at the age of 87 from bone cancer, and the music community and fans worldwide have mourned his loss. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a member of its inaugural class in 1986.
Dolenz proclaimed Little Richard as “a true original.” He described him as a “huge influence” on his singing style. “When he was on The Monkee’s TV special, ’33 1/3 Revolutions per Monkee,’ he, once again, blew me away,” Dolenz said. “It was amazing to watch him work up-close-and-personal. One of the last greats,” he exclaimed.
In April of 2020, Digital Journal’s Markos Papadatos chatted with Micky Dolenz about his new live album, The Mike & Micky Show Live.
