December 5: Little Richard is 79-years-old today. “A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop-a-lop-bam-boom!”


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Born Richard Wayne Penniman in Macon, Georgia in 1932, Little Richard, is considered a key performer in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll.
Richard first performed in his early teens, and began his recording career on in October 1951 when he was 19, by singing in a gospel-influenced style of the late-1940s,  His early fifties recordings were not very successful.
In 1955, under the guidance of Robert "Bumps" Blackwell, Penniman began recording in a style he had been performing onstage for years that was unique, over-the-top Gospel-style singing, moans, screams, and other emotive inflections, accompanied by a combination of boogie-woogie and rhythm and blues music.

This new music inspired many of the greatest recording artists of the twentieth century, including James Brown, Elvis Presley, Otis Redding, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Michael Jackson, and scores of other rhythm & blues, rock, and soul music artists ever since.

As a result, Little Richard was one of the seven initial inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, and one of only four - along with Ray Charles, James Brown, and Fats Domino - to also receive the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's Pioneer Lifetime Achievement Award.

While at the height of his popularity in the mid-1950s,  Penniman abruptly quit rock and roll music and became a born-again Christian. In January 1958, he enrolled in and attended Bible college to become a preacher and evangelist and began recording and performing only gospel music for a number of years. He then moved back and forth from rock and roll to the ministry, until he was able to reconcile the two roles in later life.
In March 1964, he brought a fledgling Jimi Hendrix into his band.

(Continued below video and Amazon portal ...)



HIGHLY Recommended (Press album covers for direct links to Amazon):

Very Best Of Little RichardHere's Little Richard (Hybr) (Omr)EssentialLittle Richard: The Birth of Rock 'n' Roll

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Here's what The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame web site says about Little Richard:
"He claims to be “the architect of rock and roll,” and history would seem to bear out Little Richard’s boast. More than any other performer - save, perhaps, Elvis Presley, Little Richard blew the lid off the Fifties, laying the foundation for rock and roll with his explosive music and charismatic persona. On record, he made spine-tingling rock and roll. His frantically charged piano playing and raspy, shouted vocals on such classics as "Tutti Frutti," "Long Tall Sally" and "Good Golly, Miss Molly" defined the dynamic sound of rock and roll."

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Here are a few of the awards and honors Little Richard has collected during his 60-plus year career:  
  • In 1956, Cashbox awarded Penniman the Cashbox Triple Crown Award for his second hit single "Long Tall Sally."
  • In 1984, "Little Richard" Penniman was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.
  • In 1986, Penniman was one of the first group of recording artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
  • In 1990, he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
  • In 1993, he then received an Honorary Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
  • In 1994, he was the fourth recording artist (the others being Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and James Brown) to be recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Pioneer Award by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation.
  • In 1997, he received the American Music Award of Merit.
  • On May 14, 2002, Little Richard was honored as one of the first three BMI Icons at the 50th annual BMI Pop Awards. He was presented the award along with BMI affiliates Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry.
  • In 2002, he received the NAACP Image Award - Hall of Fame Award for having "distinguished himself as not only an unparalleled musical genius, but also as a unique and innovative performing artist—fusing pure vocal talent with exhilarating showmanship."
  • In 2003, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
  • In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him #8 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
  • In 2006, he was inducted into the Apollo Theater Legends Hall of Fame, at the same time as Ella Fitzgerald (who was one of the first winners of 'Amateur Night at the Apollo' in 1934) and Gladys Knight & the Pips.
  • In 2007, his 1955 original hit "Tutti Frutti" topped Mojo's The Top 100 Records That Changed The World.
  • In 2008, Penniman was inducted into the Music City Walk of Fame.
  • In 2009, he was formally inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
  • In 2009, he was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
  • In 2010, The Library Of Congress National Recording Registry added Penniman's original 1955 hit “Tutti Frutti” to its registry, claiming that the hit announced a new era in music: “A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop-a-lop-bam-boom!”
  • In September 2010, Little Richard was named GQ's Man of the Year (Legend)


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READ MORE » December 5: Little Richard is 79-years-old today. “A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop-a-lop-bam-boom!”

December 5: R&B singer-songwriter Keri Hilson, "I Like," & "Knock You Down" is 29-years-old today.



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Born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, Keri Lynn Hilson first made a name for herself as a songwriter as part of a collective of writers and producers known as The Clutch in the mid 2000s. She helped write songs for others including Britney Spears, Ciara, Ludacris, and Usher.

She attended Tucker High School in Tucker, Georgia (where yours truly, Musiclover, lives by the way.)

During her youth, Hilson studied piano and singing, and joined the girl group D'Signe when she was 17. She became a songwriter and backing vocalist while in high school, and  attended Oxford College of Emory University, where she majored in theater.

Her own debut studio album, In a Perfect World… was released in March 2009, and debuted at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in the U.S., where it was certified gold selling after selling 540,000 copies. The album included the hit, "Knock You Down" which featured Kanye West and Ne-Yo. It earned Keri a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration in 2010.

A reissue of the album, which included the German number-one hit "I Like," gained a platinum accreditation, selling more than 200,000 copies.

 
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No Boys AllowedIn a Perfect World...Hey NowGot Your Back feat. Keri Hilson / Yeah Ya Know (TAKERS) (12in Vinyl Single)Knock You Down


As a prominent guest vocalist in both the contemporary R&B and hip hop genres, Hilson has been featured on over a dozen singles by other artists, beginning with Xzibit's "Hey Now (Mean Muggin)," on which she received her first official credit in 2004.

Other successful collaborations include the number-one single "The Way I Are" and "Scream" with Timbaland, also featuring D.O.E. and Nicole Scherzinger respectively. Keri cites T-Boz as her biggest influence and inspiration.





A BONUS!





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READ MORE » December 5: R&B singer-songwriter Keri Hilson, "I Like," & "Knock You Down" is 29-years-old today.

November 30: Kaley Cuoco of "The Big Bang Theory" is 26-years-old today.


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Kaley Christine Cuoco is best known for her roles as Bridget Hennessy on the sitcom 8 Simple Rules, Billie Jenkins on the supernatural drama Charmed, and presently as Penny on the popular sitcom The Big Bang Theory.

As part of a running gag on Big Bang, "Penny" and "Sheldon," played by Emmy winner Jim Parsons, sing the song, "Soft Kittee" to each other when they're sick. (See video below.)





Kaley was born in Camarillo, California. She began modeling and acting at age 6. Her first major role was in the 1992 TV movie Quicksand: No Escape. Her role as Maureen McCormick in the 2000 TV movie Growing Up Brady brought her much attention, as well as a role on the CBS sitcom Ladies Man.

In 2004, in addition to her role on 8 Simple Rules where she played a teenager, she had starring roles on the NBC miniseries 10.5, on the ABC Family original movie Crimes of Fashion, and in the independent film Debating Robert Lee. In 2000 she starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie Alley Cats Strike. In 2004, she began voicing the character of Brandy Harrington on the Disney Channel's cartoon, Brandy and Mr. Whiskers.



Kaley was named #77 on FHM-Us' 100 Sexiest Women in 2005 and #21 in 2008. Cuoco played Bridget Hennessy on the ABC sitcom 8 Simple Rules. Bridget was the eldest child, despite Cuoco being six years younger than her on-screen little sister played by Amy Davidson, and was portrayed as "the most beautiful girl in the school." She had several boyfriends throughout the series and used her feminine wiles to exert significant control over the boys she encountered.










In the eighth season of the hit cult TV show Charmed Cuoco appeared as Billie Jenkins. Executive producer Brad Kern stated Kaley's character was initially brought in as a possible spin-off. In 2004, Cuoco co-starred in the movie The Hollow with stars Nick Carter and Kevin Zegers.

In September 2007, Cuoco began starring in The Big Bang Theory. She plays Penny, a beautiful, down-to-earth aspiring actress and employee at The Cheesecake Factory who moves in next door to two geeks, Sheldon (and Leonard (Johnny Galecki). In the show, she moved to California from Omaha, Nebraska to pursue a career in acting.

In 2007 Cuoco also starred in the Lifetime film To Be Fat Like Me. She also played a minor role in two Prison Break episodes  as well as taking the leading female role in the horror movie Killer Movie in 2008.

HIGHLY Recommended (Press thumbnails covers for direct links to Amazon):
(Autographs)
KALEY CUOCO 8x10 Photo Signed In-Person

(Videos)

The Big Bang Theory: The Complete First SeasonThe Big Bang Theory: The Complete Second SeasonThe Big Bang Theory: The Complete Third SeasonThe Big Bang Theory: The Complete Fourth Season 8 Simple Rules: The Complete First Season

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Cuoco will star in Hop and as Wanda in The Last Ride which will be released in the near future. She has also been cast alongside Cam Gigandet, Penn Badgley and Crystal Lowe in Darkness Falls, expected to be released in 2011.

Cuoco currently lives in San Fernando Valley, California, with her German Shepherd, Duke, and her Chihuahua-Dachshund mix, Petey. She enjoys horseback riding, kickboxing, bowling, and playing the drums; and one of her favorite hobbies is table tennis. She was a nationally ranked amateur tennis player, which she began playing when she was three years old.


Newly Posted Video




Growing Up BradyDebating Robert LeeTo Be Fat Like MeKiller Movie [Blu-ray]Crimes of FashionWastedThe Hollow

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READ MORE » November 30: Kaley Cuoco of "The Big Bang Theory" is 26-years-old today.
 
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