Celebs are paying tribute to Little Richard after news broke that the rock legend had sadly passed away at the age of 87.
The world is mourning the loss of Little Richard, who sadly passed away on Saturday, May 9. The legendary musician — born Richard Wayne Penniman — shot to superstardom more than six decades ago with his debut hit “Tutti Frutti”, and has left a lasting impact on the music industry. Tributes have already poured in from celebrities, and fans alike, as millions remember his legacy in the wake of his death. Former First Lady Michelle Obama took to Twitter, writing “With his exuberance, his creativity, and his refusal to be anything other than himself, Little Richard laid the foundation for generations of artists to follow. We are so lucky to have had him. Sending all my love to his family and friends today.”
Hollywood A-listers like Reese Witherspoon also commemorated his legacy. “What a legend. RIP Little Richard,” the Big Little Lies actress captioned a clip of him singing. Fellow music icon Mick Jagger wrote, “I’m so saddened to hear about the passing of Little Richard. He was the biggest inspiration of my early teens and his music still has the same raw electric energy when you play it now as it did when it first shot through the music scene in the mid 50’s. When we were on tour with him, I would watch his moves every night.”
Demi Moore posted a throwback to her 1987 wedding to Bruce Willis, which the rock icon officiated. “Remembering #LittleRichard today… Bruce and I were so lucky and honored to have him officiate our wedding back in 1987 — thankful for the memories. Rest easy,” she wrote on Twitter. Meanwhile, actor Viola Davis referred to him as “The Originator.” She wrote, “The musician, performer who influenced generations of artists….has left. You were AWESOME #LittleRichard!!! Your talent will reverberate forever. Well done sir. Rest well.”
Musician Chance The Rapper also remembered the legend on Twitter, informing fans that he had been reading up on his Wikipedia page just weeks prior to his death. “A couple weeks ago I randomly decided to read up on the legendary Little Richard on wiki. I learned then about how he developed The Beatles and saved The Rolling Stones.”