Little Richard statue to be built outside late singer’s childhood home

26 May 2020, 14:59 | Updated: 22 September 2023, 13:37

Little Richard, who passed away aged 87 on May 9 this month, is set to have a statue built in his honour.

The 'Tutti Frutti' singer will have his image and likeness recreated for the statue.

The statue of the rock and roll pioneer will be erected outside his childhood home in Macon, Georgia.

A fund established by Friends of the Little Richard House and the Community Foundation of Central Georgia will pay for the statue, as well as a replica of the singer’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Little Richard Long Tall Sally - Tutti Frutti

The fund will also be used to “support organisations that provide music education to low and moderate-income students across Bibb County and Middle Georgia”, according to USA Today.

Read more: Rock and Roll legend Little Richard has died, aged 87

Organisers of the tribute are hoping to have the statue installed by December 5, which will coincide with what would have been Little Richard's birthday.

Antonio Williams, a Friends of the Little Richard House board member, said: “Little Richard’s contribution to music as a whole, to all the genres of music, was monumental and very instrumental in a lot of people’s careers.”

Little Richard performs "Tutti Frutti" at the Concert for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Little Richard, real name Richard Wayne Penniman, passed away earlier this month after a battle with bone cancer.

Sir Paul McCartney remembered Little Richard “screaming into my life when I was a teenager” as The Beatles member recounted: “I owe a lot of what I do to Little Richard and his style; and he knew it.

“He would say, ‘I taught Paul everything he knows.’ I had to admit he was right.”