Little Richard dies: The Rock 'n' Roll icon won over new generations with many TV appearances

Rolling Stone

The legendary rock, soul and funk performer, who influenced everybody from The Beatles to the Rolling Stones with "Tutti Frutti,” "Long Tall Sally" and “Good Golly Miss Molly,” died Saturday at age 87. The cause of death was bone cancer, his lawyer told Rolling Stone. Little Richard appealed to many generations because he made so many TV cameos. Full House trended on Twitter following his death because many remembered his memorable guest appearance in a 1994 episode as the uncle to Jurnee Smollet-Bell’s character. "Little Richard’s reign as a Top 40 hitmaker may have been relatively brief, but thanks to his larger-than-life persona, love of the camera, and eagerness to perform anywhere and everywhere, he stayed in the spotlight decade after decade," Andy Greene writes in Rolling Stone. "That’s one reason his death is touching so many different generations today. When Martin needed someone to play a goofy exterminator, Little Richard was there. When Baywatch needed a star to come to the beach and play a song everyone knew, there he was pounding out 'Good Golly, Miss Molly' near the surf. And when Full House needed to bring in a rock icon to play at a rally for Uncle Joey when he ran for PTA president, guess who took their call? The Full House episode in question is 'Little Richard Too Late' from Season Seven, which aired on May 10th, 1994...Some old-time fans may have felt it was undignified for such a legend to appear on a show like Full House, but for many kids who grew up in the Nineties, this was probably the first time they learned he even existed." Little Richard also guest-starred as a preacher on Miami Vice, lent his voice to The Simpsons, singing on Blossom, skating on Pee-wee's Playhouse and playing a genie in a Spike Lee-directed Michael Jordan Nike commercial. Little Richard sang the theme song for The Magic School Bus. He also jumped aboard the reality TV bandwagon, serving as a judge on the short-lived 2006 Fox reality show Celebrity Duets. Little Richard was also the star of his own 1964 British TV special, The Little Richard Spectacular, that delivered huge ratings and helped launch his rock 'n' roll comeback.