Richard Wayne Penniman was born on December 5, 1932, in Macon, Georgia, the third of twelve children to Leva Mae and Charles Penniman. His father was a church deacon and a brick mason who also ran a nightclub called the Tip In Inn and sold bootlegged moonshine on the side.
His mother belonged to Macon’s New Hope Baptist Church. Originally, his first name was supposed to be “Ricardo,” but an error resulted in “Richard.” His family nicknamed him “Lil’ Richard” as a child because of his small and skinny frame.
Little Richard cause of death: What happened to Little Richard?
Little Richard’s health problems began in 1985 when he crashed his car into a telephone pole.
While he did not experience any immediate problems as a result of the accident, he did experience hip pain that did not go away. In 2007, he began using crutches to alleviate his pain.
Little Richard suffered a heart attack in 2013, and his health began to deteriorate rapidly.
He claimed in 2016 that he was still singing at home, but the 83-year-old no longer performed on stage. He died in March 2020 after contracting bone cancer.
In the days following his death, Little Richard was buried at Oakwood University Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Huntsville, Alabama.
