Tutti Frutti Video & Audio

Little Richard: "Tutti Frutti" Live

Richard plays the piano while couples dance in that funny way they used to dance in the 1950s. It is actually quite charming.

Little Richard: "Ready Teddy" (1956)

This is a clip from The Girl Can't Help It. Richard is just beginning to build up his reputation as a rock icon.

Pat Boone: "Tutti Frutti" (1955)

Pat Boone's poppy, polished version of Richard's originally raucous song was a bigger commercial success than Richard's own recording. This was a source of bitterness for Richard and his fans, especially because Boone's popularity had racial connotations (he was more accessible to a "cross-over" audience because he was white).

Elvis Presley: "Tutti Frutti" (1956)

Elvis also made a popular version of the song.

Little Richard on Jimi Hendrix

This is just one great sample of Richard's wacky, unpredictable, and incredibly rhythmic way of speaking to the press.