Imagine being a teenager in 1956, listening to music in a small room. You have one big hero. To you, he is the king of the world. His name is Elvis Presley. For a young John Lennon, Elvis wasn’t just a singer. John later said that Elvis was bigger than religion in his life because he was so cool, wild, and free.
Then, everything changed in one single second.
One day, a friend brought over a brand-new record by a man named Little Richard. The song was “Long Tall Sally.” The friend said this new guy was even better than Elvis. John put the record on the player. As the loud piano pounded and the wild voice screamed, John was shocked. He said it was so great that he could not even speak!
Long Tall Sally – Richard
But John was a little sad, too. He felt like he was breaking a rule. He loved Elvis so much that he did not want to say anything bad about him, even in his own mind. He wondered how two things so magical could happen at the same time. It seemed like a tiny betrayal of his first hero.
But here is the most amazing secret: Little Richard was also an inspiration to Elvis Presley himself!
Elvis loved Black rhythm-and-blues music. He was a huge fan of Little Richard and regularly sang his hits, like “Tutti Frutti” and “Long Tall Sally.”
In fact, on September 9, 1956, Elvis sang Little Richard’s song “Ready Teddy” on television. Over 60 million people watched him! Because of the unfair racial rules of that time, white singers like Elvis sold more records. But Little Richard was not angry. He later said that Elvis singing his songs actually “made him bigger” by opening locked doors and sharing this wonderful music with a much larger audience.
Long Tall Sally/Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On (Aloha From Hawaii, Live in Honolulu, 1973)
Years later, John Lennon’s band, The Beatles, became super famous. They carried both of these kings in their hearts. Elvis gave them their cool attitude, and Little Richard gave them their wild, screaming energy.
Elvis Presley opened the door to rock ‘n’ roll, but Little Richard gave Elvis the fire to do it. Loving a new song did not mean John Lennon had to stop loving Elvis. It just meant the world of music was much bigger, friendlier, and more exciting than he ever dreamed!