‘Little Richard: I Am Everything’ review [Sundance 2023]

Lisa Cortés film successfully documents the remarkable story of one of the greats, Georgia-born Richard Wayne Penniman, also known as Little Richard, a true pioneer of rock and roll and, although this feature might be more suited for the small screen, it is still a televisual treat.

It doesn’t take long for Cortés to show just how defining and inspirational Little Richard was. Telling the story through talking heads – the likes of Mick Jagger, Tom Jones, and more are filmed telling stories of the great man and how they were led by his music – and also tons of archive footage, Little Richard: I Am Everything is everything one could want; informative, detailed and sometimes moving.

I have a little story from 20 years ago – almost to the day – which’ll immediately not seem relevant, but it will shortly, I promise. I was in a hotel on Sunset Boulevard, a wet-behind-the-ears 25-year-old completing a [first] trip to Los Angeles to see a friend. I was due to check out of my hotel that morning and made my way from a room on one of the upper floors. Suitcase in hand and, to be honest, a little weary from the night before, I leaned against the walls of the elevator when it came to a stop one level down. The doors opened and in walked an imposing man flanked by two burly security men. He immediately said hello to me as I stood up straight, immediately recognising the figure standing before me. “Hi”, he said. “Hello,” I answered with my distinctly British accent. “Oh, he said, where are you from?” He asked. “‘Oh, I’m from England”, I replied. He continued: “I’ve been to England, Where in England?” “A small town near Wales,” I nervously replied, attempting to articulate the location of my sleepy Gloucestershire birthplace as the lift reached the car park level. Backing out of the lift with his two bouncers he turned back to me and, as he left, said: “I love Wales. Well, when you get back tell everyone Little Richard said ‘Hi’.”

Why tell you this? Well, it’s a one-minute interaction with someone that has stayed with me ever since. Over the years, I have been lucky enough to interview and mix with some true icons and some truly talented people I very much look up to, but this experience, however random it was, is one I will never forget. This was early 2003, Richard now in his seventies and, even as a wet-behind-the-ears twenty-five-year-old, I knew who he was right away, and his good manner, and star presence was evident immediately – something Cortés’ film also tries to display – and absolutely manages to perfectly.

The documentary is short – just over 90 minutes, but it packs a lot in. We hear from Richard himself, archive interviews narrating his story from those early days in Georgia, through to his rise as a pioneer of rock and roll music, a tornado in a world that wasn’t quite ready for what he was about to drop on them. Tutti Frutti, Good Golly Miss Molly, and Lucille are just three iconic songs recorded and released during this early period, timeless tracks that influenced the likes of Elvis, Jagger, The Beatles and the Rolling Stones, and later Prince and David Bowie – to name just a few. In fact, think of any rock musician and their influences can easily be traced back to Richard.

There are also interviews with scholars and some pretty brilliant performances from various musicians, all offering versions of Little Richard’s music – relevant to the point in his life that the documentary is pointing toward.

We cover the period in his life that involved him moving away from the music world and into religion –  God had a different path for him – and back again, his sexuality and relationships over time, and also his lack of recognition in the music industry and how money was also an issue in regard to publishing rights.

The filmmakers pack a lot in and even if you’re not a fan, it’s worth checking out. I slot into the other category with an interest in that period of music but also I’ve seen some people commenting that the film lacks depth into some of Richard’s career, I didn’t think that was the case at all. One of the first great music docs of the year.