Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Monday, June 2, 2008
Monitor Page Hits
It is very important to statistically track visitors to your website. Web tracking software provides a wealth of information about website visitors that can help you improve your web content, navigational structure and "stickiness". Good information will help you formulate great strategies that will ultimately lower your costs and increase your revenues.
A good hit tracker provides answers to the following types of questions:
From which countries did my website visitors come from?
Which search engine did they use to find my site?
Which words or phrases did they search on?
Which sites and URLs are sending me traffic?
How did my visitors navigate through my site?
Which of my pages are the most and least popular?
By regularly analyzing your web stats, you will make some amazing discoveries! For example, you will probably find that only a few search engines are sending you most of your traffic. You will likely discover that a very few of your pages are receiving 90% of your hits.
It is important to use the information to refine your meta tags and develop strategies that will improve your site's visibility in the major search engines. For more information on meta tags, search engines and monitoring, check out Search Engine Watch .
A good hit tracker provides answers to the following types of questions:
From which countries did my website visitors come from?
Which search engine did they use to find my site?
Which words or phrases did they search on?
Which sites and URLs are sending me traffic?
How did my visitors navigate through my site?
Which of my pages are the most and least popular?
By regularly analyzing your web stats, you will make some amazing discoveries! For example, you will probably find that only a few search engines are sending you most of your traffic. You will likely discover that a very few of your pages are receiving 90% of your hits.
It is important to use the information to refine your meta tags and develop strategies that will improve your site's visibility in the major search engines. For more information on meta tags, search engines and monitoring, check out Search Engine Watch .
Promote Web Page
Many web page developers seem to think that if you build a page, people will come. Unfortunately, life isn't quite so simple. With several billion pages on the Internet, the odds of someone bumping into yours is rather remote, unless it is well promoted.
Web page promotion entails registering your URL with one or more search engines and portals.
There are literally hundreds of search engines in existence today. Although it is free to add your URL to some search engines, the registration effort does take time. Most major search engines now charge fees for registration.
Search engines can be national, international, of subject specific. A few very large search engines, however, are used by most internet users on a regular basis. You should certainly register your site with each of these.
Depending on your objectives, you may also want to register with some of the international, regional or subject based search engines. You can add your URL to each major search engines by clicking below:
Web page promotion entails registering your URL with one or more search engines and portals.
There are literally hundreds of search engines in existence today. Although it is free to add your URL to some search engines, the registration effort does take time. Most major search engines now charge fees for registration.
Search engines can be national, international, of subject specific. A few very large search engines, however, are used by most internet users on a regular basis. You should certainly register your site with each of these.
Depending on your objectives, you may also want to register with some of the international, regional or subject based search engines. You can add your URL to each major search engines by clicking below:
Upload Web Page
Copying files from your hard drive to the server is a simple process. The host site will prompt you for the name of the directory on your hard drive where your files are stored and the names of the specific files to be uploaded. To avoid confusion, make certain that all files are saved on the server using the same file names that were used on your hard drive. The only software that you require to upload files is a web browser such as Netscape or Internet Explorer. Alternatively, free FTP software (File Transfer Protocol) can be used.
Once you have uploaded all your files, you should test your page on the web server and make certain that it functions properly and that all files have uploaded correctly. It is also a good idea to test your page using a different computer to ensure that graphic files are being read from the server and not from your hard drive.
It is now time to congratulate yourself. You have published your very first page!
Once you have uploaded all your files, you should test your page on the web server and make certain that it functions properly and that all files have uploaded correctly. It is also a good idea to test your page using a different computer to ensure that graphic files are being read from the server and not from your hard drive.
It is now time to congratulate yourself. You have published your very first page!
Find a Web Server
At this point, construction of your home page is complete but your page still resides on your computer, not on the internet. If you log on to the Internet, however, you should be able to test all your links to external web sites.
You are now ready to publish your page on the World Wide Web. To do this, you will need to copy your page and all graphic and music files which your page uses from your computer's hard drive to a web server (computer).
The Internet service provider (ISP) that you use for Internet access might provide free web hosting to its customers. Many do. If not, there are a number of companies that will provide server space at no charge. You will, however, be required to include a banner or icon somewhere on the page to promote the free hosting service or their sponsors
Although there are disadvantages to using free web hosting services, such services do provide an opportunity to learn and develop basic web publishing skills. Alternatively, there are many professional web hosting companies that offer inexpensive hosting packages with advanced features for under $10 per month.
When you register for web hosting services, you will be sent instructions on how to upload files to the web server. The web host will also provide you with a user ID and password so that other people can't access or alter your files.
You are now ready to publish your page on the World Wide Web. To do this, you will need to copy your page and all graphic and music files which your page uses from your computer's hard drive to a web server (computer).
The Internet service provider (ISP) that you use for Internet access might provide free web hosting to its customers. Many do. If not, there are a number of companies that will provide server space at no charge. You will, however, be required to include a banner or icon somewhere on the page to promote the free hosting service or their sponsors
Although there are disadvantages to using free web hosting services, such services do provide an opportunity to learn and develop basic web publishing skills. Alternatively, there are many professional web hosting companies that offer inexpensive hosting packages with advanced features for under $10 per month.
When you register for web hosting services, you will be sent instructions on how to upload files to the web server. The web host will also provide you with a user ID and password so that other people can't access or alter your files.
Construct Web Page
Once the HTML editor is installed, you are ready to begin construction. The first thing to do is to orient yourself to the HTML editor. Most products have good tutorial and "help" features that will explain how to use the tool. In general, however, they are intuitive and function much like word processors.
HTML editors let you insert images into the body of a document and create hyperlinks to other pages. They also permit you to reference a file to be used as a background image. Most HTML editors allow you to insert additional HTML code wherever you like. This is useful, for example, should you want to add a page counter, music or video clip to your site.
Hyperlinks are words or graphics on a web page that, when clicked, take the visitor to another page or another web site. To add a hyperlink, you simply highlight the text field or graphic, select the hyperlink icon and specify the destination address (URL). You should specify the full URL address.
Your main page should always be assigned the file name "index.htm". Other pages on your web site can be assigned any names you wish however keep them short and avoid using special characters. (e.g. #, @). For simplicity, all web page file names should end with ".htm".
If you feel really brave, you can write your HTML program using a simple text editor such as WordPad rather than using an HTML Editor. WordPad is a utility program that comes bundled with Microsoft operating systems (e.g. Windows XP).
To begin, find a simple web page on the Internet that you like and save it to your directory. Copy the graphics from that same web page to your hard drive. Print off the HTML code and see how it works! You can then make some minor changes to the HTML and watch the results in your web browser (i.e. Netscape or Explorer). Don't forget to save your program changes and "reload" your page in your browser. This method is not recommended for everyone, but is a very good way to learn HTML.
There are plenty of good HTML programming guides available on the Internet which explain the basic syntax of the HTML language. Tools are also available to validate the HTML that you write.
If you would like to add a Radio and Television Remote Control to your site, simply insert this HTML into your page. Your visitors will be impressed!
HTML editors let you insert images into the body of a document and create hyperlinks to other pages. They also permit you to reference a file to be used as a background image. Most HTML editors allow you to insert additional HTML code wherever you like. This is useful, for example, should you want to add a page counter, music or video clip to your site.
Hyperlinks are words or graphics on a web page that, when clicked, take the visitor to another page or another web site. To add a hyperlink, you simply highlight the text field or graphic, select the hyperlink icon and specify the destination address (URL). You should specify the full URL address.
Your main page should always be assigned the file name "index.htm". Other pages on your web site can be assigned any names you wish however keep them short and avoid using special characters. (e.g. #, @). For simplicity, all web page file names should end with ".htm".
If you feel really brave, you can write your HTML program using a simple text editor such as WordPad rather than using an HTML Editor. WordPad is a utility program that comes bundled with Microsoft operating systems (e.g. Windows XP).
To begin, find a simple web page on the Internet that you like and save it to your directory. Copy the graphics from that same web page to your hard drive. Print off the HTML code and see how it works! You can then make some minor changes to the HTML and watch the results in your web browser (i.e. Netscape or Explorer). Don't forget to save your program changes and "reload" your page in your browser. This method is not recommended for everyone, but is a very good way to learn HTML.
There are plenty of good HTML programming guides available on the Internet which explain the basic syntax of the HTML language. Tools are also available to validate the HTML that you write.
If you would like to add a Radio and Television Remote Control to your site, simply insert this HTML into your page. Your visitors will be impressed!
Webmaster Resources----Web Design Guide
So, you want to build a website! Well, you've come to the right place. This site explains in very simple terms how to design, build and publish a website. If you haven't done it before, Internet publishing can appear rather daunting. In fact, it is not difficult at all.
There is very little you require to build a website and everything you need is available free on the Internet. In other words, you don't need to spend huge sums of money purchasing expensive software packages, programming manuals or web server space. You just need to know where to start.
Here is a list of what you do need:
basic computer skills
access to a personal computer
access to the Internet
a free HTML Editor (a web page construction tool)
a place on the world wide web to publish your page
There are eight steps involved in publishing a page. They are:
define your objectives
design your web pages
download an HTML editor from the web
construct your site
find a web server where your site can be published
copy your pages to the web server
promote your website
track your hits and fine tune
There is very little you require to build a website and everything you need is available free on the Internet. In other words, you don't need to spend huge sums of money purchasing expensive software packages, programming manuals or web server space. You just need to know where to start.
Here is a list of what you do need:
basic computer skills
access to a personal computer
access to the Internet
a free HTML Editor (a web page construction tool)
a place on the world wide web to publish your page
There are eight steps involved in publishing a page. They are:
define your objectives
design your web pages
download an HTML editor from the web
construct your site
find a web server where your site can be published
copy your pages to the web server
promote your website
track your hits and fine tune
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Little Richard
Little Richard:
Richard Wayne Penniman (born December 5, 1932), better known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist, who began performing in the 1940s and recording from 1951.
Little Richard
Penniman's reputation rests on a string of groundbreaking hit singles from 1955 through 1957, such as "Tutti Frutti" and "Long Tall Sally", which helped lay the foundation for rock and roll music,[1] influencing generations of rhythm and blues, rock and soul music artists. Little Richard's injection of funk during this period[1] also influenced the development of that genre of music.
Little Richard's early work was a mix of boogie-woogie, rhythm and blues and gospel music, but with a heavily accentuated back-beat, funky saxophone grooves and raspy, shouted vocals, moans, screams, and other emotive inflections that marked a new kind of music. In 1957, while at the height of stardom, he became a born-again Christian and withdrew from recording and performing secular music.
James Brown, who called Little Richard his idol,[2] credited him with "first putting the funk in the rock and roll beat"[1] via his saxophone-studded, mid-'50s road band, by Smokey Robinson, in 1997 as, "the start of that driving, funky, never let up rock 'n' roll", by Dick Clark as "the model for almost every rock and roll performer of the '50s and years thereafter", and Ray Charles, in 1989, as "the man that started a kind of music that set the pace for a lot of what's happening today." In 1969, Elvis Presley told Little Richard, "Your music has inspired me - you are the greatest.".[2] Otis Redding, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Mick Jagger, John Fogerty, Bob Seger, David Bowie, and numerous other rock n roll stars have also cited Richard as being their first major influence.
Macon, Georgia to Leva Mae Stewart and Charles ("Bud") Penniman, a bootlegger.[1][3] He grew up in a spiritual family, amid poverty and prejudice, and it was singing that made his family feel closer to God. His family had a group called the Penniman Singers, who would go around and sing in local churches, and enter contests with other singing families. Richard's siblings called him 'War Hawk' because of his loud, screaming singing voice. His paternal grandfather, Walter Penniman, was a preacher, and his father's family were members of the Foundation Templar African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Macon, Georgia. Richard's grandmother on his mother's side was a member of the Holiness Temple Baptist Church, also in Macon. Richard regularly attended the New Hope Baptist Church in Macon, where his mother was a member. However, of all the churches he frequented, Richard's favorite were the Pentecostal churches because of the music and the fun he and his friends would have doing the holy dance and talking in tongues along with members of the congregation. When he was as young as ten, he would go around as a healer, singing Gospel songs and touching people, who would testify that they felt better after he ministered to them. Inspired by Brother Joe May, a singing evangelist known as 'The Thunderbolt of the West', Richard wanted to become a preacher. It was in and through the church where Richard's life in music all began.[2]
Nearly all of Richard Penniman's dramatic phrasing and swift vocal turns are derived from Black Gospel artists of the 1930s and 1940s. He referred to Sister Rosetta Tharpe as his favorite singer when he was a child. She had invited him to sing a song with her onstage at the Macon City Auditorium in 1945, after hearing him sing before the concert. The crowd applauded and cheered and she paid him more money than he had ever seen after the show.[2] He was also heavily influenced by Marion Williams, from whom he got the trademark "whoooo" in his vocal,[2] Mahalia Jackson,[2] and Brother Joe May.[2] He was heavily influenced in appearance (hair, clothing, shoes, makeup, etc.) and sound by late 1940s gospel-style, jump blues shouter Billy Wright, who was known as the 'Prince of the Blues'.[2] It is reported that he got one of the inflections ("Lucille-uh") in his vocal from Ruth Brown.[citation needed]
One of Penniman's main influences on his piano-playing was Esquerita (Eskew Reeder Jr.), who demonstrated to Penniman how to play high notes without compromising bass. Penniman met Esquerita when he traveled through Macon with a preacher named Sister Rosa. Another influence was Brother Joe May. Penniman explained, "I used to get in a room and try to make my piano sound just like him. He had so much energy." May generated energy by moving from a subtle whisper to a thunderous tenor and back in a four-bar phrase.
He learned to mix ministerial qualities with theatrics by watching the traveling medicine shows that rolled through his native Macon. Colorful medicine men would wear lavish capes, robes and turbans, all of which left an impression on Penniman.
In 1952, Penniman's father was murdered. After this, he returned to Macon and performed blues and boogie-woogie music at the "Tick Tock Club" in the evening, whilst also washing dishes at the cafeteria of a Greyhound Lines bus station during the day.
Recording career
Modeled after recording artist Billy Wright, Little Richard had recorded songs for the Peacock Records label between 1951 and 1954, including "Little Richard's Boogie". These records sold poorly and Penniman had little success until he sent a demo tape to Specialty Records on February 17, 1955. Specialty's owner Art Rupe placed Richard's career in the hands of Robert 'Bumps' Blackwell, who had nurtured and groomed Ray Charles (then known as R.C. Robinson) and Quincy Jones at the start of their careers in the music business.
Blackwell had intended to pit Little Richard against Ray Charles and B.B. King by having him record more blues tracks. He arranged for a recording session in New Orleans in the late summer of 1955, when, during a break, Penniman began singing an impromptu recital of "Tutti Frutti", in his raspy, shouted vocal style, while pounding out a boogie-woogie based rhythm on the piano. Blackwell, who knew a hit when he heard one, was knocked out and had Little Richard record the song. However, in order to make it commercially acceptable, he had Little Richard's lyrics changed from "tutti-frutti, good booty" to "tutti frutti, aw rooty."[4]
The song, with Little Richard shouting its unique introductory "A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-whop-bam-boom!", became the model for many subsequent Little Richard songs, with a driving piano, boogie-woogie bass, funky saxophone arrangements, with sax solos usually from Lee Allen. Over the next few years, Little Richard had many hit singles, such as "Long Tall Sally", "Rip It Up". "The Girl Can't Help It", "Slippin' and Slidin'", "Jenny, Jenny", "Good Golly, Miss Molly", and "Keep A Knockin'". His performing style can be seen in such period films as Don't Knock the Rock (1956) and The Girl Can't Help It (also 1956), for which he sang the title song.
In the commercial fashion of the day, several of his early hits were re-recorded in other styles. Little Richard's first national success, "Tutti Frutti," was covered by Pat Boone, whose version outdid the source record, #12 to #17. Boone also released a version of "Long Tall Sally," with slightly bowdlerized lyrics. But this time, the Little Richard original outperformed it on the Billboard charts, #6 to #8. Bill Haley tackled Little Richard's third major hit, "Rip It Up," but again, Little Richard prevailed. With the record-buying public's preference established, Little Richard's subsequent releases did not face the same chart competition.
Despite the raw sound of his music, the singles were carefully arranged, as documented on the three-volume album The Specialty Sessions, which include many false starts and variations.
Born-again Christianity
Little Richard quit the music business in 1957, while on tour in Australia, claiming he had been warned of his own damnation in a vision.
Since then, he has been in and out of rock and roll as well as in and out of religion. He took the Voice of Prophecy courses run by members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, attended Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama, and was ordained a minister in the Church of God of the Ten Commandments.[5] His stance at that time in his life was that rock music was of the Devil and that it is not possible to play rock and roll and to please God at the same time. He began performing Gospel music throughout the United States of America, often with Gospel artists who inspired him, including Mahalia Jackson, whom he met one day in Los Angeles, where he invited her to hear him sing at the Mount Maria Baptist Church.[2] In 1959, he married a Christian girl named Ernestine.
While Specialty Records released a few new songs based on past sessions, Richard recorded only Gospel music in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He performed only Gospel material on the Gospel circuit. During this time, he did not perform his early rock and roll hits, resenting the secular themes of the songs.
In 1962, Little Richard was invited to tour Europe. He took a young Billy Preston with him on the road as part of his band. They intended on performing only Gospel music, but were lured into performing his old, secular hits. That year, an unknown British group called The Beatles were his opening act. In 1963, his opening band was another young band, the Rolling Stones. In 1964, Little Richard then introduced another then-unknown artist, Jimi Hendrix, as part of his band. Hendrix said in 1966, "I want to do with my guitar what Little Richard does with his voice."[2]
Richard performed on the rock revival circuit through the remainder of the 1960s and into the 1970s. He also recorded live and studio albums over this period of time. He experienced moderate chart success with new material in mid-1960s and again in the early 1970s.
Back to religion
In 1977, following the death of a nephew that he loved like a son, Little Richard returned to the ministry, this time for the Universal Remnant Church of God.[6] During this time, he traveled and preached to hundreds of thousands of people, and recorded more gospel music. He also represented Memorial Bibles International and sold the Black Heritage Bible for a short while. In his sermons in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Little Richard proclaimed that it is not possible to perform rock and roll music and to serve God at the same time. He said, "I like Pat Boone as a friend, but he's trying to serve two masters. Pat believes he can go to Las Vegas and do his thing, then preach on Sunday. I don't believe we can do that. God has not called us to do that. I can never see myself going back to rock 'n' roll."[2]
In 1984, Charles White released his authorized biography of Penniman, "The Life and Times of Little Richard," in which Little Richard testified about his conversion to Christianity and subsequent deliverance.[2] Mick Jagger proclaimed on the cover, "Little Richard is King." He launched yet another comeback, this time recording an album of inspirational rock and roll music. Ever since he has attempted to reconcile his role as a rock and roll star and his role as a minister. Penniman once said, "I believe that there is good and bad in everything. I believe some rock 'n' roll music is really bad, but I believe there is some not as bad. I believe if the message is positive and elevating, and wholesome and uplifting, this makes you think clearly. If it's not then it is not good even in Gospel."
As detailed in White's biography (2003 revision, pg. 221),[2] Richard's dilemma - whether to be a minister or to sing rock 'n roll - came to a head again while recording the soundtrack to the 1985 hit movie Down and Out in Beverly Hills, so he enrolled his old friend Billy Preston to help him write a song with spiritual lyrics that would sound like rock 'n' roll. The result was a song called "Great God A'Mighty", which he changed to "It's A Matter of Time", reflecting the conflict in his mind.
The song became his first hit in over a decade and became part of a Little Richard "messages in rhythm" album entitled Lifetime Friend released by WEA in 1986. Little Richard called his new music "message music", stating, "my mother died not long ago and it was only a few months before she died that she made me promise that I'd stay with the Lord. I have contentment and peace of mind, which is more important than anything. I am going to stay with God and just travel around."[2]
Recent events
Through the remainder of the 1980s, 1990s and into the twenty-first century, Little Richard has remained a popular guest on television, in music videos, commercials, movies and as a recording artist. He has contributed new recordings to movie soundtracks (ex. Twins, Casper the Friendly Ghost, Why Do Fools Fall in Love), sang background vocals on the U2 / BB King hit song "When Love Comes to Town, and preaches, as well, at times amid funky saxophone playing, in the extended "Live From The Kingdom Mix' of the track". Penniman appeared on Living Colour's "Elvis Is Dead", and also recorded new tracks for tribute albums, such as Folkways: A Vision Shared ("The Rock Island Line") (1989) and Kindred Spirits: A Tribute to Johnny Cash ("Get Rhythm") (2002). He also recorded duets in the 1990s with Jon Bon Jovi,Hank Williams Jr., Living Color, Elton John, Tanya Tucker, Solomon Burke, and in 2006 with Jerry Lee Lewis, in which they covered the Little Richard-influenced, early 1960s, hit Beatles track "I Saw Her Standing There." He also recently headlined the University of Texas event "40 Acres Fest". [7].
In 2006 he was a host on Celebrity Duets. In 2006/2007 he was featured in a Geico advertisement, wherin he uses his signature "whoop" to denote the joy he would receive while consuming "mashed potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce" at a Thanksgiving dinner. In 2007 his song "All Around The World" was featured on a Cravendale Advertisement for an animation by PicPic which features a cow, a pirate, and a biker. In 2007, he also performed at the Capitol Fourth - a July 4th celebration (televised live on PBS) in front of the White House in Washington D.C.
Awards/honors
* In 1956, Cashbox awarded Little Richard the Cashbox Triple Crown Award for "Long Tall Sally".
* In 1986, Little Richard was one of the first group of recording artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[8]
* In 1990, Little Richard was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[9]
* In 1993, he then received a Honorary Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.[10]
* In 1994, Little Richard was the fourth recording artist (the others being Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and James Brown) to be recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Pioneer Award by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation.[11]
* In 1997, he received the American Music Award of Merit.
* In 2002, BMI, during the 50th Annual BMI Pop Awards celebration, Little Richard, along with Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry, were awarded the first BMI Icon Awards in recognition of their “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers.”[12] The same year, he was inducted into the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Hall of Fame for having "distinguished himself as not only an unparalleled musical genius, but also as a unique and innovative performing artist—fusing pure vocal talent with exhilarating showmanship."[13]
* In 2003, Little Richard was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.[14]
* In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked [15] Little Richard #8 on their list of the 100
Greatest Artists of All Time,[16] although at least six of the seven artists which preceded him on the list were heavily influenced by Little Richard and his music.
* Joe Strummer of The Clash said in The History of Rock n Roll that he was heavily influenced by him and said his records had great sound quality.
Albums
* 1957: Here's Little Richard (Specialty)
* 1958: Volume 2 (Specialty)
* 1959: The Fabulous Little Richard (Specialty)
* 1960: Clap Your Hands
* 1960: Pray Along with Little Richard, Vol. 1
* 1960: Pray Along with Little Richard, Vol. 2
* 1962: King of the Gospel Singers
* 1963: Sings Spirituals
* 1964: Sings the Gospel
* 1964: Little Richard Is Back And There's A Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On! (Vee-Jay)
* 1964: Greatest Hits (Vee-Jay)
* 1965: The Wild and Frantic Little Richard (Modern)
* 1965: The Incredible Little Richard Sings His Greatest Hits Live! (Modern)
* 1967: The Explosive Little Richard (Okeh)
* 1967: Greatest Hits: Recorded Live! (Okeh)
* 1967: Rock N Roll Forever
* 1969: Good Golly Miss Molly
* 1969: Little Richard
* 1969: Right Now
* 1970: Rock Hard Rock Heavy
* 1970: Little Richard
* 1970: Well Alright!
* 1970: The Rill Thing (Reprise)
* 1971: Mr. Big
* 1971: King Of Rock And Roll (Reprise)
* 1972: Southern Child (Reprise, unreleased)
* 1972: The Second Coming (Reprise)
* 1972: The Original
* 1972: You Cant Keep a Good Man Down
* 1973: Rip It Up
* 1974: Talkin' 'Bout Soul
* 1974: Recorded Live
* 1974: Super Hits (Trip)
* 1975: Keep a Knockin'
* 1976: Sings
* 1976: Little Richard Live
* 1977: Now
* 1983: 20 Greatest Hits (Lotus)
* 1988: Lucille
* 1992: Shake It All About
* 1996: Shag on Down by the Union Hall
* 2006: Here Comes Little Richard/Little Richard
little richard
Little Richard
Little Richard
Little Richard
Little Richard
Little Richard
little richard
Richard Wayne Penniman (born December 5, 1932), better known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist, who began performing in the 1940s and recording from 1951.
Little Richard
Penniman's reputation rests on a string of groundbreaking hit singles from 1955 through 1957, such as "Tutti Frutti" and "Long Tall Sally", which helped lay the foundation for rock and roll music,[1] influencing generations of rhythm and blues, rock and soul music artists. Little Richard's injection of funk during this period[1] also influenced the development of that genre of music.
Little Richard's early work was a mix of boogie-woogie, rhythm and blues and gospel music, but with a heavily accentuated back-beat, funky saxophone grooves and raspy, shouted vocals, moans, screams, and other emotive inflections that marked a new kind of music. In 1957, while at the height of stardom, he became a born-again Christian and withdrew from recording and performing secular music.
James Brown, who called Little Richard his idol,[2] credited him with "first putting the funk in the rock and roll beat"[1] via his saxophone-studded, mid-'50s road band, by Smokey Robinson, in 1997 as, "the start of that driving, funky, never let up rock 'n' roll", by Dick Clark as "the model for almost every rock and roll performer of the '50s and years thereafter", and Ray Charles, in 1989, as "the man that started a kind of music that set the pace for a lot of what's happening today." In 1969, Elvis Presley told Little Richard, "Your music has inspired me - you are the greatest.".[2] Otis Redding, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Mick Jagger, John Fogerty, Bob Seger, David Bowie, and numerous other rock n roll stars have also cited Richard as being their first major influence.
Macon, Georgia to Leva Mae Stewart and Charles ("Bud") Penniman, a bootlegger.[1][3] He grew up in a spiritual family, amid poverty and prejudice, and it was singing that made his family feel closer to God. His family had a group called the Penniman Singers, who would go around and sing in local churches, and enter contests with other singing families. Richard's siblings called him 'War Hawk' because of his loud, screaming singing voice. His paternal grandfather, Walter Penniman, was a preacher, and his father's family were members of the Foundation Templar African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Macon, Georgia. Richard's grandmother on his mother's side was a member of the Holiness Temple Baptist Church, also in Macon. Richard regularly attended the New Hope Baptist Church in Macon, where his mother was a member. However, of all the churches he frequented, Richard's favorite were the Pentecostal churches because of the music and the fun he and his friends would have doing the holy dance and talking in tongues along with members of the congregation. When he was as young as ten, he would go around as a healer, singing Gospel songs and touching people, who would testify that they felt better after he ministered to them. Inspired by Brother Joe May, a singing evangelist known as 'The Thunderbolt of the West', Richard wanted to become a preacher. It was in and through the church where Richard's life in music all began.[2]
Nearly all of Richard Penniman's dramatic phrasing and swift vocal turns are derived from Black Gospel artists of the 1930s and 1940s. He referred to Sister Rosetta Tharpe as his favorite singer when he was a child. She had invited him to sing a song with her onstage at the Macon City Auditorium in 1945, after hearing him sing before the concert. The crowd applauded and cheered and she paid him more money than he had ever seen after the show.[2] He was also heavily influenced by Marion Williams, from whom he got the trademark "whoooo" in his vocal,[2] Mahalia Jackson,[2] and Brother Joe May.[2] He was heavily influenced in appearance (hair, clothing, shoes, makeup, etc.) and sound by late 1940s gospel-style, jump blues shouter Billy Wright, who was known as the 'Prince of the Blues'.[2] It is reported that he got one of the inflections ("Lucille-uh") in his vocal from Ruth Brown.[citation needed]
One of Penniman's main influences on his piano-playing was Esquerita (Eskew Reeder Jr.), who demonstrated to Penniman how to play high notes without compromising bass. Penniman met Esquerita when he traveled through Macon with a preacher named Sister Rosa. Another influence was Brother Joe May. Penniman explained, "I used to get in a room and try to make my piano sound just like him. He had so much energy." May generated energy by moving from a subtle whisper to a thunderous tenor and back in a four-bar phrase.
He learned to mix ministerial qualities with theatrics by watching the traveling medicine shows that rolled through his native Macon. Colorful medicine men would wear lavish capes, robes and turbans, all of which left an impression on Penniman.
In 1952, Penniman's father was murdered. After this, he returned to Macon and performed blues and boogie-woogie music at the "Tick Tock Club" in the evening, whilst also washing dishes at the cafeteria of a Greyhound Lines bus station during the day.
Recording career
Modeled after recording artist Billy Wright, Little Richard had recorded songs for the Peacock Records label between 1951 and 1954, including "Little Richard's Boogie". These records sold poorly and Penniman had little success until he sent a demo tape to Specialty Records on February 17, 1955. Specialty's owner Art Rupe placed Richard's career in the hands of Robert 'Bumps' Blackwell, who had nurtured and groomed Ray Charles (then known as R.C. Robinson) and Quincy Jones at the start of their careers in the music business.
Blackwell had intended to pit Little Richard against Ray Charles and B.B. King by having him record more blues tracks. He arranged for a recording session in New Orleans in the late summer of 1955, when, during a break, Penniman began singing an impromptu recital of "Tutti Frutti", in his raspy, shouted vocal style, while pounding out a boogie-woogie based rhythm on the piano. Blackwell, who knew a hit when he heard one, was knocked out and had Little Richard record the song. However, in order to make it commercially acceptable, he had Little Richard's lyrics changed from "tutti-frutti, good booty" to "tutti frutti, aw rooty."[4]
The song, with Little Richard shouting its unique introductory "A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-whop-bam-boom!", became the model for many subsequent Little Richard songs, with a driving piano, boogie-woogie bass, funky saxophone arrangements, with sax solos usually from Lee Allen. Over the next few years, Little Richard had many hit singles, such as "Long Tall Sally", "Rip It Up". "The Girl Can't Help It", "Slippin' and Slidin'", "Jenny, Jenny", "Good Golly, Miss Molly", and "Keep A Knockin'". His performing style can be seen in such period films as Don't Knock the Rock (1956) and The Girl Can't Help It (also 1956), for which he sang the title song.
In the commercial fashion of the day, several of his early hits were re-recorded in other styles. Little Richard's first national success, "Tutti Frutti," was covered by Pat Boone, whose version outdid the source record, #12 to #17. Boone also released a version of "Long Tall Sally," with slightly bowdlerized lyrics. But this time, the Little Richard original outperformed it on the Billboard charts, #6 to #8. Bill Haley tackled Little Richard's third major hit, "Rip It Up," but again, Little Richard prevailed. With the record-buying public's preference established, Little Richard's subsequent releases did not face the same chart competition.
Despite the raw sound of his music, the singles were carefully arranged, as documented on the three-volume album The Specialty Sessions, which include many false starts and variations.
Born-again Christianity
Little Richard quit the music business in 1957, while on tour in Australia, claiming he had been warned of his own damnation in a vision.
Since then, he has been in and out of rock and roll as well as in and out of religion. He took the Voice of Prophecy courses run by members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, attended Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama, and was ordained a minister in the Church of God of the Ten Commandments.[5] His stance at that time in his life was that rock music was of the Devil and that it is not possible to play rock and roll and to please God at the same time. He began performing Gospel music throughout the United States of America, often with Gospel artists who inspired him, including Mahalia Jackson, whom he met one day in Los Angeles, where he invited her to hear him sing at the Mount Maria Baptist Church.[2] In 1959, he married a Christian girl named Ernestine.
While Specialty Records released a few new songs based on past sessions, Richard recorded only Gospel music in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He performed only Gospel material on the Gospel circuit. During this time, he did not perform his early rock and roll hits, resenting the secular themes of the songs.
In 1962, Little Richard was invited to tour Europe. He took a young Billy Preston with him on the road as part of his band. They intended on performing only Gospel music, but were lured into performing his old, secular hits. That year, an unknown British group called The Beatles were his opening act. In 1963, his opening band was another young band, the Rolling Stones. In 1964, Little Richard then introduced another then-unknown artist, Jimi Hendrix, as part of his band. Hendrix said in 1966, "I want to do with my guitar what Little Richard does with his voice."[2]
Richard performed on the rock revival circuit through the remainder of the 1960s and into the 1970s. He also recorded live and studio albums over this period of time. He experienced moderate chart success with new material in mid-1960s and again in the early 1970s.
Back to religion
In 1977, following the death of a nephew that he loved like a son, Little Richard returned to the ministry, this time for the Universal Remnant Church of God.[6] During this time, he traveled and preached to hundreds of thousands of people, and recorded more gospel music. He also represented Memorial Bibles International and sold the Black Heritage Bible for a short while. In his sermons in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Little Richard proclaimed that it is not possible to perform rock and roll music and to serve God at the same time. He said, "I like Pat Boone as a friend, but he's trying to serve two masters. Pat believes he can go to Las Vegas and do his thing, then preach on Sunday. I don't believe we can do that. God has not called us to do that. I can never see myself going back to rock 'n' roll."[2]
In 1984, Charles White released his authorized biography of Penniman, "The Life and Times of Little Richard," in which Little Richard testified about his conversion to Christianity and subsequent deliverance.[2] Mick Jagger proclaimed on the cover, "Little Richard is King." He launched yet another comeback, this time recording an album of inspirational rock and roll music. Ever since he has attempted to reconcile his role as a rock and roll star and his role as a minister. Penniman once said, "I believe that there is good and bad in everything. I believe some rock 'n' roll music is really bad, but I believe there is some not as bad. I believe if the message is positive and elevating, and wholesome and uplifting, this makes you think clearly. If it's not then it is not good even in Gospel."
As detailed in White's biography (2003 revision, pg. 221),[2] Richard's dilemma - whether to be a minister or to sing rock 'n roll - came to a head again while recording the soundtrack to the 1985 hit movie Down and Out in Beverly Hills, so he enrolled his old friend Billy Preston to help him write a song with spiritual lyrics that would sound like rock 'n' roll. The result was a song called "Great God A'Mighty", which he changed to "It's A Matter of Time", reflecting the conflict in his mind.
The song became his first hit in over a decade and became part of a Little Richard "messages in rhythm" album entitled Lifetime Friend released by WEA in 1986. Little Richard called his new music "message music", stating, "my mother died not long ago and it was only a few months before she died that she made me promise that I'd stay with the Lord. I have contentment and peace of mind, which is more important than anything. I am going to stay with God and just travel around."[2]
Recent events
Through the remainder of the 1980s, 1990s and into the twenty-first century, Little Richard has remained a popular guest on television, in music videos, commercials, movies and as a recording artist. He has contributed new recordings to movie soundtracks (ex. Twins, Casper the Friendly Ghost, Why Do Fools Fall in Love), sang background vocals on the U2 / BB King hit song "When Love Comes to Town, and preaches, as well, at times amid funky saxophone playing, in the extended "Live From The Kingdom Mix' of the track". Penniman appeared on Living Colour's "Elvis Is Dead", and also recorded new tracks for tribute albums, such as Folkways: A Vision Shared ("The Rock Island Line") (1989) and Kindred Spirits: A Tribute to Johnny Cash ("Get Rhythm") (2002). He also recorded duets in the 1990s with Jon Bon Jovi,Hank Williams Jr., Living Color, Elton John, Tanya Tucker, Solomon Burke, and in 2006 with Jerry Lee Lewis, in which they covered the Little Richard-influenced, early 1960s, hit Beatles track "I Saw Her Standing There." He also recently headlined the University of Texas event "40 Acres Fest". [7].
In 2006 he was a host on Celebrity Duets. In 2006/2007 he was featured in a Geico advertisement, wherin he uses his signature "whoop" to denote the joy he would receive while consuming "mashed potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce" at a Thanksgiving dinner. In 2007 his song "All Around The World" was featured on a Cravendale Advertisement for an animation by PicPic which features a cow, a pirate, and a biker. In 2007, he also performed at the Capitol Fourth - a July 4th celebration (televised live on PBS) in front of the White House in Washington D.C.
Awards/honors
* In 1956, Cashbox awarded Little Richard the Cashbox Triple Crown Award for "Long Tall Sally".
* In 1986, Little Richard was one of the first group of recording artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[8]
* In 1990, Little Richard was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[9]
* In 1993, he then received a Honorary Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.[10]
* In 1994, Little Richard was the fourth recording artist (the others being Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and James Brown) to be recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Pioneer Award by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation.[11]
* In 1997, he received the American Music Award of Merit.
* In 2002, BMI, during the 50th Annual BMI Pop Awards celebration, Little Richard, along with Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry, were awarded the first BMI Icon Awards in recognition of their “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers.”[12] The same year, he was inducted into the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Hall of Fame for having "distinguished himself as not only an unparalleled musical genius, but also as a unique and innovative performing artist—fusing pure vocal talent with exhilarating showmanship."[13]
* In 2003, Little Richard was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.[14]
* In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked [15] Little Richard #8 on their list of the 100
Greatest Artists of All Time,[16] although at least six of the seven artists which preceded him on the list were heavily influenced by Little Richard and his music.
* Joe Strummer of The Clash said in The History of Rock n Roll that he was heavily influenced by him and said his records had great sound quality.
Albums
* 1957: Here's Little Richard (Specialty)
* 1958: Volume 2 (Specialty)
* 1959: The Fabulous Little Richard (Specialty)
* 1960: Clap Your Hands
* 1960: Pray Along with Little Richard, Vol. 1
* 1960: Pray Along with Little Richard, Vol. 2
* 1962: King of the Gospel Singers
* 1963: Sings Spirituals
* 1964: Sings the Gospel
* 1964: Little Richard Is Back And There's A Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On! (Vee-Jay)
* 1964: Greatest Hits (Vee-Jay)
* 1965: The Wild and Frantic Little Richard (Modern)
* 1965: The Incredible Little Richard Sings His Greatest Hits Live! (Modern)
* 1967: The Explosive Little Richard (Okeh)
* 1967: Greatest Hits: Recorded Live! (Okeh)
* 1967: Rock N Roll Forever
* 1969: Good Golly Miss Molly
* 1969: Little Richard
* 1969: Right Now
* 1970: Rock Hard Rock Heavy
* 1970: Little Richard
* 1970: Well Alright!
* 1970: The Rill Thing (Reprise)
* 1971: Mr. Big
* 1971: King Of Rock And Roll (Reprise)
* 1972: Southern Child (Reprise, unreleased)
* 1972: The Second Coming (Reprise)
* 1972: The Original
* 1972: You Cant Keep a Good Man Down
* 1973: Rip It Up
* 1974: Talkin' 'Bout Soul
* 1974: Recorded Live
* 1974: Super Hits (Trip)
* 1975: Keep a Knockin'
* 1976: Sings
* 1976: Little Richard Live
* 1977: Now
* 1983: 20 Greatest Hits (Lotus)
* 1988: Lucille
* 1992: Shake It All About
* 1996: Shag on Down by the Union Hall
* 2006: Here Comes Little Richard/Little Richard
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Thursday, July 12, 2007
Amanda Beard
Amanda Ray Beard(born October 29, 1981, Irvine, California) is an American Olympic swimmer and model.
Beard made her first Olympic appearance at the 1996 games at the age of 14. She won silver medals in the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststrokes, and a gold in the medley relay. Her young-teen manner captured the attention of the media, and she was often photographed clutching her teddy bear which joined her on the medal stand. She won a bronze medal in the 200-meter breaststroke at the 2000 Games. Amanda attended the University of Arizona where she captured an individual NCAA National Championship in 2001.
In 2003 she became the world champion and world record holder in the 200m breaststroke. She also made a good showing at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials, and she competed in the 2004 Olympic Games, where she won a gold medal in the 200-meter breaststroke, her first individual gold medal. She also won a silver medal in the 200-meter individual medley, and she finished fourth in the 100-meter breaststroke.
Amanda has won eight United States titles (thrice in both the 200m breaststroke and the 100m breaststroke, plus twice in the 200m individual medley). She was 1st in world ranking of 200m breaststroke in 2003.
Her modeling work through photos in swimwear, including bikinis, have been in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. She is a spokesperson for Defenders of Wildlife, and she enjoys interior decorating. Both of her sisters, Leah and Taryn, are swimmers. Amanda placed eighth in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Celebrity car race in 2006.
Beard dated South African swimmer Ryk Neethling for nearly six years, but that relationship ended in the spring of 2005. She is well-known among stockcar racing circles, after dating several of the drivers. Her relationship with Nextel Cup Series driver Carl Edwards ended in April of 2006.
Beard was featured on the cover of the September 2004 issue of FHM magazine that was titled the "Sexy Olympic special". Alongside Beard were pro volleyball player Logan Tom, pro track stars Amy Acuff and Jenny Adams, and fellow pro swimmer Haley Cope. Amanda was featured on the cover and an inside pictorial for the August 2006 issue of FHM, which also named her the world's sexiest athlete on the cover.[1]
Amanda posed for the July 2007 issue of Playboy. She was featured on the cover and in a nude pictorial.
Beard made her first Olympic appearance at the 1996 games at the age of 14. She won silver medals in the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststrokes, and a gold in the medley relay. Her young-teen manner captured the attention of the media, and she was often photographed clutching her teddy bear which joined her on the medal stand. She won a bronze medal in the 200-meter breaststroke at the 2000 Games. Amanda attended the University of Arizona where she captured an individual NCAA National Championship in 2001.
In 2003 she became the world champion and world record holder in the 200m breaststroke. She also made a good showing at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials, and she competed in the 2004 Olympic Games, where she won a gold medal in the 200-meter breaststroke, her first individual gold medal. She also won a silver medal in the 200-meter individual medley, and she finished fourth in the 100-meter breaststroke.
Amanda has won eight United States titles (thrice in both the 200m breaststroke and the 100m breaststroke, plus twice in the 200m individual medley). She was 1st in world ranking of 200m breaststroke in 2003.
Her modeling work through photos in swimwear, including bikinis, have been in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. She is a spokesperson for Defenders of Wildlife, and she enjoys interior decorating. Both of her sisters, Leah and Taryn, are swimmers. Amanda placed eighth in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Celebrity car race in 2006.
Beard dated South African swimmer Ryk Neethling for nearly six years, but that relationship ended in the spring of 2005. She is well-known among stockcar racing circles, after dating several of the drivers. Her relationship with Nextel Cup Series driver Carl Edwards ended in April of 2006.
Beard was featured on the cover of the September 2004 issue of FHM magazine that was titled the "Sexy Olympic special". Alongside Beard were pro volleyball player Logan Tom, pro track stars Amy Acuff and Jenny Adams, and fellow pro swimmer Haley Cope. Amanda was featured on the cover and an inside pictorial for the August 2006 issue of FHM, which also named her the world's sexiest athlete on the cover.[1]
Amanda posed for the July 2007 issue of Playboy. She was featured on the cover and in a nude pictorial.
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