Rock-and-roll legend Little Richard has an important announcement to make: He’s done with all that gay ish.
That’s right, folks. The guy who gave us “Tutti Frutti,” a coded 1955 rock anthem about the joys of anal sex, says he’s abandoned all those “unnatural” tendencies of his past and has instead devoted his last years to the teachings of Jesus H. Christ.
During a sit-down with 3ABN, the 84-year-old, who once described himself as both “gay” and “omnisexual”, said he’s through wearing makeup and wigs and singing about behaving badly.
Related: Back In The Day: Gay Singing Stars From The Golden Age Of R&B
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
“Anybody come in show business, they’re going to say you’re gay. Are you straight? Are you a homosexual something? They’re going to say it,” Richard said. “But God, Jesus, he made men, men, he made women, women, you know? And you’ve got to live the way God wants you to live.”
He continued, “You know, all these things. So much unnatural affection. So much of people just doing everything and don’t think about God. Don’t want no parts of him.”
This is quite a departure from what Richard told GQ just five years ago, in 2012, when he said: “We are all both male and female. Sex, to me, is like a smorgasbord. Whatever I feel like, I go for. What kind of sexual am I? I am omnisexual!”
Related: This 1950s Take On The “Problem” Of Homosexuality Lists 45 Different “Types” Of Gays
Richard now says his belief in Jesus is what saved him and he sincerely believes it can save others, too.
“Regardless of whatever you are, he loves you. I don’t care what you are. He loves you and he can save you,” Richard told interviewers. “All you’ve got to do is say, ‘Lord, take me as I am. I’m a sinner.’ But we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
He added: “The only holy, righteous person is Jesus and he wants us to be just like him because, in order to go to Heaven, we’ve got to look like him. I don’t want to sing rock and roll no more.”
“I want to be holy like Jesus.”
Luna1979
It’s a shame he feels this way. He ought to spend his last years true to himself with a man who loves him. This is fear and shame driving him, and he already said Jesus take me as I am. If he really believe that, the Jesus knew a long time ago who he was working with and heaped blessings on this talented GAY man. Love you, Richard <3
aaronarnwine
As a gay Christian I agree with you. Take me as I am. God knows you’re gay, you can’t fool Him.
Xzamilloh
A gay Christian… wow. I contend that in order to be a gay Christian, a gay Jew, or a gay Muslim, you’re either dyslexic or just plain never bothered reading any kind of holy doctrine.
Hussain-TheCanadian
@Xzamilloh – As I tell some the fundamentalist Muslims who raise to me the same objection you do, my sister Queen, is that my religious beliefs and spirituality, beliefs about the day of resurrection and judgement, has nothing to do with my physical sexuality.
As usual, your point of agreement with religious fundamentalist bigots never ceases to amuse me.
Donston
Many people phases out certain parts of a religion while holding on to others. It is what it is. Hypocrisy and self-delusion are inevitable. But my husband considers himself a “gay christian” and he is as self-aware, self-deprecating, proud and sane as anyone I’ve known. If you are entirely self-accepting, self-comfortable and don’t surround yourself with hateful people it’s possible to keep that balance.
pudman56
Little Richard. Hmm. Haven’t thought about him in ages. Just realized, due to an article about him, that I haven’t missed him. Nor have I ever looked to him for inspiration, so is this his way of getting his name mentioned?
Me2
@ Donston, I totally agree! I know a few very well adjusted gays who are Christians. It’s all about finding that balance and tuning out the negative.
Xzamilloh
That’s a good point, Donston. I still contend that that only reason your husband is a self-accepting Christian gay man is the same reason that most Christians in America are morally decent human beings: the religion has been beaten into submission by secularism. And ignoring the usual Islamic apologist that can’t get my dick off his breath, the same applies for Muslims and Jews in America. But, that by no means removes the doctrine or the anti-gay sentiments and commandments within them, and there is not a one — And I mean ONE — pro gay statement in the bible, Torah, Koran or Hadith. So this is more cognitive dissonance than self-acceptance, but by all means, if it keeps people believing in iron age gobbledygook and being moral, have at it.
s1arch
It has always been about interpretation throughout the years. I can read the story of Johnathon and David and it has gay written all over it. Getting naked, kissing, my love for you surpasses that of a woman. It’s all in there people. Some people just refuse to except it.
Xzamilloh
Right, because a story twisted and contorted to fit a bias takes precedence over the multiple OT references of homosexuality being an abomination. Leviticus 18:22, 20:13? Nope… two dudes might have been gay, so that cancels it. And the NT is no better. I’m sorry, but as someone who has read the entire bible (and that was both the most fascinating and most boring read of my life), it’s downright an insult to hear spins from people who obviously have not. I’m an atheist… I shouldn’t have to know religious people’s books better than them, but you often do because then they’ll start with this sentiment that while I support its benign nature, completely contradicts the doctrine. Little Richard is biblically correct, and that’s why it’s oppressive garbage to live by.
Buie
@Xzamilloh Oh, give it a rest sister! I am an atheist who does not buy any of the shit you’re spewing. And I am also an atheist because I am also a theologian. Have you read the Dead Sea Scrolls in the original Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin. I have. Have you read the Nag Hammadi? Of course not. Inform yourself and maybe you’ll stop being a deeply closeted self-loathing homosexual who enjoys patronizing and crapping on others.
Xzamilloh
Deeply closeted self-loathing homosexual? For a so-called intellectual, that is probably one of the stupid misnomers you could give someone after having read this thread, which I suspect you didn’t, “sister”. I’d say the ones clinging to iron age nonsense that is anti-woman, anti-gay, and anti-science are the real self-loathing homosexuals, but please, Buie, you effing moron, tell me what you gathered in your vast knowledge of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi, and how any of that ties into what I said. Because if there is a pro-gay message that I’m not seeing, then by all means, share it instead of that age old bish copout of “educate yourself” that lazy people retort when THEY don’t have any real answers.
kurt_t
Oh Little Richard has been going back and forth and up the middle on the gay issue for as long as I can remember. And I first saw him on American Bandstand in 1971.
Seriously. 1971. I was ten. I said to my mom “Me and John were watching American Bandstand, and Dick Clark was talking to a black piano player with makeup on and a big bouffant hairdo and a cape, and the guy called Dick Clark ‘baby,’ and he kept saying ‘woooo!'”
And my mother said “That sounds like Little Richard.”
And I said “Wait. You’ve heard of him?”
So yeah, decades he’s been going back and forth about his sexuality. It’s like me and Hostess mini donuts. “I’ll never eat them again. I repent. This time I really mean it.”
And two weeks later I’m driving north on I-15 with enough powdered sugar in my beard to frost a gingerbread house.
s
He was always a shrill creepy clown anyway. Knowing that he doesn’t have sex with men should be a relief to men everywhere.
aaronarnwine
God bless him. He’s an adult and can choose blueberry he wishes to live.
DarkZephyr
“Choose blueberry”?
At any rate, sure he can choose to live as he wishes, but when he talks about how same sex relations are “unnatural” and “sinful”, he can f**k all the way off as far as I am concerned.
ChrisK
What the hell did you just say. Wake up. Lol
James
Oh come on, homophobia is a mental illness and Richard is mentally ill.
kurt_t
and now I can’t stop thinking about blueberries.
papacleetus
Your hot, aaronarnwine!
Curtispsf
“I” choose RASPBERRY. Do I win anything?
pudman56
Curtispsf, while I hate to use the word, raspberry ‘trumps’ blueberry every time.
barkomatic
He’s 84 and probably feeling his mortality now more than ever — which I have a feeling plays a part in how he feels now. Also, up until very recently gay people have been made to feel so bad about themselves that even when finally given the opportunity to have meaningful relationships with other men openly–some of us are simply unable to. I don’t have a problem with him as long as he doesn’t try to impose his life choices on others.
Donston
I’m pretty sure that Richard has said about 20 contradictory things throughout the years about himself. He grew up in a certain time, in a very religious environment, has probably went through a lot of sh*t and has always come off as missing a few screws. He’s old and yet still daft and is unlikely to find anyone who doesn’t want him for his money and name. So, why not move on and try to spend your last years “repenting”?
That’s why if you are gay or gay-leaning/homo-dominant it’s important to gain self-respect, self-comfort and self-esteem as young as possible in order to gain some sense and a calm and solid ego, which are slightly easier things to do now than in Richard’s time. Simply coming out and/or having sex with your same gender for years isn’t enough.
Creamsicle
Yes! This is why Pride is as important now as it was during the Sexual Revolution. It’s great that we’ve come as far as we have in terms of social acceptance, but self-acceptance is harder to achieve when so much of society’s messaging toward men is about machismo and heteronormative behavior.
If Little Richard felt free to be who he is and like what and who he likes then he wouldn’t be making a willful decision to deny and demonize a part of who he is. Unfortunately has lived most of his life in a time and environment that has engendered self loathing rather than self-acceptance.
ChrisK
What a BS artist. He’s as straight as Liberace was. Lol
At 84 it’s unlikely he’s having any sex so you might as well be asexual at that point. That combined with fear of the unknown as many older people get when they’re getting close this is no great surprise.
Sam6969
You are right. It is certainly easier for him at 84 to control his libido, so that is gives him the illusion his inner injunctions to be straight (or at least “not gay”) succeeded.
scotshot
@ChrisK@Sam6969 you two must be very sheltered. My father was still chasing women – they weren’t his age group was they looked too old – when he was 84 years old. there are many, many elders whose libidos are going as strong as when they were young.
Don’t make assumptions about older than you.
Will L
I was scrolling down to say basically the same thing. Well put.
Will L
@ChrisK My comment was meant for you. This posted it wrong.
Juanjo
This old queen has made this announcement in the past, then continued sucking dick. Right now he is 84, looking death in the face and looking for loopholes to go to a nonexistent place.
Creamsicle
I never got that coded message out of Tuti Fruti. I always thought of Little Richard as a flamboyant churchman. Like, he was Liberache at the Rock n’ Roll Church: clown like in appearance, but with the performing ability to make it fun. I never got the impression that he (or any frequent Hollywood Square) was trying to be taken seriously, but maybe it’s because he was already a bit of an entertainment relic by the time I was even born.
I hope he can make peace with his own sexual orientation, and if he chooses to be celebate that it’s for the right reasons. If he hadn’t used condemning words like “sin,” I’d be more supportive, but it just demonstrates how sad his life must be for him to castigate an essential part of himself.
kurt_t
Years before he ever recorded “Tutti Frutti” Little Richard used to perform it live, and it was utterly obscene. He had to clean it up A LOT to record it. But originally the lyrics began with “Tutti Frutti! Good Booty!” and included the helpful instruction “If it don’t fit, don’t force it.”
OzJosh
Accounts of sexually explicit original lyrics (“good booty”, etc) are entirely apocryphal according to the lyricist, Dorothy LaBostrie, who says she was simply inspired by the ice cream flavour. And since Little Richard has been a liar all his life, I’d be much more inclined to believe her version.
kurt_t
Allegedly. Allegedly, OzJosh. Allegedly.
Josh447
“Little”. Huh.
Xtian99
with all due respect,just zip it you doddering irrelevant brain washed walking-stereotype, dizzy clown caricature of a human being. if your 84 years old and and have not made some mental journey to maturity and wisdom in your life then your problems are mental, not sexual or religious or other. so many did it better, unapologetically and with integrity (Bowie, Freddie, Iggy, Sylvester, etc.) – not interested in some self-loathing screaming sad sack going back and forth “I hate myself, I love myself, pass my mascara baby Jeeeesus.” Tootles, Tutti!
James
Just die already you washed-up boring has-been.
surreal33
At 84 and you still failed to love and accept yourself. You are sad and pathetic.
Daniel-Reader
Very good point.
Caligari
Maybe what he really means is he’s 84 and just not getting laid like he used to, poor dear. Doesn’t mean he’s not still gay.
frankcar1965
Please tell me no one ACTUALLY had sex with that thing, Please no.
Xzamilloh
That’s that mortality for yo ass… it doesn’t even take Dr. Phil to see that this is a man who understands that he does not have much time left at his age, and has been raised and had ingrained in the theistic notion of a heaven and hell. Death approaches, and like many of us — including me when pancreatitis almost got me — become afraid of the what-ifs. He’s as Tutti Frutti at 84 as he was at 24… he didn’t abandon anything except his common sense. You get one life… all that religious BS just messes with people’s head.
papacleetus
Totally agree!
Curtispsf
Oh Little Richard. Little Richard, po’ honey chile. It’s a shame you gave up being true to yo’ self all for the love of baby cheeses. You coulda had the ripe gouda, the fragrant bleu and the glorious camembert, but you gave it up ALL for Baby Cheeses. Lawd have mercy!
Terrycloth
Next ..Richard Simmons find jesus too..although no one has ever asked Richard Simmons if he is gay…like does anybody have to ? Little Richard wants it both ways. That’s OK he can be whatever he wants…but we don’t have to believe it
He BGB
He has gone back and forth like this FOREVER. He’s from another generation, a black man and very Christian. At 84, I doubt any of the plumbing still works and depending on his testosterone level, doesn’t even think about sex anymore, so it is easy to say that now. But it’s a great dis service to young people needing to be their authentic selves and gives our haters just more ammunition to say it’s a choice.
He BGB
By a black man I mean the strong Christian faith from his family like many black artists like Donna Summer, Gloria Gaynor and others who were told they would go to hell singing secular music. And gave it up either permanently or temporarily to get back to Jesus. I didn’t mean anything racist by it.
Stache
What as a selfish POS. Lived most of his life in the closet. Never giving a damn about anyone but himself. Complete narcissist.
No one gives a shit anymore. He haven’t been relevant since the 8 track was being used.
Daniel-Reader
True
AndThenTheresMax
Let me get this straight. This man wears more diamonds and Maybelline Bomb Shell mascara that Naomi Campbell and he says he’s not gay. Right. If you believe that I’ve got some shares is Enron and Valu-jet to sell ya.
Tsk! Tsk! Another self hating homo trying to pass as straight. Girl just because lick sashimi doesn’t mean women will taste like that. Just sayin’!
jhon_siders
LOL not heard of him in ages oh well maybe hes loosing it and some fundi has his ear .
dean089
I didn’t realize he’d ever admitted to being gay, but he’s been into that religion bullshit for decades so this is no surprise.
PinkoOfTheGange
“The only holy, righteous person is Jesus and he wants us to be just like him…”
Go on a road trip with 12 guys that hang on your every word, that Jesus?
Jack Meoff
This is all starting to sound a bit like Prince and his denouncement of his homosexuality and finding jesus right before he died.
Xzamilloh
When was Prince ever out?
paul dorian lord fredine
did he go to marcus bachmann to become straight again or just pray with michelle?
niles
He’ll be dead soon, good riddance!
tham
Ahh, he’s just suffering from low T.
DCguy
Oh please, this is the 3rd or 4th time this queen has done this.
kc1253
This is just so sad. I pray that God saves him from religious fundamentalism. “I have seen the Anti-Christ, and his name is ‘Christianity.'”
TomChicago
OK, Sweet Richard…whatever floats your boat. But if it is “just say no” your floating in, I can only wish you the best.
prarie pup
What makes her think anybody gives a flying eff about anything she says? The 1950’s are OVER, girl, and any relevance you had ended with it.
David
As they say here in the South, “Well bless her heart”.
The dear old girl has found Jesus. Now someone get her her glasses so she can read some passages from Scripture her Preacher didn’t want to mention.
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
– Col. 1-16
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
– Gal. 3:28
JarMa13
Girl, too old to get it up dont make u straight.
Im sorry you were raised in darker times.
Get that shit out yo head.
Gay is fine.
Dont let senility betray your soul.
michaeltronn
Let’s get a few things clear. Biblical texts were written by people. They wrote them in order to control masses of people. These were the first forms of government. As for God, God created all the creatures that exist. That includes all forms of sexual orientation, particularly as sexuality in all its forms in humanity also exist in other species.
Mandrake
Very well stated!
frankcar1965
Poor old thang just has to try to keep his name relevent, but it’s not and never will be.
Mandrake
The reason he no longer has “unnatural affections for men” is because he’s 84. His libido has dimmed whether for men or women.
DawnTrans
If I had seen this remark I wouldnt have signed in…lol but aint that the truth he just has no sex at all.
irbaboon
this is what christianity does to gay people
nycmessinger
She claimed that in 1978! I saw her at a born-again revival in Boise, Idaho called “UP with Jesus?”; I kid you not! God knows that didn’t last very long…..
jd.cali
Boo. I find this very cowardly especially that he’s very unlikely sexually active. So sure, it’s easy to say this now pops…
However, he’s 84 and could be senile and not quite in charge of all his mental capabilities.
Either way… boo on you a very LITTLE Richard.
ass eater
was little Richard ever married? I never heard anything about his love life straight, bi, or gay.