Paying Respects to a Rock and Roll Legend... Little Richard's Grave in Huntsville, Alabama

(Originally Posted 3/7/2023)

If you would have told me “Jason, Saturday you will be picking up, fixing, and arranging cemetery decorations after a storm for a true rock and roll legend” I’d say your crazy! But here we are.

Richard Wayne Penniman, or Little Richard as most know him, attended Oakwood University in 1957 (then Oakwood College), which is a historically black Seventh Day Adventist college in Huntsville, Alabama. He became born again in 1957 at the height of his fame and decided to study ministry at Oakwood. While he never graduated, and his life and career had many ups and downs since, in the end he returned to Seventh Day Adventism and wished to be buried in the cemetery at the school he loved so much.

Saturday was beautiful after a pretty rough weather day Friday. My family drove up to Huntsville for lunch and a few errands, and since we had the time we decided to visit his grave. It’s something I’ve been meaning to do since he was laid to rest here. I found his grave in the back right of the cemetery peacefully overlooking a pond, but the decorations were strewn about from the storm winds the previous night. I tried my best to set them back up and straighten things out.

I’ve always loved his early rock and roll recordings and l listen to them regularly. He’s a legend and I’m glad I went.

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