Little Richard is such an important figure in 20th-century music that it is crucial that there be a biography of him out there. However, this biography is more a scrapbook than a polished work. Oftentimes, you can't tell when the author, Richard, or an acquaintance is speaking. There is no analysis of the events in Richard's life. This book pales in comparison to texts on Billy Strayhorn, Josephine Baker, etc. This book drags on about concert after concert after concert. Besides, Richard is in his homophobic phase at the time of the book's writing and there is no attempt to put his self-loathing into context. I needed to learn more about Richard, so I am glad this book exists. However, this was a poor piece of autobiography and I am surprised that the author did not take the time to fine tune his work.