Little Richard Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (born December 5, 1932), known as Little Richard, is an American recording artist, singer-songwriter and actor. A pop music and culture icon, Little Richard's most-celebrated work dates from the mid-1950s when his dynamic music and charismatic showmanship presaged the rise of rock and roll. His music influenced many other popular music genres, including soul, funk and hip hop and shaped generations of rhythm and blues artists. Little Richard has been honored by many institutions. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of its first group of inductees in 1986.
Thomas Wayne (singer) #5 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 in 1959. It sold over one million copies, earning gold disc status. The song proved to be his only hit, however. Later, Wayne worked as a sound engineer, before he died in a car accident, at the age of 31, in Memphis in 1971. Thomas Wayne (singer) Thomas Wayne (July 22, 1940, Batesville, Mississippi - August 15, 1971, Memphis, Tennessee) was an American singer. He is best remembered as a one-hit wonder for "Tragedy". Wayne, who was born Thomas Wayne Perkins, was the brother of Johnny Cash's guitarist, Luther Perkins. He released several singles