Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger lead tributes to Little Richard

Bob Dylan and Mick Jagger have been remembering the profound influence of Little Richard after the rock n roll pioneer passed away yesterday at the age of 87.

As two of the leading names of the sixties, Dylan and Jagger played a big part in the first generation to be profoundly inspired by Little Richard, whose flamboyant stage presence and rollicking, piano-led hits such as Tutti Frutti and Long Tall Sally helped to set the blueprint for modern pop music.

“I just heard the news about Little Richard and I’m so grieved,” Dylan has written. “He was my shining star and guiding light back when I was only a little boy. His was the original spirit that moved me to do everything I would do.”

“I’m so saddened to hear about the passing of Little Richard,” Mick Jagger echoed in a statement. “He was the biggest inspiration of my early teens and his music still has the same raw electric energy when you play it now as it did when it first shot through the music scene in the mid 50’s.”