Richard Wayne Penniman , known by his stage name, Little Richard, is an American musician, singer and songwriter.
Little Richard was born in Macon, Georgia on December 5, 1932, the third eldest of thechildren of Leva Mae and Charles Bud Penniman. His father was a church deacon who sold bootlegged moonshine on the side and owned a nightclub, the Tip In Inn. His mother was a member of Macons New Hope Baptist Church. Initially, Little Richards first name was supposed to have been Ricardo but an error resulted in Richard instead. The Penniman children were raised in a neighborhood of Macon called Pleasant Hill. In childhood, he was nicknamed Lil Richard by his family, because of his small and skinny frame. A mischievous child who played pranks on neighbors, Little Richard began singing in church at a young age. Possibly as a result of complications at birth, Little Richard had a slight deformity that left one of his legs shorter than the other. This produced an unusual gait he was mocked for its allegedly effeminate appearance.
Source: Wikipedia