Little Richard: I Am Everything (2023)

 It's a common conservative accusation that "the Left" is always looking to insert matters of race and sex inappropriately into the historical narrative, well with Richard Wayne Penniman aka Little Richard's place in the history of American music, they'd be hard to ignore. Arguably underapricated in his contributions, Richard was a man of contradictions, a pioneer in rock music whose in your face queerness was decades ahead of its time, a libertine with a conservative streak, or visa versa, he more then once left popular music to concentrate on ministry and declared himself to be ex gay. That Richard's father was simultaneously a preacher and night club owner goes some way to elucidating the contradictions at the core of his character.

A perhaps surprisingly fascinating documentary, 'I Am Everything' is as zeitgeist current as any examination of a 50's rock and roller is likely to get. ***