Watch the Official Trailer for Doc Featuring Little Richard, The King of Rock 'N' Roll

Little Richard: I Am Everything will release digitally on April 21.

The king of rock ‘n’ roll Little Richard is getting the documentary treatment. 

Out today is the trailer for the Lisa Cortés-directed Little Richard: I Am Everything. The film which premiered during the opening night at Sundance is set to tell the origin story of the Black queer entertainer. 

It’s clear that a bunch of archival footage was utitlized for this feature that’s pinpointing Richard Penniman – AKA Little Richard. There are quite a few performance clips too within the trailer too. There are appearances from the likes of Jason King the incoming dean of the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, Mick Jagger, Billy Porter, and more. His battle with his queerness was dissected too, described as his “complicated inner world.” A description of the documentary notes, “The film unspools the icon’s life story with all its switchbacks and contradictions.”

It goes on to state:

“In interviews with family, musicians, and cutting-edge Black and queer scholars, the film reveals how Richard created an art form for ultimate self-expression, yet what he gave to the world he was never able to give to himself. Throughout his life, Richard careened like a shiny cracked pinball between God, sex and rock n’ roll. The world tried to put him in a box, but Richard was an omni being who contained multitudes – he was unabashedly everything.”

A well-documented breakdown of Little Richard’s career is sure to place him at the top of music fans minds. Even though he’s a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a poignant tribute to him has been long overdue. 

Little Richard: I Am Everything is produced by Robert Friedman, Cortés, Liz Yale Marsh and Caryn Capotosto and Executive Produced by Dee Rees.

The film will be available digitally on April 21. Head to the official site for more details.