I AM BLACK
I AM QUEER
I AM FAITHFUL
I AM EVERYTHING

The new documentary LITTLE RICHARD: I AM EVERYTHING has its Australian Premiere at Sydney Film Festival in June. 2SER caught up with director LISA CORTÉS this week about her film, which profiles the remarkable “Architect Of Rock and Roll” in all his glory, spotlighting a unique Black and Queer trailblazer who was by turns hilarious and joyous, aggrieved and conflicted.

As Cortés herself asks? “Without Little Richard, would Lizzo exist? Would Lil Nas X? Would the Rolling Stones? Rock n’ Roll is… the lifeblood of our pop music. It’s also our cultural war zone… Today, Little Richard’s struggles and story are more urgent than ever, as states ban books based on race and queerness, and politicians openly question gay marriage and school integration.” 

Back in the 1950s, when the man born Richard Wayne Penniman first began performing in prohibited drag clubs and queer spaces decked out in sparkling outfits, makeup and sporting miraculously coiffured hair, that cultural war zone was no less a minefield. As white artists appropriated their heroes, racism, homophobia and misogyny all conspired to not only dethrone rock and roll’s true originators, but also rob them of their rightful agency and their ability to make a living from the artistic blueprint they invented. And as Little Richard toured Australia, playing Sydney in 1957, he had an epiphany of sorts which parachuted him into his own personal war zone. Here the battle lines were drawn firmly between his queerness and a new found faith in god. 

2SER: Congratulations on a really compelling piece of cinema. Why was it important to you to make this film and ensure it was seen by a wide audience? Making a film requires such a sustained commitment, what drove you to see it through?

LISA CORTÉS: Well, I think, first of all, recognising the space and that the story had not been told. It wasn’t just a story about centring Richard, but the importance of centre, of illuminating the contributions of these Black, Queer foremothers… who are so important to the structural integrity of rock and roll. When he passed away in May of 2020, it was a very horrible time for all of us  being in the early days of the pandemic. Hearing his music, as many people were giving tribute to him, gave me a lot of joy. And then when I realized his story hadn’t been told, I just saw this great opportunity to not just look at the performative aspect of this man, but also to have a story that looked at his interiority, the context. Who he was, what he created and the continuing legacy… That this transgressive icon is such an important part of it, was, I felt so deserving of the telling of his story. As I like to say, we all have a little bit of his DNA. But specifically in music, you can see the direct line and you can hear in this film the connection that artists from the Beatles to the Rolling Stones and moving on to Lizzo, Little Nas X and Harry Styles. In my opinion they are all part of the same family tree.

2SER: It’s lovely to see current queer icon Billy Porter in the film as well, because he speaks so eloquently and there’s real emotion when you interview him about Little Richard. Billy’s contributions are a real asset no matter the context right?

LISA CORTÉS: The thing is, with Billy, there are so many gems that he just organically said. It was one of those interviews where you’re like: is there telepathy existing between us? Because you know exactly what I think he meant to you. But for him to just so passionately tell the story of how he has a great sense of legacy and why he feels indebted to Richard.

2SER: There’s a sense watching the film too, that the more things change, the more they stay the same. People like Billy Porter and other outspoken queer artists continue to face vitriol from certain media factions, the industry and by moral crusaders on social media. Did you want to speak to that, in terms of the same story repeating itself decade after decade?

LISA CORTÉS: I think the idea of the appropriation of cultural product of Black artists into the mainstream without those artists given their proper authorship, is a consistent story. I do think there is a difference, though, with what a Billy can do. And as he has given himself permission, always, but we’re in a space where the world has given him acceptance. When he is performing, when he is speaking, he is not hiding who he is. He is unabashedly loving his queerness, which is something that Richard never could do. It’s really funny when he goes on the talk shows and says, oh, I was the first gay person that I knew. But he wasn’t out when he was gay. I think that’s the tragedy, that he could not hold the multitude of who he was. Whereas Billy doesn’t have that tragedy. And even in the different films that we’re seeing him in, he can be himself.

2SER: In some way, Little Richard was “out” as a gay man, not only by those who recognised a kindred spirit. He also talked about his sexuality at times in interviews and certainly presented his queerness as part of his performance persona. I read that you tried to track down some of his male lovers for the film but weren’t really able to talk any. Is that right?

LISA CORTÉS: We tried. I think that some people want to I think we live in a different time now and that everybody wants that 15 minutes of fame. I think sometimes some old school people [don’t] they want to preserve the memory, the relationship, the trust that was put into not exposing it.

Above: Director Lisa Cortés

2SER: Some of the archive material in your film is amazing, especially the photos and footage of groundbreaking queer artists and spaces from the mid-20th century you show early on. Was there a specific piece of archive footage that took you by surprise or particularly delighted you when you came across it? 

LISA CORTÉS: I like the stuff from England. Particularly when he’s performing A Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On! You get such a great sense of how he could wrap an audience around his finger. The beautiful close ups and that black and white footage [with] all the sweat running down his face. How he is relentless in engaging with his audience. And of course, then to have Tony Newman from Sounds Incorporated in the present day talking about that, and then to see young Tony playing backup… all of that. I love that interplay and that conversation between past and present. But always at the front is Little Richard and his dynamic presence. That’s magnetic, that’s cosmic, that’s otherworldly. And how the effect that it’s had on people. Even Mick Jagger speaking about that period is still very much in the present tense. When Mick Jagger is talking about it, it’s not like him going back in time, he is literally at that moment reliving the excitement and magic of [first] meeting Richard.

2SER: Even though he’d already passed away and you weren’t able to interview him yourself, there’s a sense that you wanted to let Little Richard tell his own story during the film.

LISA CORTÉS: Yeah… In looking at the structure of this story, it was extremely important to me to give him agency, particularly when he was someone who spoke about all that was taken from him. It would not have felt right to allow other people to really narrate the main spine of the film. When we started working on it, I made a concentrated effort to work with the archival team to do a sweep to see if we could find his voice to narrate all the different moments that were important in his life.

2SER: You do have a number of other great interviewees on screen including the woman he married briefly, the always entertaining film director John Waters, musicians like Nona Hendryx and Nile Rodgers, as well as some terrific queer academics and historians.

LISA CORTÉS: We were almost literally done with… finish[ing] the film when his ex wife Ernestine [Harvin] called and said there were some things that were really important to him that she would love to have the opportunity to share in the film. We had no more money to film her [but] we got a recording done. I really loved her contribution…

2SER: The film is an affirming story, especially for queer people, but it’s also a sad story because of Little Richard’s struggles with reconciling his sexuality and musical gifts with his religious faith.

LISA CORTÉS: Many people have shared that sentiment. What was important for me was to not script how I wanted his life to end, but to be true to his words. I really loved Ernestine’s contribution to give us a sense [that] at the end of his life, he was happy in the most important relationship to him, which was with god. Now, would I have wanted him to embrace all that he was and all that he gave? Yes, that would be my intention. But it’s not my story, it’s his.

Interview by Paris | BOOK TIX TO LITTLE RICHARD FILM
Sydney Film Festival: June 7-18  2023
Little Richard: I Am Everything screens:
June 13 Event Cinemas George St | June 16 Dendy Newtown | June 17 Randwick Ritz

All Images supplied by NIXCO