Rock & Roll Icon Little Richard Laid To Rest In Huntsville, Alabama

The legendary and influential passed away earlier this month after battling a long illness at the age of 87. The Rock and Roll icon was laid to rest in Huntsville, Ala., the town where he attended college after a brief retirement near the height of his fame in the 1950s.

As TMZ reports, the artist born Richard Penniman was laid to rest in Huntsville at the Oakwood Memorial Gardens Cemetry, right across from Oakwood College, a Seventh-Day Adventist HBCU where Little Richard studied theology after leaving music behind for a spell.

TMZ adds:

The trailblazing rock ‘n’ roll star’s niece, opera singer Brandie Sutton, sang during his service. Dr. Carlton P. Byrd delivered a eulogy, and Richard’s family spokesman David Person gave some closing remarks before he was laid to rest.

As we reported … Little Richard died earlier this month at his Tennessee home, surrounded by his brother, sister and son. His bass guitarist, Charles Glenn, told us Richard had been sick for a couple months before he passed.

The singer, of course, is known for his enormous influence over the rock ‘n’ roll genre, with insanely popular hits like “Tutti-Frutti” and “Long Tall Sally.” The Beatles have credited him as an inspiration, and Richard paved the way for acts like James Brown, The Rolling Stones and even Michael Jackson further down the road.

Little Richard was 87 at the time of his passing.

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Photo: Getty