NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Will Richard was a pretty good football player as an adolescent. Call it part of little Richard's pedigree. His father was a defensive lineman at Clemson, so he naturally gravitated ...

Little Richard said he wasn't as acclaimed as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones even thought he inspired both bands.

Little Richard, with his background in theological school and his influential presence in both the gospel and secular music worlds, emerges as a powerful symbol of this fusion of faith and activism.

Little Richard: I Am Everything focuses on the star's roots in — and struggle with — his connection to queer culture. TV critic Eric Deggans says it's a masterpiece.

"Little Richard: I Am Everything" focuses on the star's roots in — and struggle with — his connection to queer culture. TV critic Eric Deggans says it's a masterpiece.

Little Richard: I Am Everything focuses on the star's roots in — and struggle with — his connection to queer culture. TV critic Eric Deggans says it's a masterpiece.

From late legends like Prince and David Bowie to contemporary icons like Janelle Monáe and Lady Gaga, countless artists have borrowed from Little Richard’s flamboyant performance style.

Above, Little Richard performs in 1975. There is one question that stands at the heart of the CNN documentary Little Richard: I Am Everything, emerging as something of a mission statement for the film ...