Throwback Thursday: Little Richard – ‘Keep A Knockin’

On January 16, 1957 Little Richard recorded “Keep A Knockin” for his self-titled album. “Keep A Knockin” is a Rock N Roll hit song that influenced many musicians and fans across multiple generations. The song soon became a big R&B and Pop hit of that year, reaching #2 on the R&B charts and #8 on the Pop charts. This was one of many hits that the singer-songwriter created that solidified himself as the truly authentic King of Rock N Roll.

The origins of the song can be traced back to 1928 with the song “Keep A Knockin’ An You Can’t Get In,” recorded by Blues artist James “Boodle It” Wiggins, recorded in my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Three decades later, Richard made a Rock version of the record, reflecting the times of the 1950s Rock N Roll era.

Rolling Stone magazine listed “Keep A Knockin” as #442 on it’s list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song has also been sampled and/or interpolated by various musicians throughout the decade; such as Eddie Cochran, Led Zepplin  and Smiley Lewis. Richard’s version of the song has been featured throughout TV & film on shows like Full House and the movie Why Do Fools Fall In Love, where the song was remastered and re-recorded for the soundtrack,

Recently, on May 09, 2020 the Rock N Roll legend died of bone cancer at the age 87. Little Richard lived a wild and long, loving life and we truly appreciate his great contributions to music and pop culture.