European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 12, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse Tick Kyj St amp Ovchiy Little Richard has been singing the same songs for three decades yet he Stilt generates enthusiasm and excitement by Jon Connor staff writer e All know that some things in life Are unalterable. Death and taxes. Sunrise and Sunset. Politicians and double talk. Little Richard and Rock n Roll. Richard Penniman . Little Richard the self proclaimed Quot architect of Rock n Roll Quot is Back screaming through Europe with his characteristic blend of heart pumping Rock and mind bending rhetoric. Quot i love this country Quot said the ageless he s 60 bad boy prior to his concert last week in Frankfurt Germany. Quot when you Star in Germany you re. Always a Star Quot he said As he began reminiscing about his five decades As a performer. The beatles he noted were once his opening act at the Star club in Hamburg in the Early 60s, a time when another Little known British group a the rolling stones a were also seeking the limelight. Quot nobody was famous but me Quot Little Richard said. And while those other Rock icons have changed with the times. Little Richard acknowledges that he has not Quot i believe when you get a certain age the disc jockeys Aren t going to play describing this tour As the Quot most electrifying dhow you la Ever see Quot he greeted the Frankfurt crowd of. 1,500 Loyal fans by standing on the piano. With this crowd he could do no wrong and in moments he was knocking pm dead with Lucille Good Colly miss Molly and an extended version of Blueberry Hill. A believer in audience participation Little Richard invited eight people on stage and had them around his piano in a sock Hope affect this up close and personal gesture was offset somewhat by the two bodyguards hovering nearby. With the assistance of two Young male dancers dressed in baby Blue silk pyjamas Little Richard and his seven piece band slammed into a thunderous Jenny Jenny. The dancers known As Jay and Shawn impressed the crowd with their athleticism. Later Little Richard shifted gears sliding into no place like Home a country Ballad written by a band member. The song about longing for one s childhood had the Quot innovator Quot moving slow moved across the stage singing from his heart he then shifted Back into High gear As the band kicked into an extended version of old time Rock amp Roll this time with about 15 fans Danang on stage. Little Richard knows what his fans want to hear and he gives it to them Tutti Frutti rip it up Rock and Roll music be Bop a Lula and of course Long tall Sally. Quot Rock n Roll is my livelihood. This is my Job Quot the former preach for said. Quot it s not easy being famous. Fame is not what people think it whatever Fame May be Little Richard makes it look fun. He s Quick to assert that superstars like David Bowie Otis Redding Bob Dylan James Brown and Michael Jackson would not have found their pots of Gold had he not paved the Way. Quot i love Michael Jackson Quot Little Richard said. Quot he a a Genius. He reminds me of Oscar d Leon in concert a see pages 19-20 one of the Premier purveyors of the Salsa sound brings his latin music to Europe. Short take Kristofferson former go Ris Kristofferson said he would have liked to have played at military nightclubs during his current european tour. A former army Captain who was a helicopter Pilot with the 8th inf div at bad Kreuz Germany in the Earty 60s, Kristofferson said he was impressed when Johnny Cash played at the Baum older . Club Back then. Quot they said he went out there to the . Club and played an nigh Long Quot Kristofferson said. Kristofferson scoffed at the notion that he is too big a Star to play at military clubs. Quot no in a not Quot he said. Quot i m at an age where i can play where i we be played at Funky Little places Quot he said of this tour which ends March 15 in Austria. Quot so we could play at an . Club in Ramsten or l however Kristofferson said his schedule is full and new dates can t be inserted. James Lancaster the Hanau business operations division chief who books groups for area military dubs said that if Kristofferson extended his tour he would expect 4,000 people for a Kristofferson concert at the Hanau Rod amp gun club. In Frankfurt Vicki Lammers the Community s business operations division chief said that if they had time to advertise a show featuring Kristofferson a capacity crowd of700 could be expected at the Topper club. Quot it s always Good for the troops that they see the big names that they know that they re not forgotten. He was a troop. He was stationed Over Here. He knows what they go through a Lammers said of Kristofferson. Readers interested in getting Kristofferson a or any other performer a to play at military clubs can Contact stripes s entertainment Section at 06155-601341 in Germany or Dan 348-8341. Kristofferso gospel concert gospel concert featuring recording artist Luther Barnes of the red Budd choir is scheduled for the worldwide gospel ministry Church at Kaiserslautern Germany on april 1 at 7 . Barnes from Rocky mount n.c., will be joined by the Jackson singers Vogel Weh mass choir worldwide gospel ministry choir Esther Koeniger and Virginia Turner. Quot our future plan is if the people respond to this we re going to Start going to the German concert Halls with other top recording gospel singers said Turner who is producing the concert. Tickets Are $20 or 30 Marks. Children 12 years old and younger pay 5 Marks or $3. Food and drinks will be sold after the concert. At least 600 people Are expected to attend a Turner said. For ticket information Call Turner i production at 0631-97877 or 0631-98259. Friday March 12, 1993 the stars and stripes 17
