In Richmond, California, late 1970's, minister Richard Penniman warned his congregation of the evils of rock and roll music. This was very strange, since he was one of the biggest rock and roll stars of the 1950's. Who was he?

The minister in Richmond, California, who warned his congregation about the evils of rock and roll music despite being a legendary 1950s rock and roll star, was indeed Richard Penniman, better known to the world as Little Richard. Born Richard Wayne Penniman, he was a flamboyant and groundbreaking figure, often called the "Architect of Rock and Roll," whose electrifying performances and hits like "Tutti Frutti" and "Long Tall Sally" helped define the genre in the mid-1950s. His dynamic vocals, frenetic piano playing, and charismatic showmanship made him an influential artist for decades, impacting countless musicians across various genres.

Throughout his life, Little Richard experienced several profound religious conversions, leading him to periodically step away from secular music to pursue ministry. He was raised in a devout Christian family and his early musical influences included gospel performers. In 1957, at the height of his initial fame, he famously renounced rock and roll after an "apocalyptic vision" and enrolled in a Seventh-day Adventist college to study theology. He was ordained as a minister in 1970 and in the late 1970s, he resumed his evangelical activities as a full-time evangelist. During these periods, he preached against the very music that made him famous, stating that "God doesn't like it" and that one cannot "live with the Lord" and "rock'n'roll too."

This made for a striking paradox: the man who embodied the wild, unrestrained spirit of early rock and roll was now a minister condemning it. His journey reflected a deep internal conflict between his spiritual convictions and his celebrated secular career. This particular period in the late 1970s saw him actively engaged in his ministry, delivering sermons and sharing his testimony, making it entirely plausible that he would be found warning against rock and roll in a place like Richmond, California.