Most days, four or so people venture out here to visit the grave. The site where the great Richard Wayne Penniman, better known as rock & roller supreme Little Richard, is buried in Huntsville, Ala.
“They’ve come from California, come from Florida,” says Oakwood Memorial Gardens Cemetery manager Gerald L. Kibble. “Places along those lines.”
Little Richard’s funeral was held here May 20, 2020. The musician known for rock-architecting hits like “Tutti Fruiti” and “Long Tall Sally,” as well as his flamboyant persona and onstage performances, died 11 days earlier, from cancer.
Oakwood Memorial Gardens is located near Oakwood University, the historically black school Richard studied seminary during the late ’50s. Little Richard’s music reverberated with millions of fans, not the least of which were The Beatles and Rolling Stones, probably rock’s two greatest bands and definitely highly influenced by his electrifying music. His funeral was a quiet affair though. Attended by around 150, including Richard’s surviving family and members of his band.
Little Richard’s grave marker is also humbler than one might expect for such a high-wattage celeb. It’s about the size of skateboard and located in the back right of Oakwood Memorial Gardens, address 1 HL Cleveland Way. Three white crosses are nearby. The sky is big and blue out here, where the view also includes a tree line, lots of grass (being mowed on this day) and a body of water.
The graves adjacent to Richard’s belong to individuals named Chysalda Simons Clay and Eric C. Ward. Around 500 or so people total are buried at the cemetery, which is built on a former slave plantation. There are accomplished academics and evangelists buried at Oakwood Gardens, but none of them nearly as famous as Little Richard, a former dishwasher from Macon, Georgia, born Dec. 5, 1932.
Little Richard’s grave marker at Oakwood Memorial Gardens in Huntsville, Ala. (Matt Wake/mwake@al.com)
His grave marker is simple but it’s also elegant. In addition to Richard’s name, birthday and date of passing, the monument is inscribed with “Our Beloved Brother, An Endearing Loved One,” and “Deeply Loved by Family, Friends And Fans.”
Made from gray granite by a company in Woodville, Ala., the marker was installed April 1 this year. Previously, the marker had to be sent back due to a correction necessary regarding “the design,” Kibble says. “When I recognized that, I sent it back.”
The absence of a marker led some social media sleuths to hypothesize Little Richard’s marker had been stolen, which was not the case, Kibble says. After the marker was corrected and returned, the cemetery obtained family approval again before installing.
“Everything has to be okayed by the family first. We can’t just put it out there,” Kibble says.
Amiable, chill and careful with his words, Kibble has been with Oakwood Memorial Gardens for about three years ago, after relocating from Los Angeles where he was working at the Angeles Funeral Home. Before that he taught school in the L.A. area. Before that he served in the military, he says.
Kibble says Little Richard’s band, which included Muscle Shoals musicians like Kelvin Holly and Wayne Chaney, visit the grave quite a bit. Richard’s family visits often too. As well as some of those eternal fans of his music. The fans rarely leave behind mementos though. “Mostly,” Kibble says, “they just want to get a picture.”
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The Link LonkJuly 07, 2021 at 06:25AM
https://www.al.com/news/2021/07/heres-what-little-richards-grave-marker-in-alabama-looks-like.html
Here’s what Little Richard’s grave marker in Alabama looks like - AL.com
https://news.google.com/search?q=little&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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