Unveiled by Ava DuVernay Tiny Richard gave her a $100 gratuity each….
Before she rose to prominence as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after directors, Ava DuVernay disclosed on Saturday that she shared a unique bond with the late Little Richard.
The 47-year-old director stated that during her decades-long career as a waitress in Los Angeles, the Rock ‘n’ Roll architect gave her a $100 weekly tip.
She was just one of many famous people paying tribute to Little Richard, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 87.
DuVernay’s relationship with Little Richard dates back to her undergraduate years at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she double majored in African-American studies and English literature.
“I worked as a waitress at Aunt Kizzy’s Back Porch in Los Angeles for a year, serving soul cuisine brunch to Little Richard every Sunday,” the woman tweeted.
Her first independent feature film, I Will Follow, was released five years after she made her first short film in 2005.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s role in the 1965 voting rights marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, was documented in Selma, her best-reviewed film to date.
After its popularity, she went on to direct the Netflix documentary 13th, which was nominated for an Oscar, and adapted A Wrinkle in Time for Disney.
Little Richard, real name Richard Penniman, passed away from bone cancer on Saturday in Tullahoma, Tennessee.
With a spate of Rock ‘n’ Roll singles in the 1950s, such as Tutti Frutti, Long Tall Sally, and Good Golly Miss Molly, the exuberant pianist shot to fame. Many of these songs would go on to become classics of the earlier genre.
He declared himself the “architect of Rock ‘n’ Roll” during the 1988 Grammy Awards, saying, “I am the creator!”
Few musicians disagreed with Little Richard’s portrayal, and legends like Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan, and Elton John showered Little Richard with compliments.
