I first received this video in an e-mail reading "'LITTLE RICHARD' WHEN YOUNG". Intrigued but skeptical I took a look. It is mesmerizing, and if it doesn't put a smile on your face I hold out little hope for anything ever putting a smile on your face. But I still doubted the claim that it was Little Richard, so I did some digging.
It turns out it is not Little Richard but footage of child prodigy Frank "Sugar Chile" Robinson. Robinson won his first talent contest in Detroit at the age of 3! He was unable to tour due to child labor laws but played guest spots with Lionel Hampton in Detroit as well as on the radio. As his popularity grew there were more and more outlets for people to see him play. Hollywood came calling, and the clip below is footage of the 1946 movie "No Leave, No Love" where Robinson performed "Caldonia", a song he later performed for President Harry S. Truman at the White House.
After a few year of touring (with special permission given to avoid any legal entanglements) he "retired" from music at the ripe old age of 13 to focus on school. He went on to receive a Ph. D. in Psychology from University of Michigan.
It might not be Little Richard, but it was a great chance to do some research and learn more about a really amazing person. Check out the video and let me know what you think...
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