On This Day in Queerstory: Little Richard dies

May 9th is a day for the risk-takers. We celebrate the birth of a man who changed the sound of the world and the passing of a woman who helped us all learn how to walk in heels.

1962: The Birth of Dave Gahan—The Leather Gaze

Born on this day in Essex, Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode became the poster child for “industrial eroticism.” While Gahan is straight, his aesthetic—heavy on leather, eyeliner, and a tortured, baritone sensuality—became the blueprint for the queer “Goth” and “Leather” subcultures of the 80s and 90s. He brought a queer-coded, European melancholy to the pop charts, proving that “masculinity” could be dark, decorative, and deeply dramatic.

1944: The Birth of Richie Havens

The folk legend Richie Havens, born on this day, was a fixture of the Greenwich Village scene that birthed the modern queer movement. As a performer who opened Woodstock, Havens represented the “Soul of the Village.” He was a constant ally to the queer buskers and poets of Christopher Street, reminding us that the 1960s revolution was a multi-colored, multi-vocal choir where the folk singer and the drag queen often shared the same stage.

2020: The Death of Little Richard—The Originator

On May 9, 2020, the world lost the true architect of Rock ‘n’ Roll: Little Richard. “Tutti Frutti” wasn’t just a hit; it was a queer anthem (originally written with far more explicit lyrics about “booty”). Richard Penniman spent his life in a complex, often painful tug-of-war between his deep religious faith and his flamboyant, gender-bending identity.

He was the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” wearing more mascara and sequins than his female contemporaries and screaming “Woo!” with a joy that liberated everyone who heard it. He was the person who gave David Bowie, Elton John, and Prince “permission” to be spectacular. When he died at 87, he left behind a world that he had personally dragged into the future, kicking and screaming in a pair of gold boots.