When you sit down and think about what rock 'n' roll music really is, then you have to change that question. Played up-tempo, you call it rock 'n' roll; at a regular tempo, you call it rhythm and blues.

Penniman's breakthrough hit "Tutti Frutti" was included in the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry claiming the "unique vocalizing over the irresistible beat announced a new era in music". His most celebrated work dates from the mid-1950s where his dynamic music and charismatic showmanship laid the foundation for rock and roll. He has been an influential figure in popular music and culture for over six decades.