I think they saw me as something like a deliverer, a way out. My means of expression, my music, was a way in which a lot of people wished they could express themselves and couldn't.

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.