The passing of Little Richard marked the end of an era, leaving behind a legacy of groundbreaking music and an audacious persona that captivated a nation. He didn’t just entertain; he kicked down doors for countless performers who followed. Yet, behind the meteoric rise of Little Richard stood another electrifying figure, a flamboyant innovator known as Esquerita. Understanding the connection between Esquerita Little Richard reveals a crucial, often overlooked chapter in rock ‘n’ roll history. Without Esquerita, the trajectory of Little Richard—and subsequently, artists like Prince and Elton John—might have been profoundly different. Little Richard himself acknowledged Esquerita’s influence, crediting him with teaching him how to attack the piano with unparalleled intensity and soul.
While Little Richard’s immense talent and historical importance are undeniable, exploring the story of Esquerita, as detailed in sources like Martin Aston’s “Breaking Down the Walls of Heartache: How Music Came Out,” illuminates the contributions of many lesser-known artists who paved the way for modern popular music. Both Esquerita and Little Richard drew inspiration from figures like Billy Wright, a singer known for performing in drag, highlighting the complex tapestry of influences in early rock. Esquerita’s story, rooted surprisingly in South Carolina, is one of daring flamboyance essential to rock’s explosive birth, intertwined with the tragic realities faced by many Black and gay artists of his time.
The Flamboyant Force Called Esquerita
Born Eskew Reeder in Greenville, South Carolina—a city vastly different in the 1940s than the burgeoning hub it is today—Esquerita’s origins offer a clue to his stage name. A touch of Carolina accent transforms “Eskew Reeder” into “Eskah Rita,” plausibly becoming Esquerita. Greenville in the 1940s was marked by racial tension, epitomized by the 1947 lynching of Willie Earle. It was in this environment, that same year, that a young Reeder began playing piano at the Black Tabernacle Baptist Church, where his mother led the choir.
Black and white portrait of Esquerita (Eskew Reeder), the flamboyant rock and roll pioneer who influenced Little Richard’s piano style.
Like many musicians of the era, Reeder honed his skills in the church before venturing out. As a teenager, he joined traveling gospel troupes, playing alongside notable figures like Sister O.M. Terrell, whose guitar-driven gospel rivaled Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and the powerful vocalist Brother Joe May. This gospel grounding provided a foundation for the energetic performance style he would later develop.
A Pivotal Encounter: Teaching Little Richard
The fateful meeting between Esquerita and Richard Wayne Penniman (Little Richard) occurred in Macon, Georgia. As Little Richard recounted, he was lingering at the bus station late one night when Esquerita arrived. “And he got off,” Richard recalled. “All 6 feet 2 inches of him. And I said, oh boy!”
Little Richard explicitly cited Esquerita as his primary piano influence, particularly after witnessing him play The Clovers’ “One Mint Julep.” “He was one of the greatest pianists,” Richard stated, emphasizing Esquerita’s unique skill and physical presence at the keyboard. “He had the biggest hands of anybody I’d ever seen.” Esquerita, in a 1983 Kicks magazine interview, remembered meeting Richard before he had developed his signature vocal style, noting, “When I met (Little) Richard, he wasn’t using the ‘obbligato’ voice. Just straight singing.” While Esquerita’s use of “obbligato” might be technically inaccurate (perhaps referring to Richard’s later famous falsetto or ad-libs), the core point remains: Esquerita encountered Richard early in his development and played a role in shaping his sound.
Forging a Sound: Esquerita’s Recording Career
Before his own rock ‘n’ roll records, Reeder recorded gospel tracks with the Heavenly Echoes in Brooklyn in 1955, the same year Little Richard unleashed “Tutti Frutti.” Soon after, Esquerita returned South, becoming a fixture in Greenville’s West End clubs like the Owl Club, known for his rhinestone outfits and capes. His electrifying performances caught the attention of a member of Gene Vincent’s band, leading to a contract with Capitol Records.
Capitol released Esquerita’s first singles in 1958, followed by the album “Esquerita!” in 1959. The label declared his music “truly the farthest out man has ever gone.” His recordings from this era, particularly the early Capitol singles, are considered by critics like Cub Koda to be “some of the most untamed and unabashed sides ever issued by a major label.”
His signature track, “Esquerita and the Voola,” named after a spirit he claimed inspired him, is a prime example of his unique style. It opens with a rumba beat and piano before Esquerita lets loose with wordless howls that morph into an unsettling wail, culminating in a stunning piano flourish and an off-key scream. While too unconventional for mainstream success, it showcased his incredible pianistic ability and boundary-pushing artistry. Other tracks, like the aptly named “Believe Me When I Say Rock ‘n Roll Is Here to Stay,” feature blistering, improvisational piano solos, while “Please Come Home” blends eerie keyboard textures with straight-ahead blues.
Navigating the Scene: Later Years and Collaborations
Esquerita’s career path led him through Dallas and New Orleans, where he performed under various aliases, including The Magnificent Malochi and, in drag, Fabulash. He connected with fellow New Orleans mainstays Lloyd Price and Fats Domino, becoming a regular performer at the legendary Dew Drop Inn.
His journey included an encounter with Berry Gordy in Detroit pre-Motown and recording sessions in New York during the 1960s with drummer Idris Muhammad, though these recordings wouldn’t surface until much later. The 1970s saw a fascinating reunion as Esquerita joined Little Richard’s band. His old protégé recorded several of Esquerita’s songs, including the R&B chart success “Freedom Blues” and “The Dew Drop Inn,” an ode to their shared haunt in New Orleans. Later recordings by Esquerita, such as “Wig-Wearin’ Mama,” showed his voice had aged but his audacious spirit remained, humorously recounting pulling off a woman’s wig.
Rediscovery and Tragic End
Esquerita faded somewhat from view until 1983, when Miriam Linna and Billy Miller, founders of Kicks magazine, serendipitously found him performing at a New York bar called Tramps. Astonished, they featured him on their cover, capturing his vibrant stories about Little Richard, James Brown, and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. They also helped him locate master tapes of unreleased demos.
Tragically, shortly before these rediscovered tracks could be released, Esquerita contacted Linna from a Harlem hospital, requesting a simple meal of rice and beans. By the time she arrived, Eskew Reeder had passed away on October 23, 1986, due to complications from AIDS. He was only 50 years old and was buried in an unmarked grave on Hart Island.
Conclusion
The story of Esquerita Little Richard is one of profound, yet often uncredited, influence. Esquerita, the wild, boundary-breaking pianist from Greenville, directly shaped the sound and style of one of rock ‘n’ roll’s foundational figures. His own recordings reveal a singular talent, too untamed perhaps for mainstream stardom but brimming with the raw energy and innovation that defined early rock. While Little Richard achieved global fame, Esquerita’s journey ended in obscurity and tragedy, a fate shared by too many pioneering Black and LGBTQ+ artists of his generation. As we celebrate the legacy of Little Richard, it is essential to remember Esquerita – the daring, immensely talented mentor who showed him how to truly rock.
