Little Richard’s onetime home in Lafayette Square finds a new fan
A-wop-bom-a-loo-mop-a-lomp bom … gone? That’s the case in Los Angeles’ Lafayette Square neighborhood, where the onetime home of rock ’n’ roll icon Little Richard has sold for $1.878 million.
Built in 1923, the Spanish Revival-style home was purchased by Richard in the 1950s for himself and his mother, Leva Mae Stewart.
During his ownership, the two-story house was “an open house” for entertainers, with James Brown, Jackie Williams, Etta James and the Coasters among those making visits, according to the biography “The Life and Times of Little Richard.” Stewart’s big dinners often were shared among guests.
The property is also where Richard married Ernestine Campbell in a ceremony in 1959. The couple divorced three years later.
Dubbed the Tutti Frutti house in the listing, the home features a formal entry that opens to a grand living room with original hardwood floors and a Batchelder tile fireplace. A sunlit den/family room with garden views sits off the living room area.
A period-vibe kitchen, a dining room and four bedrooms also lie within about 3,300 square feet of living space. The three bathrooms were previously restored.
The house came up for sale in late March for $1.895 million and was in escrow after about two weeks on the market, records show.
Nick Mercado of Sotheby’s International Realty handled both ends of the sale.
Richard, born Richard Penniman in 1932, has scores of hits including “Good Golly Miss Molly,” “Long Tall Sally” and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ (Goin’ On)”. Known for his flamboyant energy and style, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.
neal.leitereg@latimes.com | Twitter: @LATHotProperty
