CHART FULL OF MIRACLES FOR RICHARD

“Everybody says I should be in the funeral parlor,” rock pioneer Little Richard said Wednesday during his first interview since he was seriously injured in an auto accident Oct. 8 in West Hollywood.

“Everyone who saw the (smashed up) car or pictures of it on television wonders how I could still be alive,” he continued, while lying in bed in a private room at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. “It tells me that God worked a miracle.

“It was a warning to me and to the world . . . a warning for me to tell young people that it’s time for them to love Jehovah. I have been telling them for years, but not as much as I could. I will work harder. I can study (the Bible) more. I can meditate more. The pain (since the accident) has been terrible. I’ve screamed every day and night.”

The sign on the door of Little Richard Penniman’s hospital room declares, “Absolutely No Visitors.”

Anita Parker, assistant manager of the wing, said such signs are usually at the request of the patient. In this case, however, she said, the sign is, in effect, to protect the flamboyant rock singer-turned gospel performer from himself.

“You can’t believe the number of people we’ve had here who want to look in or wave or ask how he is feeling,” she said. “I have been here for 17 years and I’ve never seen anything like it. I’m not just talking about fans who come in (from the street) or other patients, but the doctors and nurses. They start talking about all the records (Little Richard) made and they stop to look in.

“And, he’s so nice that he was inviting them all in. We had to stop it because he couldn’t wasn’t getting any rest. We also had to put a block on the phones. We had so many calls the first two days that we didn’t have a chance to do anything else except answer them. And, you should have seen the flowers. There were so many flowers you couldn’t breathe in there. We had to take them out.

“If he ever worried about not being remembered (for his early rock hits), he shouldn’t worry any more.”

Lots of ‘50s rock stars do feel forgotten, but it’s hard to imagine anyone forgetting Little Richard.

His wild stage shows, outrageous costumes and raw vocal abandon on hits like “Tutti Frutti” and “Long Tall Sally” made him one of the most influential--and controversial--figures ever in rock. In fact, Richard was such a colorful figure--filled with equal parts talent and ego--that he helped define rock.

At 52, he has long since given up rock for the gospel trail--but he is secure in his place in pop history. Still, the response since the accident--from fans and celebrities like Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor and Ray Charles--have been a great comfort to him.

“It’s a joy to see people send flowers and cards, but I never thought they forgot about me--like they have a lot of rock performers,” he said. “There isn’t a place in this country that I can walk through an airport without being recognized by someone.

“Even before this happened, my fame--and my name--was current. The kids today can still tell you who I am. I try to use that fame in carrying the Word of God to people. What I did (with those records) draws people to you.”

Richard, who has been singing only gospel music for years, said he had just returned from London the day of the accident.

“I recorded two songs (in London) for a gospel album, but I wasn’t feeling well so I flew back the next night--and the next thing I remember I was in the hospital. To be truthful, it seems like a dream. I don’t remember anything about the accident.”

(Richard suffered a broken right leg, broken ribs and head injuries in the 12:05 a.m. accident near the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and Curson Avenue. Richard, who was alone in the car, was reportedly trapped inside for 30 minutes while firefighters tried to pry him loose. The accident is still being investigated by sheriff’s deputies.)

Richard was still in pain as he spoke Wednesday; a wide 18-inch scar remains from a seven-hour operation last week. Members of his family have been with him around the clock and he passes the time reading mail or watching TV. One of the things he saw on the news was all the controversy over sexy pop lyrics.

While most of Little Richard’s ‘50s records seem innocent by today’s standards, many parents were so scandalized by the sexual aggression of his sound that they would have certainly wanted warning stickers if such a system had been in effect.

So, how does the gospel-minded Richard feel today about a parental warning system?

“The important thing isn’t putting stickers on records but making sure people know about God,” he said. “That’s what parents and all of us should do . . . help spread the Word of God. We need to tell young people that Jehovah is yesterday, today and forever. Then He’ll tell you what to buy and what to listen to and what not to buy--which videos to buy, which books to read, which TV shows to watch. If someone tries to dictate what to buy, who knows if they are right? They can make mistakes too.

“Besides, no one is forced to buy a record. Prince and Boy George don’t have a shotgun on anybody.”

In some ways, many see in Prince an echo of Richard’s wild makeup and strong sexual orientation.

“Actually, I see more of me in Michael (Jackson),” Richard said. “I see my look in Prince, but I see more of my talent in Michael. I like Prince as a person and I think he’s a nice stylist, but he’s not really a singer to me. Michael is more of a singer.”

Richard said he wasn’t sure when he would be released from the hospital, but he was eager to go home to Riverside, where most of his family also lives. “I feel I’ve been so lucky in my life,” he said, looking across the room at his younger brother, Robert. “Look at what happened to poor Elvis (Presley). Wasn’t that (his death) sad?

“I think one of the problems in his life was that he had all those yes-men around him. He didn’t have people he could count on. I’ve got my family that loves me . . . and I think God has always had his eye on me. This (surviving the accident) was just the latest miracle. Sometimes, I look back on what has happened to me and I think my whole life has been a miracle.”