Charles Connor

Charles Connor (January 14, 1935 – July 31, 2021) was an American drummer, best known as a member of Little Richard's band. Richard's shout of "a-wop bop-a loo-mop, a-lop bam-boom" at the beginning of "Tutti Frutti" is said to be a reference to Connor's drum rhythms. James Brown described Little Richard and his band, with Connor as the drummer, as "the first to put funk into the rhythm."

Early life Connor was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. His father was a merchant mariner from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic and his mother was a native Louisianan. ) that John Bonham later imitated in the opening of Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll". At times when Connor was not working with Richard, he drummed with James Brown, after Richard connected The Famous Flames with his promoter Clint Brantley. Brown described Connor, while playing in Richard's mid-1950s band, as "the first [drummer] to put funk into the rhythm".

In his later career, Connor drummed with Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, The Coasters, Big Joe Turner, Larry Williams, Don Covay, George Lightfoot, and Dee Clark. Connor and Richard reunited in 1990 after a hiatus of three decades, performing "The Girl Can't Help It" in on stage in Malmö, Sweden.

Connor issued two books, Keep a Knockin (2015) and Don't Give Up on Your Dreams (2008), the latter an inspirational tome. He was inducted to the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2010. He released his album Still Knocking in 2013. Connor was working on an autobiographical documentary up until his death.

Personal life Connor was married to Zenaida for over three decades until his death. Together, they had a daughter named Queenie.

Connor died on July 31, 2021, at his home in Glendale, California, under hospice care. He was 86, and suffered from normal pressure hydrocephalus prior to his death.