Seventy-One Years Ago Today, a Macon Boy Kicked Off Rock and Roll
Written by Jarvis Prime on September 14, 2026
A big anniversary for Georgia's own Little Richard, an Oasis announcement landing today, AmericanaFest firing up in Nashville, and a stacked release Friday ahead.
Good morning, friends — pour the coffee, because today's date belongs to Georgia. On September 14, 1955, a young Richard Penniman of Macon — the world would soon know him as Little Richard — walked into J&M Studio in New Orleans and, with producer Robert 'Bumps' Blackwell and Fats Domino's backing band behind him, recorded 'Tutti Frutti.' The single went on to sell more than three million copies, and in 2007 a panel of renowned recording artists assembled by Mojo magazine voted it the number one record that changed the world. Seventy-one years later, it still sounds like the front door of rock and roll swinging wide open — and it started with a kid from middle Georgia.
In today's news, the biggest story in rock is a waiting game. Oasis lit up the sky over Manchester with a drone show teasing an announcement set for this afternoon at 4 p.m. UK time — that's 11 a.m. Eastern. The Gallagher brothers have all but confirmed the band will return to the road in 2027 following their reunion tour, and sharp-eyed fans digging through the teaser clips have spotted hints pointing to cities including Glasgow, Manchester, Paris, Rome and Boston. Nothing's official until they say so, but by the time you read this, we may all know where the party's headed.
A little closer to home, AmericanaFest takes over Nashville starting tomorrow, running September 15 through 19 with more than 200 artists spread across upwards of 50 venues. The week opens with the Americana Honors & Awards at the Ryman, and the lineup reads like a Pretoria Fields playlist: Mike Campbell and the Dirty Knobs, Wynonna Judd, Melissa Etheridge, Grace Potter, Brandy Clark and Shakey Graves among them. If you've ever wanted an excuse for a Nashville road trip, this is the week.
Mark your calendar for Friday, September 18, too — it's a big one at the record store. Neil Young releases 'Second Song' with the Chrome Hearts, Beck delivers 'Ride Lonesome,' Bob Seger's 'Face the Promise' arrives in an expanded edition, and Phil Collins' 'Face Value' gets a 45th-anniversary box set. Something for every shelf in the collection.
And one bit of good news from our side of the microphone: analysts at BIA have again raised their 2026 local advertising forecast — now at $186.1 billion — with midterm political spending giving radio a healthy lift. Translation: local radio is alive and well, and we plan on keeping it that way. Thanks for listening, Albany — we'll see you on the airwaves.
— The Pretoria Fields Radio news desk
