'Dog the Bounty Hunter' Duane Chapman Honors 'True Pioneer' Little Richard With Tribute

05/09/2020 05:41 pm EDT

Many fans and friends shared their thoughts about the death of Little Richard on Saturday. The rock pioneer influenced countless musicians and entertained millions across his career, including reality star and bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman.

The Dog's Most Wanted star posted a short tribute to Little Richard shortly after his death hit the headlines. The reality star posted a photo of the singer in his early days and a short message wishing the singer "rest in peace" and crediting him as one of rock and roll music's pioneers.

The singer's cause of death is unknown at this point but the passing was confirmed by his son, Danny Penniman, in a statement to Rolling Stone. Many joined Chapman in reaching out to share thoughts about the late singer.

Richard's own comments about his career echo what Chapman mentioned with his post. The singer considered himself to be the "inventor" of rock and roll music, releasing music before Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry. But this has always been a disputed question, mostly because no one person is responsible for what became rock music. That said, Richard's influence cannot be denied.

"When I started singing [rock & roll], I sang it a long time before I presented it to the public, because I was afraid they wouldn't like it. I had never heard nobody do it, and I was scared," Richard said in a Rolling Stone interview in 1990. "I was inspired by Mahalia Jackson, Roy Brown and a gospel group called Clara Ward and the Ward Singers and a guy by the name of Brother Joe May. I got the holler that you hear me do – 'woo-ooh-ooh' – from a lady named Marion Williams. And this thing you hear me do – "Lucille-uh" – I got that from Ruth Brown I used to like die way she'd sing, 'Mama-uh, he treats your daughter mean.' I put it all together."

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