The story of the black, gay origins of rock n' roll. It explodes the whitewashed canon of American pop music to reveal the innovator – the originator – Richard Penniman. Through a wealth of archive and performance that brings us into Richard's complicated inner world, the film unspools the icon's life story with all its switchbacks and contradictions.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
 Little RichardSelf (archive footage) | Self (archive footage) |
 John WatersSelf | Self |
 Mick JaggerSelf | Self |
 Billy PorterSelf | Self |
 Tom JonesSelf | Self |
 Paul McCartneySelf (archive footage) | Self (archive footage) |
 Nona HendryxSelf | Self |
| VValerie JuneSelf | Self |
 Nile RodgersSelf | Self |
| FFredara HadleySelf | Self |
 Alan FreedSelf (archive footage) | Self (archive footage) |
 Elvis PresleySelf (archive footage) | Self (archive footage) |
 Pat BooneSelf (archive footage) | Self (archive footage) |
 John LennonSelf (archive voice) | Self (archive voice) |
 Keith WinslowSelf | Self |
 John BrancaSelf | Self |