Celebrities call late music legend Little Richard an inspiration in tributes to his memory

—Viola Davis (@violadavis) May 9, 2020

Davis wrote that the music legend's "talent will reverberate forever." 

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—bettemidler (@BetteMidler) May 9, 2020

Bette Midler said that Little Richard was "a genius, pure and simple."

—Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) May 9, 2020

The former first lady wrote that Little Richard "laid the foundation for generations of artists to follow."

—Tom Petty (@tompetty) May 9, 2020

The official Twitter account of Tom Petty, who died in 2017, posted a picture of Little Richard marrying Petty and Dana York.

"Having him there that day filled him and everyone in attendance with joy, awe and delight."

—Demi Moore (@justdemi) May 9, 2020

Moore shared a photo from her wedding to Bruce Willis in 1987, which Little Richard officiated. She wrote that she was "thankful for the memories."

—Brian Wilson (@BrianWilsonLive) May 9, 2020

The former Beach Boys singer and co-founder shared a photo of young Little Richard. "He was such a great talent and will be missed," Wilson wrote.

—#RingoStarr (@ringostarrmusic) May 9, 2020

"A night to remember Little Richard," Starr wrote.

—Ava DuVernay (@ava) May 9, 2020

"I served soul food brunch to Little Richard every Sunday for a year while waitressing at Aunt Kizzy's Back Porch in LA. I was a college student," DuVernay wrote.

The filmmaker continued: "He tipped me a crisp $100 bill each week on a $75 breakfast with friends. This was 30 years ago. Helped me so much. God rest his soul."

—Carole King (@Carole_King) May 9, 2020

King shared a message on Twitter about her memory of seeing the music legend's performance of "Tutti Frutti," which she wrote about in her memoir "A Natural Woman."

"It was a remarkable experience for this Jewish teenager to hear him sing nonsense syllables with the full capability of an astonishing vocal range that complemented the blazing rhythm coming out of his fingers," King wrote.

—Mick Jagger (@MickJagger) May 9, 2020

"He was the biggest inspiration of my early teens, and his music still has the same raw electric energy when you play it now as it did when it first shot through the music scene in the '50s," Mick Jagger wrote.

Without a doubt - musically, vocally and visually - he was my biggest influence. Seeing him live in my teens was the most exciting event in my life at that point. Goosebumps, electricity and joy came from every pore. His records still sound fresh and the opening few seconds of “Tutti Frutti” are the most explosive in music history. I was lucky enough to work with him for my “Duets” album in 1993. He was shy and funny and I was SO nervous. The track we recorded “The Power” is a favourite in my catalogue. We also played live at the Beverly Hilton and I felt like I’d died and gone to heaven. He influenced so many and is irreplaceable. A true legend, icon and a force of nature. #RIP Little Richard Love, Elton x #LittleRichard

A post shared by Elton John (@eltonjohn) on May 9, 2020 at 10:08am PDTMay 9, 2020 at 10:08am PDT

Elton John shared a meaningful tribute message about Little Richard, who he called one of his most prominent inspirations.

"Without a doubt - musically, vocally and visually - he was my biggest influence. Seeing him live in my teens was the most exciting event in my life at that point," Elton John wrote.