Results
- Little Richard performed at the Cotton Club in Lubbock, Texas; local native Buddy Holly was among the audience.
- Little Richard's “Keep A Knockin',” featuring saxophonist Grady Gaines, entered the Billboard Top 40. It reached No. 8 and remained on the chart for 12 weeks; for Richard, it was his seventh entry on the US pop chart during the previous two years.
- During an Australian tour, Little Richard publicly announces that he is giving up rock ’n’ roll and turning to gospel music. At a bandmate’s urging, he throws four diamond rings worth $8,000 into Sydney’s Hunter River. He later devotes himself to religion and returns to rock ’n’ roll in 1962.
- Little Richard officially ended his five-year break from secular music by beginning his first British tour at the Gaumont Theatre in Doncaster. Sam Cooke and Gene Vincent also appeared on the tour. He had originally planned a gospel-only program, but after the enthusiastic audience response to Cooke's performance, he returned to his rock 'n' roll roots and performed “Long Tall Sally.”
- Little Richard crashed a rented Nissan 300ZX into a telephone pole in West Hollywood, California. He suffered a broken right leg, bruised ribs, and head and facial injuries. He later pleaded guilty to reckless driving. His serious injuries prevented him from attending the first Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in January 1986.
- According to American media reports, Little Richard suffered a heart attack at home on September 30 in the presence of his family. According to the source, he had not performed since nearly collapsing during a concert in Washington, D.C., in the summer of 2012.