America 250 Rocktober Song #18: "Heeby-Jeebies" by Little Richard

Our next Halloween Week America 250 Rocktober song takes us to Macon, Georgia, which has given the world many great musicians across genres, but none of them is more important to the history of rock and roll music than Little Richard.

Born Richard Penniman, he got the nickname "Lil' Richard" as a child.  Discovered by gospel legend Sister Rosetta Tharpe when he was only 14, Little Richard signed his first record deal a few years later and released his first single in 1951.

After a few record label switches, he found a home at Specialty Records, where he released a string of hits in the '50s, starting with 1955's "Tutti Frutti," which was his first of nine Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the latter half of the decade (four of which reached the Top 10).  On top of that, he built himself into one of rock and roll's great showman and most flaboyant early ambassadors.

Because it's Halloween week, I'm going with his 1956 single "Heeby-Jeebies" -- delightful little early rock and roll ditty that's apparently about an overaggressive scorned lover who's knocking on his soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend's door to figure out if she wants to be with him.  This apparently gives him the heeby-jeebies.  The song went to #7 on the Billboard R&B singles chart, his sixth of what would eventually be 13 Top 10 hits on that chart.