Who Is Ernestine Campbell, Little Richards Wife?

June 2024 · 6 minute read

Ernestine Campbell is a famous celebrity in the United States, who caught the media attention after marrying a leading actor of his time, Little Richard.

Little Richard was an American musician, singer, and composer, and he earned an enormous name during his time.

For seven decades, he has played a major role in music and culture and showed his domination in the music industry since he was determined and passionate about his career.

 Richard’s most acclaimed work, dubbed the “Architect of Rock and Roll,” originates from the mid-1950s, when his captivating showmanship and dynamic music, marked by frenzied piano playing, pounding backbeats.

Early Life, Education & Family Member Of Ernestine Campell

As mentioned above, Ernestine Campbell, a well-known American celebrity, was born on Halloween, October 31, 1935; she grew up in her native country among her siblings.

As per the reports, Her zodiac happens to be Scorpio. 

At the time of her death, her age was 75 years. She died in 2010. 

The fact is that Ernestine Campbell is an introvert, she has acquired media attention being Little Richard’s ex-wife. There is no legitimate source to talk about her education and more about her family.

She acquired her primary and secondary education from a renowned school nearby her place. Specific information about her schooling, high education and university life is unknown. 

Ernestine’s family member includes Danny, her child which she and her ex-husband adopted. 

Weight, Height & Physical Appearance

Ernestine stands tall at a height of 5 feet and 6 inches. According to sources, she weighs around 65 kgs. Her height and weight is balanced with her body.

She has big, beautiful brown eyes and her hair color is black which shines bright and makes her attractive.

She wears a shoe size of 5.5 as per UK. 

Where Did The Couple Meet? What Was Their Marriage Like?

According to some reports, the couple met in one of the rallies and extended their hands for friendship, but soon they got involved romantically with each other.

They continued dating after that and married on July 12, 1959. But the fact is that they parted ways due to some reasons; before their divorce in 1964, they lived a quiet existence in a lovely marriage. 

Some reports claim that the marriage ended because of her husband’s popularity, which she said made living miserable.

Furthermore, she said that he became a negligent spouse because he was involved in some s*xual activities, including homos*suality.

Robinson and Harvin said in some of the newspapers about Richard, and they accused him of being gay.

However, Ernestine and Penniman(Little Richard)  adopted Danny Jones, a one-year-old son, from a deceased church member. 

More important is that the adopted child shared strong and healthy bonds with his son, frequently serving as his father’s bodyguards.

After getting divorced, on March 23, 1975, Ernestine tied a knot with McDonald Campbell of Santa Barbara, California. 

What Is Their Current Relationship Status?

Regrettably, the couple split in 1964. According to Harvin, the two originally had a calm marriage with regular & healthy s*xual connections.

As a result, Harvin thought that it was her husband’s famous position that had made things tough for her. As a result of his negligence as a husband and his s*xuality, Richard would declare that he wants to end the marriage relationship.

Since then, with a mutual consentment, they both decided to terminate their relationship,

and then remained close friends after their divorce.

The Influential Career Of Her Husband

As per Wikipedia, on December 5, 1932, her husband, Richard Wayne Penniman, was born in Macon, Georgia, United States, and passed away on May 9, 2020.

Richard Wayne Penniman, like Little Richard, was a musician, singer, and composer. As a result, Richard had a significant presence in popular music and culture for seven decades. 

Furthermore, his aggressive showmanship and dynamic melodies created the groundwork for rock and roll. He is considered one of the earliest crossover black stars, reaching audiences of all races.

Furthermore, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Bill Haley, and Jerry Lee Lewis all covered his songs. Similarly, he was elected into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2007. Richard also received a Rhapsody & Rhythm Award from the National Museum of African-American Music in 2015.

Her spouse, Little Richard, died on May 9, 2010, at the age of 87. 

Major Controversies 

In one of the interviews, Richard stated in 1984 that as a youngster, he used to play with girls and crack homos*xual jokes, for which he was criticized due to his walking and talking style. 

The report says that once, his father had beaten him brutally when he potted him wearing his mother’s cosmetics or attire.

As a youth, the singer admitted to having s*xual relationships with both sexes. When he was fifteen, his father booted him out of their family home due to his effeminate demeanor. 

Richard said on The South Bank Show in 1985, “My father kicked me out of the house. He stated he wanted seven boys, and I ruined everything by being homos*xual.” 

Throughout the span, he built some strange behaviors in himself; in his childhood, he got interested in voyeurism when a female acquaintance drove him about and picked up males who would enable him to watch them have sex in the backseat of automobiles.

Basically, Voyeurism is the s*xual interest or habit of watching other people participate in personal activities such as undressing, s*xual intercourse, or other actions that are typically considered private but not public.

How Did Her Husband Die?

Working too hard and burning the night oil has affected Richard’s bad health, and for several years, he had been in bad health, suffering from hip difficulties, a stroke, and a heart attack.

 Danny Penniman, Richard’s son, was the first to confirm his father’s death. “Little Richard passed away from lung cancer in Nashville,” which was officially announced by his agent Dick Alen.

Throughout the span, he had lived a successful life, and he took the startup with “Tutti Frutti” in 1956. Then Richard went on to have a string of unstoppable singles, including “Long Tall Sally” and “Rip It Up,” that same year, “Lucille” in 1957, and “Good Golly Miss Molly” in 1958, all propelled by his basic, thumping piano, gospel-influenced voice.

Ernestine Financial Assets & Net Worth

Ernestine is a quiet and secretive individual. Person or celebrity and therefore keeps her things private. She has an estimated net worth of around USD 40 thousand.

Currently, she is not active or accessible on any social media platforms. Ernestine Campbell always kept her distance from the public spotlight and the media. four hundred thousand

On the other hand, her ex-husband Little Richard’s net worth was $40 million, which he acquired from his career.

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