‘Helped me so much’ – Ava DuVernay says Little Richard tipped her $100 a week when she was a waitress

As tributes continue to pour in for rock and roll pioneer Little Richard who passed away on Saturday, filmmaker Ava DuVernay has revealed how the late iconic singer showed her so much kindness when she was working as a waitress in Los Angeles.

DuVernay, who studied for a double major in English Literature and African-American Studies at the University of California, said the singer tipped her $100 each week he showed up to eat at the restaurant she worked at as a student.

“I served soul food brunch to Little Richard every Sunday for a year while waitressing at Aunt Kizzy’s Back Porch in LA,” the 47-year-old When They See Us creator wrote on Twitter.

“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.”

The director is just one of many celebrities sharing sweet stories of Little Richard, who died from bone cancer in Nashville at the age of 87.

Actress Viola Davis called Little Richard the innovator.

“The Originator. The innovator. The musician, performer who influenced generations of artists….has left,” Davis tweeted. “You were AWESOME #LittleRichard!!! Your talent will reverberate forever. Well done sir. Rest well.”

Singer Tevin Campbell also shared his story.

“I met Little Richard when I was 13 or 14 at Aunt Kizzy’s in Marina Del Ray,” Campbell wrote on Twitter. “The advice he gave me is invaluable. He was such a class act and I will never forget the time I sat at his table and he talked to me like I was his little bro. RIP Little Richard.”

Born Richard Wayne Penniman in Macon, Georgia, in 1932, Little Richard is fondly remembered for his immense influence in bringing the rock and roll genre to the limelight in the 1950s.

Known for his very conspicuous, flamboyant and feminine dressing, his hits include “Tutti Frutti,” “Long Tall Sally” and “Good Golly, Miss Molly.” The talented singer was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.