The rock and roll legend died on May 9 following a battle with bone cancer. He was 87.
The "Good Golly Miss Molly" singer's agent of 40 years, Dick Alen, confirmed the musician's death to PEOPLE.
"Little Richard passed away this morning from bone cancer in Nashville. He was living with his brother in Nashville," Alen said. "He was battling for a good while, many years. I last spoke to him about two or three weeks ago. I knew he wasn’t well but he never really got into it, he just would say 'I’m not well.' He’s been suffering for many years with various aches and pains. He just wouldn’t talk about it much.”
Born Richard Wayne Penniman, the musician rose to fame in the 1950s thanks to his energized performances behind the piano and embrace of androgyny, setting the stage for many performers who came after him.