Ava DuVernay shares sweet story about Little Richard

Richard Wayne Penniman (better known as Little Richard) was a very big tipper. In the wake of the legendary rock 'n' roll innovator’s passing over the weekend at the age of 87, we’re learning a whole lot more about the man, including little tidbits like this one from big names like Ava DuVernay.DuVernay, the director behind movies like A Wrinkle In Time and Selma, used to wait tables at a popular brunch spot in Los Angeles when she was in school. Little Richard was one of her regular customers and it turns out he made himself memorable for more than just being a mega-famous singer with hits like ‘Tutti Frutti,’ ‘Good Golly Miss Molly,’ and the theme song to The Magic School Bus. According to Ava, he was also an incredibly generous tipper.

I served soul food brunch to Little Richard every Sunday for a year while waitressing at Aunt Kizzy’s Back Porch in LA. I was a college student. 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. https://t.co/L0vo1tPdBv

— Ava DuVernay (@ava) May 9, 2020

Anyone who can cast their mind back to their penny-pinching college days probably remembers what it felt like to come by an extra $100—it's basically like winning the lottery—and DuVernay wasn’t alone in recognizing the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer for his kindness. Her followers piled on with stories of their own. “[Little Richard's] mom lived in the beautiful house above my neighborhood in the 80s... He took her for regular drives, up and down the neighborhood streets. I always waved at the old lady in the back of the Rolls. My landlord told me to look at the chauffeur,” replied one.[video_embed id='1956780']RELATED: Remembering the loss of three legends – one in comedy, one in music and one in magic[/video_embed]Little Richard spent his last years living with his brother in the music mecca of Nashville, but according to his log-time agent, Dick Alen, you would barely know he was sick for all that time. "He was battling [cancer] for a good while, many years,” he said. “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.'"His legacy, however, will be a topic of conversation for decades to come, as it should be.[video_embed id='1953262']BEFORE YOU GO: Meghan reads to Baby Archie in first birthday video[/video_embed]