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Sixty years ago in New Orleans, a then-unknown singer was in a studio recording a series of ballads that did not impress producer Bumps Blackwell. 

The recording group took a break for lunch and headed across the street to the Dew Drop Inn. The singer took over a piano in the club and played a song that had been a crowd favorite in his live shows.

Blackwell felt the song had potential, but the lyrics were far too risque to be played on the radio. He asked a songwriter who was hanging around to come up with new lyrics. 

She did, and a few minutes later they recorded "Tutti Frutti" by Little Richard. It launched his career and is considered the prototype for the sound which became known as rock and roll.

Mojo magazine put it at the top of their list of Songs That Changed the World.

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It's been named among the songs that changed the world, but if it wasn't for a lunch break 60 years ago during a New Orleans recording session, Little Richard's 'Tutti Frutti' wouldn't have existed.

Today's Morning Edition music is from 60 years ago, when in New Orleans, a then unknown singer was in a studio recording a series of ballads that did not impress producer Bumps Blackwell. They took a break for lunch and headed across the street to the Dew Drop Inn. The singer took over a piano in the club and played a song that was a crowd favorite in his live shows. Blackwell felt that this song had potential, but the lyrics were far too risque to be played on the radio. He asked a songwriter who was hanging around to come up with new lyrics. She did and a few minutes later they recorded "Tutti Frutti" by Little Richard.  It launched his career and is considered the prototype for the sound which became known as rock and roll. Mojo magazine put it at the top of their list of Songs That Changed the World.

'Tutti Frutti': An accidental song that changed the world

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