Paul Littlechief
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Born Name:
Paul Kenyon Littlechief
Born Date: June 25, 1935
Born Place: Lawton, Oklahoma
Died Date: November 12, 1975
Died Place: Anadarko, Oklahoma
Occupations: Nightclub performer, comedian
Brief Biography: Paul Kenyon Littlechief was a pioneering Native American performer, recognized as one of the first to headline on the Las Vegas Strip. A Kiowa-Comanche performer, he blended music, comedy, and dance into a "lounge-friendly Red Power" act from the mid-1960s to the early 1970s.
Early Life and Musical Roots:
Heritage: Born to Tom Littlechief (Kiowa) and Mary Hummingbird. His lineage traced back to a great-grandfather who was a war chief killed by the U.S. Cavalry in 1874.
Musical Beginnings: He learned to play guitar and pedal steel during his teenage years and graduated from Lawton High School in 1953.
Early Career: After brief training as a butcher, he toured with a country band under the moniker "Chief Little Chief". In 1956, he relocated to Hollywood, shifted to a rockabilly style, and recorded tracks like Come On Darlin' for 4 Star Records.
The Move to Las Vegas and Comedy Peak:
By the 1960s, Littlechief moved away from standard musical acts to pioneer a unique blend of music, dance, and stand-up comedy. In 1964, he formed the group Paul Littlechief and the Uprising.
Lounge-Friendly Red Power: His act cleverly blended Native cultural themes with contemporary high-energy showmanship, a style later referred to by historians as "lounge-friendly Red Power".
Vegas Headliner: He found massive success on the Las Vegas circuit. By 1970, he was a prolific self-promoter, packing major rooms on the Las Vegas Strip for up to 35 to 40 weeks a year to standing-room-only (SRO) audiences.
Historical Impact: Littlechief's work challenged the heavy industry stereotypes of the era. His career and legacy are prominently chronicled in Kliph Nesteroff's acclaimed history of Indigenous comedy, We Had a Little Real Estate Problem.
Born Date: June 25, 1935
Born Place: Lawton, Oklahoma
Died Date: November 12, 1975
Died Place: Anadarko, Oklahoma
Occupations: Nightclub performer, comedian
Brief Biography: Paul Kenyon Littlechief was a pioneering Native American performer, recognized as one of the first to headline on the Las Vegas Strip. A Kiowa-Comanche performer, he blended music, comedy, and dance into a "lounge-friendly Red Power" act from the mid-1960s to the early 1970s.
Early Life and Musical Roots:
Heritage: Born to Tom Littlechief (Kiowa) and Mary Hummingbird. His lineage traced back to a great-grandfather who was a war chief killed by the U.S. Cavalry in 1874.
Musical Beginnings: He learned to play guitar and pedal steel during his teenage years and graduated from Lawton High School in 1953.
Early Career: After brief training as a butcher, he toured with a country band under the moniker "Chief Little Chief". In 1956, he relocated to Hollywood, shifted to a rockabilly style, and recorded tracks like Come On Darlin' for 4 Star Records.
The Move to Las Vegas and Comedy Peak:
By the 1960s, Littlechief moved away from standard musical acts to pioneer a unique blend of music, dance, and stand-up comedy. In 1964, he formed the group Paul Littlechief and the Uprising.
Lounge-Friendly Red Power: His act cleverly blended Native cultural themes with contemporary high-energy showmanship, a style later referred to by historians as "lounge-friendly Red Power".
Vegas Headliner: He found massive success on the Las Vegas circuit. By 1970, he was a prolific self-promoter, packing major rooms on the Las Vegas Strip for up to 35 to 40 weeks a year to standing-room-only (SRO) audiences.
Historical Impact: Littlechief's work challenged the heavy industry stereotypes of the era. His career and legacy are prominently chronicled in Kliph Nesteroff's acclaimed history of Indigenous comedy, We Had a Little Real Estate Problem.