Little Richard will headline this year’s Avila Beach Blues Festival set for Sunday, May 25, said a spokesman for Otter Productions, which produces the annual outdoor concert.

Elvin Bishop and Canned Heat are also on the bill for the performance on the grass at San Luis Bay Resort.

Little Richard exploded into the American consciousness in the mid-’50s with his “awop-bop-a-loo-mop-alop-bam-boom,” laying the musical foundation for rock ’n’ roll, the spokesman said.

Born and raised in Macon, Ga., Richard Wayne Penniman began singing in his local church choir while still a youngster. He signed with RCA Records in 1951 after winning a talent contest and released two singles — neither of which received prominent notice.

Returning to his job washing dishes in a Greyhound bus station, he sent a demo to Specialty Records, a fledgling Los Angeles label. The song, “Tutti Frutti,” was led to an uninterrupted run of smash hits, including “Long Tall Sally,” “Rip It Up,” “Lucille,” “Jenny, Jenny,” “Keep A Knockin’” and “Good Golly, Miss Molly.”

By 1968, Little Richard had sold more than 32 million records internationally.

Following a self-imposed hiatus, he returned to the spotlight in 1985 to score rave reviews for his appearance in the 1985 box office smash “Down and Out in Beverly Hills,” a film which also launched his hit single “Great Gosh A Mighty.”

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He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. His songs were used on “Martin,” “Full House” and “Miami Vice,” and he performed a duet with Philip Bailey for the Universal Pictures, hit “Twins.”

TO SEE THE SHOW:

n Little Richard, Elvin Bishop and Canned Heat will perform at the 15th annual Avila Beach Blues Festival on Sunday, May 25, at Avila Beach Resort.

n Gates will open at noon, with the show starting at 2 p.m. Both general lawn and reserved theater-style and table seating are available.

n Tickets will go on sale at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 5, at all VALLITIX outlets, including Boo Boo Records in San Luis Obispo and the Mustang Ticket Office at Cal Poly; online at www.vallitix.com; and by phone at (888) 825-5484.

n Children under age 7 will be admitted free in the lawn seating area if accompanied by a paid adult.

n A full bar and snacks will be available for purchase. No outside food and drinks and no pets will be allowed.

n For more information, visit www.otterproductionsinc.com.

He also performed on the CBS Records all-star benefit album and Showtime/PBS documentary special of “A Vision Shared — A Tribute to Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly.”

His performance of a rock ’n’ roll version of the children’s tune, “Itsy Bitsy Spider” was a stand-out track on the star-studded Disney Records’ benefit album “For Our Children” that earned millions for the Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

Disney followed up with “Shake It All About,” an entire album of children’s songs redone by Little Richard.

He was honored with a star on the world-renowned Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1990 and soon returned to his hometown of Macon for the unveiling of Little Richard Penniman Boulevard.

In 1993, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. He also performed for rock ’n’ roll fans Bill Clinton and Al Gore at the inaugural gala.

In 1994, Richard received the Rhythm & Blues Foundation’s prestigious Pioneer Award. Most recently, he was presented with the prestigious Award of Merit by the 1997 American Music Awards in recognition of his contributions to and influence on the music world.