Trailblazing Woman: Sister Rosetta Tharpe

SISTER ROSETTA THARPE (1915-1973)

Sister Rosetta Tharpe was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She is often referred to as the “original soul sister” and “the godmother of rock and roll”.  

Tharpe was born in Cotton Plant, Arkansas in 1915. She began singing and playing the guitar at age 4 and was hailed as a musical prodigy, traveling the country with her mother by age 6 as part of a traveling evangelical troupe. 

Tharpe began her recording career in 1938 at the age of 23 and was one of the first commercially successful gospel recording artists. Her style of music, while popular with secular audiences, was often looked down upon the Christian community, as many “felt it was inappropriate and unbecoming of a Christian woman.”

Tharpe continued to record music, perform, and travel throughout the US and abroad for several decades until 1970, when she returned to the US. She died 3 years later, at the age of 58, from a stroke.

Tharpe, while historically overlooked in rock n’ roll history, has been rightfully celebrated in recent years for her ability to transcend genres and break every norm. She forged a new party musically and inspired generations of musicians, including Aretha Franklin, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, and more. 

To quote an NPR article from 2017, “Rock ‘n’ roll was bred between the church and the nightclubs in the soul of a queer black woman in the 1940s named Sister Rosetta Tharpe”

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An illustration of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, The Godmother of Rock n’ Roll

Where to purchase this original art print:

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