Sister Rosetta Tharpe was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist who became known as “The Godmother of rock & roll” from combining gospel, blues, and jazz with an electric guitar.
She began her musical pursuits in the church, experimenting with various music genres including rhythm, blues, and rock. She was very skilled at playing the electric guitar, asserting her mastery as the first female electric guitarist.
Musicians such as Elvis Presley, Eric Clapton, Chuck Berry, and Little Richard have cited her as an inspiration and influence of their music.
Early Life
Tharpe was born Rosie Etta Atkins in 1915 in Cotton Plant, Arkansas. Both of her parents were musicians, Katie Bell Nubin and Willis Atkins. Tharpe’s father was not present in her life, so her mom gave her the influence to become a performer.
Katie Bell was also a deaconess missionary and a women’s speaker for the Church of God in Christ, aside from her work of picking cotton. This made the church encourage rhythmic musical experimentation and allowed women, such as Sister Rosetta’s mother, Katie Bell Nubin, to preach and sing in church. Though shy, Tharpe was able to debut her skills in front of an audience starting at age four.
As her music career progressed, Tharpe wanted a life that provided a level of celebrity fitting of her talent. Tharpe did not feel her fame was in direct contradiction with her faith , but there were many conflicting opinions. Dabbling in jazz and blues was frowned upon by some in the Christian community as many felt it was inappropriate and unbecoming of a Christian woman. Tharpe’s exploration with these genres impacted her relationship with her mother, who held the same beliefs about jazz and blues as some Christians did. “
Can’t no man play like me. I play better than a man.
— Sister Rosetta Tharpe
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In 1935, age 19, Tharpe married Thomas Tharpe, a Church of God in Christ preacher. Her marriage with Thomas did not last but did allow her to grow in popularity because the pair performed radio shows where Thomas preached and Tharpe performed. By 1938, the couple divorced, with Tharpe now living in New York City.
Upon her move to New York City, opportunities skyrocketed. Her fame brought opportunities to perform at both the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theater in 1983. Notably, Tharpe was the first gospel soloist to play a gig at the Apollo. She toured with Millinder until 1943, recording various hits such as “The Lonesome Road,” “Down By the Riverside,” “Four or Five Times,” “Shout Sister Shout,” and “(I Want a) Tall Skinny Papa,” (womenshistory.org)
Importance
Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s contributions to the music industry helped lay the foundation of Rock & Roll. Her innovative style influenced major artists like Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry, shaping the sound of modern popular music. She also broke racial and gender barriers in the music industry, showing that Black women could be powerful, influential performers in mainstream culture.