Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Sister Rosetta Tharpe born Rosetta Nubin March 20 1915 October 9 1973 was an American singer and guitarist She attained popularity in the 1930s and 1940s with her gospel recordings characterized by a unique mixture of spiritual lyrics and electric guitar that was extremely important to the origins of rock and roll She was the first great recording star of gospel music and among the first gospel musicians to appeal to rhythmandblues and rockandroll audiences later being referred to as the original soul sister and the Godmother of rock and roll She influenced early rockandroll musicians including Little Richard Johnny Cash Carl Perkins Chuck Berry Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis Tharpe was a pioneer in her guitar technique she was among the first popular recording artists to use heavy distortion on her electric guitar presaging the rise of electric blues Her guitar playing technique had a profound influence on the development of British blues in the 1960s in particular a European tour with Muddy Waters in 1964 with a stop in Manchester on 7 May is cited by prominent British guitarists such as Eric Clapton Jeff Beck and Keith Richards Willing to cross the line between sacred and secular by performing her music of light in the darkness of nightclubs and concert halls with big bands behind her Tharpe pushed spiritual music into the mainstream and helped pioneer the rise of popgospel beginning in 1938 with the recording Rock Me and with her 1939 hit This Train Her unique music left a lasting mark on more conventional gospel artists such as Ira Tucker Sr of the Dixie Hummingbirds While she offended some conservative churchgoers with her forays into the pop world she never left gospel music Tharpes 1944 release Down by the Riverside was selected for the National Recording Registry of the US Library of Congress in 2004 which noted that it captures her spirited guitar playing and unique vocal style demonstrating clearly her influence on early rhythmandblues performers and cited her influence on many gospel jazz and rock artists Down by the Riverside was recorded by Tharpe on December 2 1948 in New York City and issued as Decca single 48106 Her 1945 hit Strange Things Happening Every Day recorded in late 1944 featured Tharpes vocals and resonator guitar with Sammy Price piano bass and drums It was the first gospel record to cross over hitting no 2 on the Billboard race records chart the term then used for what later became the RB chart in April 1945 The recording has been cited as a precursor of rock and roll and alternatively has been called the first rock and roll record In May 2018 Tharpe was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an Early Influence Source Article Sister Rosetta Tharpe from Wikipedia in English licensed under CCBYSA 30