Rosetta Tharpe - Tumblr Posts

Forget women in music history who were the pioneers of rock'n'roll, Rosetta Tharpe.

Rosetta Tharpe was a pioneer of rock'n'roll. With her guitar playing and stage presence, she inspired many young men who shaped a new era of pop music in the 1950s. Despite this, the African-American musician is almost forgotten today.

In the 30s and 40s, the gospel singer with the electric guitar was a true rock star in the USA. Many of the young men who established the new style of music in the early 50s with throaty vocals, hard riffs and expressive body movements heard and admired her, explains Gayle Wald.

Courage in times of segregation

The American and English scholar published the biography "Shout Sister Shout" about Rosetta Tharpe in 2007. During segregation in the USA, the African-American woman showed courage, says Wald. For example, Rosetta Tharpe took the Jordenaires - a white vocal group - on tour as support.

"Rosetta Tharpe was clever in the way she tried to deal with segregation. The Jordenaires, for example, had to prove themselves to an African-American audience and live up to their expectations. In the 50s, she had a female singing group, The Rosettes, to accompany her. They were young women. Rosetta was in her mid-40s at the time and she made sure that these young women never had to present themselves in a patronising or stereotypical way on stage. For example, when appearing on American television, they were to stand in a backdrop with a hay cart like in the countryside and the women were to wear headscarves. For Rosetta Tharpe, this represented the stereotype of the black woman as a slave in the fields; it had nothing to do with emancipated, creative female artists. She rejected the headscarves for her singers and prevailed."

On stage with Little Richard

In his memoirs, Little names Richard Tharpe as one of his great musical role models. He met his idol at the age of 14. And Tharpe - impressed by the teenager's musical talent - invited him to come on stage at one of her concerts, says Wald:

"She got him on stage and paid him to perform. It meant a lot to him that he was recognised by someone like her and encouraged to carry on. And who knows, maybe they both saw each other as sexually transgressive performers. Even if Rosetta wasn't bisexual or had relationships with women. The fact that her guitar playing was perceived as masculine changed Rosetta's relationship to femininity from people's point of view. She was queer in many different ways for her audience."

Empty church and anonymous grave

On 9 October 1973, Rosetta Tharpe, aged just 58, died of a second stroke. She had previously had a leg amputated due to diabetes. The church was only half full at her funeral - and she was buried in an anonymous grave.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe (Manchester, 1964)

Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Meet Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the black woman who invented that rock and roll sound 

You know what’s sad, before I even read this article I was ready to refute this because I grew up believing Chuck Berry created Rock and roll. It’s said how so many knew of this great woman yet none spoke on her greatness.

I also discovered Big Mama Thornton, who’s another hugely influential early inventor of rock and roll — I’m pretty sure Hound Dog was originally popularized by her, before Elvis stole it.

Love Sister Rosetta Tharpe! #BlackGirlMagic

A few of her performances:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeaBNAXfHfQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9bX5mzdihs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR2gR6SZC2M

Also I heard she was bisexual…

Happy Black History Month!