Sister Rosetta Tharpe - Wikipedia

Sister Rosetta Tharpe - Wikipedia
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
American gospel and rock musician (1915–1973)
"Sister Rosetta" redirects here. For the song by Noisettes, see
What's the Time Mr Wolf? (album)
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Tharpe in 1938
Background information
Born
Rosetta Nubin
(or Rosether Atkins)
1915-03-20
March 20, 1915
Cotton Plant, Arkansas
, U.S.
Died
October 9, 1973
(1973-10-09)
(aged 58)
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania
, U.S.
Genres
Blues
gospel
rhythm and blues
jazz
rock and roll
Occupations
Singer
songwriter
Instruments
Vocals
guitar
piano
Years active
1919–1973
Musical artist
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
(born
Rosetta Nubin
, March 20, 1915 – October 9, 1973)
was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She gained popularity in the 1930s and 1940s with her
Gospel
recordings, characterized by a unique mixture of spiritual lyrics and
electric guitar
. She was rooted in a pentecostal church and became the first great recording star of gospel music, and was among the first gospel musicians to appeal to
rhythm and blues
and
rock and roll
audiences, later being referred to as "the original soul sister" and "the
Godmother of Rock and Roll
".
She influenced early rock-and-roll musicians, including
Tina Turner
Little Richard
Chuck Berry
Johnny Cash
Carl Perkins
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, opening the way to the rise of
electric blues
. Her guitar-playing technique had a profound influence on the development of
British blues
in the 1960s. Her European tour with
Muddy Waters
in 1964, with a stop in
Manchester
on May 7, is cited by 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 pop-gospel, 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
10
While controversial among conservative religious groups due to her forays into the
pop world
, she never left gospel music.
10
Tharpe's 1944 release "
Down by the Riverside
" was selected for the
National Recording Registry
of the
U.S. Library of Congress
in 2004, which noted that it "captures her spirited guitar playing and unique vocal style, demonstrating clearly her influence on early rhythm-and-blues performers" and cited her influence on "many gospel,
jazz
, and
rock
artists".
11
("Down by the Riverside" was recorded by Tharpe on December 2, 1948, in New York City, and issued as Decca single 48106.
12
) Her 1945 hit "
Strange Things Happening Every Day
", recorded in late 1944, featured Tharpe's vocals and
electric 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
R&B chart
, in April 1945.
13
The recording has been cited as a precursor of rock and roll, and alternatively has been called the
first rock and roll record
14
In May 2018, Tharpe was posthumously inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
as an Early Influence.
15
Childhood
edit
Tharpe was born on March 20, 1915, as Rosetta Nubin in
Cotton Plant, Arkansas
, to Katie Bell Nubin and Willis Atkins, who were
cotton pickers
. However, researchers Bob Eagle and Eric LeBlanc give her birth name as Rosether Atkins (or Atkinson), her mother's name being Katie Harper.
16
Little is known of her father except that he was a singer. Tharpe's mother Katie was also a singer and a
mandolin
player, deaconess-missionary, and women's speaker for the
Church of God in Christ
(COGIC), which was founded in 1897 by
Charles Harrison Mason
, a black
Pentecostal
bishop, who encouraged rhythmic musical expression, dancing in praise and allowing women to sing and teach in church. Encouraged by her mother, Tharpe began singing and playing the guitar as Little Rosetta Nubin at the age of six and was cited as a musical prodigy.
17
About 1921, at age six, Tharpe had joined her mother as a regular performer in a traveling evangelical troupe. Billed as a "singing and guitar playing miracle", she accompanied her mother in performances that were part sermon and part gospel concert before audiences across the American South.
17
In the mid-1920s, Tharpe and her mother settled in
Chicago, Illinois
, where they performed religious concerts at the Roberts Temple COGIC on 40th Street, occasionally traveling to perform at church conventions throughout the country. Tharpe developed considerable fame as a musical prodigy, standing out in an era when prominent black female guitarists were rare.
18
Marriage and stage name
edit
In 1934, at age 19, she married Thomas Thorpe, a COGIC preacher, who accompanied her mother and her on many of their tours. The marriage lasted only a few years, but she decided to adopt a version of her husband's surname as her stage name, Sister Rosetta Tharpe.
17
In 1938, she left her husband and moved with her mother to New York City. Although she married several times, she performed as Rosetta Tharpe for the rest of her life.
Career
edit
Early career
edit
Tharpe posed with a guitar in 1938.
On October 31, 1938, aged 23, Tharpe recorded for the first time – four sides for
Decca Records
19
The first gospel songs recorded by Decca, "Rock Me", "
That's All
", "My Man and I", and "
The Lonesome Road
", were instant hits, establishing Tharpe as an overnight sensation and one of the first commercially successful gospel recording artists.
17
"Rock Me" influenced many rock-and-roll singers, such as
Elvis Presley
Little Richard
, and
Jerry Lee Lewis
. In 1942, music critic
Maurie Orodenker
, describing Tharpe's "Rock Me", wrote, "It's Sister Rosetta Tharpe for the rock and roll spiritual singing."
20
21
She had signed a 10-year contract with Lucky Millinder. Tharpe officially joined Millinder's swing band in 1941 and continued touring with the band throughout the 1940s.
22
Her records caused an immediate furor; many churchgoers were shocked by the mixture of gospel-based lyrics and secular-sounding music, but secular audiences loved them. Tharpe played on several occasions with the white singing group
the Jordanaires
Tharpe's appearances with
Cab Calloway
at
Harlem
's
Cotton Club
in October 1938 and in
John Hammond
's "Spirituals to Swing" concert at Carnegie Hall on December 23, 1938, gained her more fame, along with notoriety.
23
Performing gospel music for secular nightclub audiences and alongside blues and jazz musicians and dancers was unusual, and in conservative religious circles, a woman playing the guitar in such settings was frowned upon. Tharpe fell out of favor with segments of the gospel community.
17
By 1943, she considered rebuilding a strictly gospel act, but she was contractually required to perform more worldly material.
24
Her nightclub performances, in which she would sometimes sing gospel songs amid scantily clad showgirls, caused her to be shunned by some in the gospel community. During this time, masculinity was directly linked to guitar skills. Tharpe was often offered the intended compliment that she could "play like a man", demonstrating her skills at guitar battles at the
Apollo
25
Tharpe continued recording during
World War II
, one of only two gospel artists able to record
V-discs
for troops overseas.
Her song "
Strange Things Happening Every Day
", recorded in 1944 with
Sammy Price
, Decca's house
boogie woogie
pianist, showcased her virtuosity as a guitarist and her witty lyrics and delivery. It was the first gospel song to appear on the
Billboard
magazine
Harlem Hit Parade
. This 1944 record has been called the
first rock and roll record
14
Tharpe toured throughout the 1940s, backed by various gospel quartets, including
the Dixie Hummingbirds
In 1946, Tharpe saw
Marie Knight
perform at a
Mahalia Jackson
concert in New York City. Tharpe recognized a special talent in Knight. Two weeks later, Tharpe showed up at Knight's doorstep, inviting her to go on the road. They toured the gospel circuit for a number of years, during which they recorded hits such as "
Up Above My Head
" and "Gospel Train".
26
According to Tharpe's biographer
Gayle Wald
, she and Knight were also rumoured to be lovers.
27
28
Later career
edit
Starting in 1949, their popularity took a sudden downturn and their relationship started to fade.
27
Mahalia Jackson was starting to eclipse Tharpe in popularity, and Knight harbored a desire to break free as a solo act into popular music. Furthermore, around this time, Knight lost her children and mother in a house fire.
29
That same year, to commemorate Tharpe's first anniversary of being a homeowner in Richmond, Virginia, Tharpe put on a concert at what is now the
Altria Theater
. Supporting her for that concert were the Twilight Singers, whom Rosetta adopted as her background singers for future concerts, renaming them the Rosettes.
30
Tharpe attracted 25,000 paying customers to her wedding to her manager, Russell Morrison (her third marriage), followed by a vocal performance at
Griffith Stadium
in
Washington, DC
, in 1951. In 1952, Tharpe and
Red Foley
recorded the B-side "Have a Little Talk with Jesus", which is likely the first interracial duet recorded in the US.
31
Only in 1968 did
Billy Vera
and
Judy Clay
have a hit as an interracial duet, "Storybook Children".
31
In 1956, Tharpe recorded an album with the gospel quartet
the Harmonizing Four
, titled
Gospel Train
. In 1957, Tharpe was booked for a month-long tour of the UK by British trombonist
Chris Barber
1964 European tour
edit
Tharpe performing at the 1964 Helsinki Jazz Festival
In April and May 1964, Tharpe toured Europe as part of the Blues and Gospel Caravan, alongside Muddy Waters and
Otis Spann
Ransom Knowling
, and Little Willie Smith,
Reverend Gary Davis
Cousin Joe
Sonny Terry
, and
Brownie McGhee
. Tharpe was introduced on stage and accompanied on piano by Cousin Joe.
32
Under the auspices of
George Wein
, the Caravan was stage-managed by
Joe Boyd
33
A concert, in the rain, was recorded by
Granada Television
at the disused railway station at
Wilbraham Road
Manchester
, in May 1964. The band performed on one platform, while the audience was seated on the opposite platform.
34
According to Chris Lee of the University of Salford, the 1964 Manchester show "influenced nearly everyone who saw it".
Later life and death
edit
Tharpe's biographer said in 2018, "she influenced Elvis Presley, she influenced Johnny Cash, she influenced Little Richard". When asked about her music and about rock and roll, Tharpe is reported to have said, "Oh, these kids and rock and roll — this is just sped up rhythm and blues. I've been doing that forever".
15
Tharpe's performances were curtailed by a
stroke
in 1970, after which one of her legs was amputated as a result of complications from
diabetes
35
On October 9, 1973, the eve of a scheduled recording session, she died in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, as a result of another stroke. She was buried at
Northwood Cemetery
in Philadelphia.
36
37
Musical influence
edit
Tharpe's guitar style blended melody-driven urban blues with traditional folk arrangements and incorporated a pulsating swing that was a precursor of
rock and roll
17
38
National Public Radio
article commented in 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",
39
Little Richard referred to her as his favorite singer when he was a child. In 1947, she heard Richard sing before her concert at the Macon City Auditorium and later invited him on stage to sing with her; it was Richard's first public performance outside of the church. Following the show, she paid him for his performance, which inspired him to become a performer.
40
When Johnny Cash gave his induction speech at the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, he referred to Tharpe as his favorite singer when he was a child. His daughter
Rosanne Cash
stated in an interview with
Larry King
that Tharpe was her father's favorite singer. Tharpe began recording with electric guitar in the 1940s, with "That's All", which has been cited as an influence on Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley.
17
Other musicians, including
Aretha Franklin
Jerry Lee Lewis
and
Isaac Hayes
, have identified her singing, guitar playing, and showmanship as an important influence on them. She was held in particularly high esteem by UK blues/jazz singer
George Melly
Tina Turner
credits Tharpe, along with Mahalia Jackson, as an early musical influence. Such diverse performers as
Meat Loaf
Neil Sedaka
, and
Karen Carpenter
have attested to the influence of Tharpe in the rhythmic energy she emanated in her performances (Carpenter's drum fills are especially reminiscent of Tharpe's "Chorlton Chug").
41
According to a
PBS
article, Elvis was influenced by five artists, including Sister Rosetta Tharpe. “She had a major impact ... when you see Elvis Presley singing songs early in his career, I think you [should] imagine, he is channeling Rosetta Tharpe."
42
In 2018, singer
Frank Turner
wrote and performed the song "Sister Rosetta" about her influence and how she deserved to be in the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
. The single was released on July 3, 2019.
43
According to Cleveland.com, Tharpe "plugged into an electric guitar in the late 1930s and became a rock star before the men considered the pioneers of rock and roll had dreamt of doing so. She's the "Godmother of rock and roll" who influenced every musician traditionally identified with helping launch the genre during the 1950s".
44
Awards and legacy
edit
A resurgence of interest in Tharpe's work led to a biography, several
NPR
segments, scholarly articles, and honors. A biography titled
Shout, Sister, Shout!
by
Gayle F. Wald
was published in 2007.
45
The
United States Postal Service
issued a 32-cent commemorative stamp to honor Tharpe on July 15, 1998.
46
In 2007, she was inducted posthumously into the
Blues Hall of Fame
. In 2008, a concert was held to raise funds for a marker for her grave, and January 11 was declared Sister Rosetta Tharpe Day in Pennsylvania.
47
A gravestone was put in place later that year,
48
and a Pennsylvania
historical marker
was approved for placement at her home in the
Yorktown
neighborhood of Philadelphia.
48
In 2011,
BBC Four
aired a one-hour documentary,
Sister Rosetta Tharpe: The Godmother of Rock and Roll
, written and directed by UK filmmaker Mick Csaky. In 2013, the film was shown in the US as part of the
PBS
series
American Masters
49
The film has been aired numerous times in the UK and US, most recently in March 2015 to mark the 100th anniversary of Tharpe's birth. On March 20, 2015, UK newspaper
The Guardian
published a 100th-birthday tribute by Richard Williams.
50
Between August and October 2016, the musical play
Marie and Rosetta
, based on the relationship between Tharpe and Marie Knight, was staged by the
Atlantic Theater Company
in New York City.
51
On October 5, 2017, Tharpe was listed as a nominee for the 2018 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions. On December 13, 2017, she was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an Early Influence.
52
In 2017, National Public Radio wrote about the artist's career and concluded with these comments: Tharpe "was a gospel singer at heart who became a celebrity by forging a new path musically... Through her unforgettable voice and gospel swing crossover style, Tharpe influenced a generation of musicians including Aretha Franklin, Chuck Berry and countless others... She was, and is, an unmatched artist."
39
A musical about her life named
Shout, Sister, Shout!
, based on the
Gayle Wald
biography of the same name, and written in 2017 by playwright
Cheryl West
, was performed that year at the
Pasadena Playhouse
, two years later at
Seattle Repertory Theatre
, and in 2023 at
Ford's Theatre
in Washington, DC.
53
Between May and July 2025, the musical production
Marie and Rosetta
about Tharpe and her singing partner Marie Knight, written by
George Brant
and originally staged by the Atlantic Theater Company at the Linda Gross Theater between August and October 2016,
51
was staged at the
Rose Theatre
in
Kingston upon Thames
54
and the
Minerva Theatre
in
Chichester
55
with
Beverley Knight
portraying Tharpe.
Rolling Stone
named Tharpe the sixth-greatest guitarist of all time in 2023.
56
In March 2025,
Lizzo
was announced as set to portray Sister Rosetta in the upcoming biopic by
Amazon MGM Studios
57
In September 2025, Tharpe was selected for induction into the
National Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame
58
Legacy preservation by family
edit
Rosetta Tharpe's legacy continues to be actively preserved by her great-niece, TeAnna Atkins, an educator, writer, and historian. Based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Atkins has developed educational curricula, media projects, and public programs to honor Tharpe's groundbreaking contributions to gospel and rock and roll music. She manages the official family platforms, including
sisterrosettafamily.com
, and collaborates with cultural institutions, theaters, and museums to promote Tharpe's influence on music history. Through her work, Atkins amplifies Tharpe's role as a pioneering artist and ensures that her contributions remain recognized across generations.
59
Discography
edit
Albums
edit
The Lonesome Road
(Decca, 1941)
Gospel Hymns
(Decca, 1944)
Gospel Songs
(Decca, 1947)
Blessed Assurance
(Decca, 1951)
Gospel Train
(Mercury, 1956)
The Gospel Truth
(Mercury, 1959)
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
(MGM, 1960)
Spirituals in Rhythm
(Promenade, 1960)
Sister on Tour
(Verve, 1961)
The Gospel Truth
(Verve, 1962)
Precious Memories
(Savoy, 1968)
Gospel Keepsakes
(MCA, 1983)
Live in 1960
(Southland, 1991)
Live at the Hot Club de France
(BMG/Milan, 1991)
Live In France: The 1966 Concert In Limoges
(2024)
Her complete works up to 1961 were issued as seven double-CD box sets by the French label Frémeaux & Associés.
60
Charted singles
edit
Year
Single
Chart Positions
US
R&B
13
1945
Strange Things Happening Every Day
1948
Precious Memories
13
Up Above My Head, I Hear Music in the Air
1949
Silent Night (Christmas Hymn)
References
edit
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edit
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. Beacon Press.
ISBN
978-0-8070-0984-0
White, Charles (2003).
The Life and Times of Little Richard: The Authorised Biography
. Omnibus Press. p. 17.
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