Tharpe, Sister Rosetta
1915–1973 · Contribution: 1930s–1973
Singer, songwriter, guitarist
Electric-guitar pioneer who fused gospel, blues, and driving rhythm and helped establish the musical foundations of rock and roll
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Quick facts
- Born
- 1915, Cotton Plant, Arkansas
- Active since
- 1930s
- Category
- Arts, Music & Entertainment Tech
- Best known for
- Electric-guitar pioneerMusical foundation of rock and rollGodmother of Rock and Roll
Impact on the world
Tharpe helped create the musical vocabulary that became rock and roll, demonstrating key elements of rock guitar within Black gospel music before the genre received its commercial name.
An alternative history
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Sources
- Exact sourceOpen
Smithsonian Music: Sister Rosetta Tharpe
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