The Women That Shaped Music Series: Sister Rosetta Tharpe

"The guitar-playing, gospel-singing sensation paved the way for Elvis, and influenced everyone from Miranda Lambert to Bob Dylan"- Rolling Stone.

Happy Women's History Month! What would music be like without the contributions of innovative women? That's the question that led me to create this weekly series: "The Women Who Shaped Music."

I'm delighted to be discussing the Godmother of Rock N' Roll this week! Think of your favorite Elvis songs, maybe "Hound Dog" or "Blue Suede Shoes"? They may have never existed without the influence of Sister Rosetta Tharpe. He was a huge fan of her singing but more so of her unique way of playing the electric guitar, dubbed "pickin".

A souvenir program from one of Sister Tharpe's concerts in England.

Born in 1915 in Cotton Plant, Arkansas, she began playing guitar at the age of 4! Her musical journey began in church, but she soon found that jazz and blues were not widely accepted music styles within her religious community. Yet, in 1935, she married Thomas Tharpe, a progressive preacher who performed at radio shows with her and helped promote her music: a fusion of gospel, blues, and jazz that ultimately was acknowledged as Rock N' Roll. Her music was able to reach new audiences and even took her to places that were staunchly segregated at the time. She toured with the Jordainaries, an all-White male group, and was still subject to the unfair and degrading segregation of the Jim Crow era. Still, she remained a passionate, electrifyingly intense, and show-stopping performer.

Sister Tharpe with a group of children from the Tiger Bay area of Cardiff in 1957.

Bob Dylan described her wonderfully when he said, “She was a big, good-lookin woman, and divine, not to mention sublime and splendid. She was a powerful force of nature. A guitar-playin’, singin’ evangelist.” She knew the power of her voice, her guitar playing, her music, and her influence, which went on to shape some of the most iconic musicians and genres of all time. Give her music a listen and watch some of her performances, and you'll understand why history will never forget Sister Rosetta Tharpe.