Sister Rosetta Tharpe – Your Gal Friday

Today we are talking about a gal who inspired Elvis, Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Bob Dylan. We’re talking about Gospel’s first superstar who shocked audiences with her electric guitar. Today we’re going to dig into the start of Rock and Roll and talk about the life and legacy of your gal, Sister Rosetta Tharpe.

Learn About Sister Rosetta in Less Than 2 Minutes

Full Episode

YouTube Version

Show Notes & Extra’s

• What Leah and Phoebe knew of Sister Rosetta before researching.
• A brief history of Rock n’ Roll. (Reference: Rock n’ Roll: The Early Days)
• The first Rock n’ Roll song? “Rocket 88” (1951), “The Fat Man” (1950), “That’s All” (1938), “This Train” 1939

• Where Sister Rosetta grew up and how she starting singing at age 4 in church.
• Sister Rosetta’s first marriage at age 19.
• Taking New York by storm with appearances at Carnegie Hall and the Cotton Club.

• Signed with Decca Records.
• First commercially successful gospel recording artist.
• 1940’s bus tour with the Dixie Hummingbirds and the Jordanaires. (Reference: Godmother of Rock n’ Roll: Sister Rosetta Tharpe)
• Sister Rosetta’s biggest hit “Strange Things Happen Everyday”

• Sister Rosetta teaming up with Marie Knight on stage and in a relationship.
• Publicity stunt marriage at a baseball stadium.
• 20 year tour in Europe. Her most infamous performance was at the train station in Manchester, England.

• After the death of her mother, Sister Rosetta also struggled with health problems.
• Sister Rosetta died October 9, 1973 at the age of 58.
• She was buried without a grave marker.
• Gayle F. Wald and her book Shout, Sister, Shout!  is the major champion of Sister Rosetta’s legacy.

• Sister Rosetta Tharpe was inducted in to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as an early influencer in 2018.
• What legacy did she leave behind?
• What can we learn from Sister Rosetta Tharpe?

Also In Our Gals Who Rock Series

• Joan Jett
• Tina Turner
• Prologue to Gals Who Rock

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