Sister Rosetta Tharpe “The Godmother Of Rock and Roll.”
How A Black and Queer Woman Invented Rock And Roll
WATCH HERE: THE GODMOTHER OF ROCK N ROLL DOCUMENTARY
The origins of Rock and Roll have been debated for as long as the words have been connected. The inventors of a truly American contribution to world culture are the basis of countless documentaries, books and movies. The Godmother of Rock And Roll - Sister Rosetta Tharpe may very well answer that question or at least makes a strong case that you need look no further than the churches and nightclubs of the 1930’s and 40’s and Sister Rosetta.
Born on March 20th, 1915 in the small Arkansas town of Cotton Plant, Sister Rosetta was raised in the Pentecostal Church and also in a rare situation that allowed women to be leaders in the church. Encouraging dancing and singing as a way of praise. Her mother was an active member and encouraged Rosetta to also become active in music at a young age. As she became more known around the gospel circuits of the south, Rosetta’s guitar playing and singing could no longer be contained to the confines of gospel and the church.
By 1938, she had signed with Decca Records and became a gospel and pop sensation. Her recording of “Rock Me” and her growl of that four letter word may very well have been the moment that “rock and roll” broke free of Black churches and into the mainstream consciousness. All of this of course predates artists like Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley and Bill Haley by several years. Not a bad place to start when talking about where rock and roll originated.
This crossover, using gospel music but presenting it in a more secular and sultry way, was highly controversial. She performed and toured with The Jordanaires, an all white gospel group that sang Black spirituals and their testimony to her talent, along with their experience in all Black, segregated clubs was interesting to experience through their voices. Sister Rosetta also had what may be the first modern tour “sleeper bus” and often she would have to eat on the bus as restaurants were heavily segregated at the time.
She would go on to record many hits, get married and simultaneously have a concert in front of 25,000 fans at a baseball stadium, all while inspiring countless other artists. No doubt one of the most impactful moments of her career was in 1964 when The Blues and Gospel Caravan toured Europe. Across the Atlantic, a renewed interest in Black gospel and blues music brought about the tour and it was incredibly successful. It included Muddy Waters, Rev. Gary Davis and many other blues and gospel artists. The documentary includes some truly historical concert footage that was captured in Manchester, England at a train station. Many of the production and antics that now are commonplace all over and definitely with Phish. This footage gives us an iconic glimpse into Sister Rosetta’s look, performance and her otherworldly talent on guitar.
The Godmother of Rock And Roll - Sister Rosetta Tharpe dives into one of the most rebellious and influential lives of the 20th century and does a wonderful job of highlighting a complex woman living and performing in a time when women were expected to be anything but. It goes deep into her relationships, including her time with Marie Knight. They traveled the country together, a duo of Black performers who also happened to be lovers in a time when all of those things together were foreign and extremely dangerous. Navigating the world in this time period as a Queer and Black performer while bridging the gap between gospel and pop sensibilities is so momentous when thought about now it is a tragedy that the world doesn’t know more about this groundbreaking woman. That speaks to our mission here at PHRE. This happens far too often to people of color, the LGBTQ community and women in our culture. We feel we have a responsibility to reverse this trend and shine a light on these artists, and the structural discrimination that still pervades through our society!
Watching this documentary and hearing the voices of people who knew and performed with Sister Rosetta went a long way in helping us understand what she meant and the influence she had on not only the music of the time but also music of the now. The world is different and better because Sister Rosetta Tharpe decided to be a rebel. Her courage, talent and influence should never be forgotten. The Godmother of Rock and Roll - Sister Rosetta Tharpe does a fantastic job of making sure that does not happen.
