Rock ‘n’ roll’s godmother
I been binge-in’ on Sister Rosetta Tharpe lately … this lady was rock ’n’ roll before there was rock ’n’ roll … a beautiful, confident black woman standing there, holdin’ her guitar like a rock star and singin’ the truth … mixin’ gospel and blues … I love the way she’d sing a lyric, play a lick, sing a lyric, play a lick …
I mean, Keith Richards stole from Chuck Berry, but man, did Chuck steal from Sister Tharpe … her playing even sounds “thin” and “tinny” the way Chuck’s did …
She’s an Arkansas native born in 1915 … her mom was a preacher who played mandolin … as a girl, little Rosetta plucked guitar and sang in church (no surprise there), and then on stage with her mom … they performed and traveled … in ’38, Sister Tharpe signed with Decca Records and recorded four hits: “Rock Me,” “That’s All,” “The Man and I” and “The Lonesome Road” … they out here sayin’ she liked the ladies on the down-low … Little Richard got his holler, not to mention an early break, from Sister Rosetta Tharpe … she died in Philly in ’73 … I’ve got a lot to learn about this lady …
Here are some songs I’ve been diggin’ …
Rock on, Sister …
