Writer: Helena San Roque
Getty Images
Before Chuck Berry or Jimi Hendrix, there was sister Rosetta Tharpe—one of the earliest pioneers of Rock and Roll. On March 20, 1910, in Arkansas, Tharpe, who's birth name was Rosetta Nubin, was born to cotton pickers—Katie Bell, her mother, and Will Atkins, her father.
She learned guitar at the age of 4 and traveled with her mother in an evangelical singing troupe and quickly became known for her musical talent. In the 1930s, she moved to New York and found fame while playing nightclubs. She died at the age of 58 in 1973.
As a Black, female guitarist Tharpe was a rare sight in the 1930s and influenced the likes of Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, and other "Guitar Gods" of her era. Some of her most famous songs include "That's All" and "Strange Things Happen Everyday. " Her lyrics were also known for touching on religious and secular ideas.
There were also rumors of her being queer—as some sources saw her in bed with other women.
Unfortunately, female guitar players, especially those of color, at the time, and some may argue, even now, weren't taken as seriously as their male counterparts. If you don't take my word for it—name a famous male guitarist and maybe someone like Hendrix, Van Halen or "Slash" will come to mind.
If I ask you to name a famous female guitarist—it might take you a while.
Her presence throughout history wasn't largely discussed until recently. A Rolling Stone article titled "Why Rosetta Tharpe Belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" in 2017 details her legacy—which was brushed under the names of other popular male guitarists from that time.
If Rosetta Tharpe 's sound influenced artists from Elvis Presley to Bob Dylan, then why isn't there more people taking about her? This, unfortunately, has to do with racism, sexism, and homophobia, which for the longest time, has been rampant in the music industry.
Luckily, videos of her performances have popped up on Youtube—along with many videos of people documenting her legacy.
In 2018, Tharpe was post-humously inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which is further detailed in this NPR article , and, in recent years, more women and people of color have been picking up the electric guitar, but it makes you wonder how many other talented female guitarists and musicians were forgotten in the shadows of history.
Despite this, we still have an opportunity to learn from the past, so we can appreciate the talent we have today.
Here is a video that further details her story:
Comments