Tharpe, Rosetta (1915-1973), popularly known as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, was an influential American gospel singer, composer, and guitarist. Gospel music is a type of American music drawn from Christian worship that was founded in African American religious communities. Tharpe was known for her spirited singing and fiery guitar playing. She has been called “the Godmother of Rock,” because of her pioneering rock ‘n’ roll style. Her music inspired many rock music performers, including Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Elvis Presley. See Gospel music .
Tharpe was born in Cotton Plant, Arkansas, on March 20, 1915, to Katie Harper and Willis Atkins. Harper later took the last name Nubin, and sometimes her daughter was called Rosetta Nubin. Rosetta began singing and playing guitar as a child. Her mother was an evangelist (preacher), singer, and mandolin player. In the 1920’s, Rosetta moved with her mother to Chicago. They performed regularly at their church and at services and gospel conventions throughout the country. In 1934, Rosetta married Thomas J. Tharpe, a preacher in the Pentecostal church.
In 1938, Rosetta Tharpe left her husband and moved with her mother to New York City. There, she began performing outside church settings for the first time, adding secular (nonreligious) music to her act. She appeared at such nightclubs as the Cotton Club in Harlem and signed a recording contract. These actions caused a great controversy among members of her church. In 1938, she recorded “Rock Me,” a version of “Hide Me in Thy Bosom,” by the gospel composer Thomas A. Dorsey. The song became a hit. Tharpe also had hits in the late 1930’s with “The Lonesome Road” and “This Train,” as well as her compositions “That’s All” and “My Man and I.”
From 1941 to 1943, Tharpe recorded, toured, and appeared in short films with the Lucky Millinder Orchestra, a popular swing band. Swing was a style of jazz that became popular in the 1930’s and 1940’s. The band had hits with “Shout Sister Shout,” “Trouble in Mind,” and the blues song “I Want a Tall Skinny Papa.”
Tharpe’s other gospel hits include “Strange Things Happening Every Day” and “Two Little Fishes and Five Loaves of Bread” (both 1944), “Didn’t It Rain” (1947), and “Up Above My Head” (1948).
In 1943, Tharpe divorced her first husband and married Foch P. Allen, a music promoter. She divorced Allen in 1947. In 1951, she married Russell Morrison. Tharpe died in Philadelphia on Oct. 9, 1973. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018 as a performer who had an early influence on rock music.
See also Dorsey, Thomas A. ; Gospel music ; Williams, Marion .
