Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a pioneering African American musician known for blending gospel music with electric guitar, creating a powerful and energetic style that influenced both gospel and rock ’n’ roll. Active mainly in the 1930s and 1940s, she was one of the first artists to popularize gospel music in a style that appealed to wider audiences, inspiring future stars like Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry. Tharpe’s virtuosic guitar playing and passionate singing made her a trailblazer in music history, bridging spiritual themes with mainstream appeal and leaving a lasting legacy in both gospel and popular music.