She Went From Church Sister To Rock n Roll Hall Of Famer

She laid her head on the bus seat, hoping to get a decent night’s rest before her next box office performance. Her white co-performers slept in hotels, but segregation in the 1940s forced her onto tour buses. But this didn’t faze the Godmother of Rock n Roll, she was no stranger to isolation.

Growing up a church sister, Rosetta Tharpe excelled as a gospel singer in her younger adult years. But when she embraced her queer sexuality and introduced guitar-driven performances in the 1930s, it shook the gospel community she was raised in, leaving her an outsider.

Tharpe just kept on rolling. She became a rockstar after blending gospel and blues with her signature electric guitar. Her fanbase grew so much that in 1951, over 19,000 people bought tickets to her wedding in a Washington, D.C. ballpark.

Star musicians like Chuck Berry and Little Richard were in awe of Tharpe. Dozens of rock 'n'roll musicians credit her with inspiring their music and helping shape an entire genre. Nobody was doing what she was doing.

Despite the critics from her church community, Sister Rosetta Tharpe shredded norms and inspired waves of people to express themselves boldly. We don’t need a guitar for our voices to be heard, though - together, we can harmonize for Black liberation.