Doc: Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

I can think of only one artist who stands at the junction of jazz, gospel, R&B and rock 'n' roll, and that would be Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Louis Jordan certainly would come close, but I give Tharpe the edge because of her gospel roots and her pioneering attack on the electric guitar, which begins to eclipse the saxophone as a lead instrument starting in 1955.

Tharpe's records in the 1940s and early 1950s had a profound influence on leading rock 'n' roll guitarists like Chuck Berry while her singing deeply swayed soul and R&B singers from the same period. Tharpe died in 1973 at age 58. Here's a BBC documentary on Tharpe that will tell you all you need to know...

Here's Part 1...

Here's Part 2...

Here's Part 3...

And here's Part 4...

Used with permission by Marc Myers