Why is Sister Rosetta Tharpe called the 'Godmother of Rock and Roll'?

Sister Rosetta Tharpe (1915–1973) pioneered the distorted, amplified guitar style and the performance intensity that defined rock and roll before the genre had a name. She played electric guitar with the aggression and showmanship that later artists like Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Little Richard, and Johnny Cash would make famous — all of whom cited her as a direct influence. She was largely erased from the rock and roll origin story because she was a Black woman working in gospel music.

What guitar did Sister Rosetta Tharpe play?

Sister Rosetta Tharpe played a Gibson SG Custom, typically in white. She was one of the first musicians of any genre to weaponise electric guitar distortion as an expressive tool, decades before it became standard in rock music. Her 1964 performance at the Chorlton railway station in Manchester, filmed for British television, is considered one of the definitive documents of electric guitar playing in the 20th century.

What songs did Sister Rosetta Tharpe record?

Tharpe's most celebrated recordings include 'Strange Things Happening Every Day' (1944), 'Up Above My Head', 'This Train', 'Didn't It Rain', and 'Rock Me'. 'Strange Things Happening Every Day' is widely considered the first rock and roll record, predating both the term and the artists who would later define the genre.

She Was There First

Genre: gospel, rock and roll, blues, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, 1940s, 1950s

February 22, 2026

A six-year-old girl from Arkansas invented rock and roll — and the genre took 45 years to almost say so

Tracks

1. Strange Things Happening Every Day — Sister Rosetta Tharpe
2. Up Above My Head — Sister Rosetta Tharpe
3. That's All — Sister Rosetta Tharpe
4. Down by the Riverside — Sister Rosetta Tharpe
5. Didn't It Rain — Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Marie Knight, Sam Price Trio
6. Tutti Frutti — Little Richard
7. Johnny B. Goode — Chuck Berry
8. Hound Dog — Elvis Presley

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