At OUTMemphis, we are celebrating Women’s History Month with a focus on LGBTQ women who have made radical change in the United States.
Every week we will be highlighting an LGBTQ woman whose work has impacted the lives of LGBTQ people nationwide.
Spotlight: Sister Rosetta Tharpe (1915-1973)
Born Rosetta Nubin, Tharpe is one of the first women to perform rock and roll music and is widely considered to be one of the greatest guitar players in rock and roll history. She was nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. While not out, Tharpe was bisexual and had both husbands and female lovers.
Her professional career began with the single “Rock Me,” released in 1938. She is also credited with beginning Little Richard’s professional career. Her signature style combined Delta Blues, New Orleans Jazz, and gospel music. While performing anything other than gospel music was highly controversial at the time, her doing so blended music styles in groundbreaking ways and set the stage for later artists. Tharpe collaborated and occasionally performed with her partner, Marie Knight, through the late 1940s and early 1950s.
Learn more about Sister Rosetta Tharpe: Wikipedia, Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture, PBS, The Pop-Up Museum of Queer History
