Godmother of Rock 'n Roll Sister Rosetta Tharpe

'My career has been one long impersonation of this person', said the famous Chuck Berry about this queer female African-American gospel artist. And he was not the only one: many famous rock 'n roll artists, like Little Richard, Elvis Presley, and Bob Dylan, were deeply inspired by her.

We are diving into the story of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, also known as the Godmother of Rock 'n Roll. She defied the rules of gender, religion, and music, but did not fit in anymore when the genre of music she helped to create became dominated by straight white men. Don't be fooled, though: she was a real sh*t stirrer!

Visuals made by Karina Grens

Music credits: Classic Accents on Hooksounds & “I Looked Down the Line,” performed by Sister Rosetta Tharpe (Decca Records). Used for illustrative purposes