Date: September 17, 2025 Legacy Makers: Stories of Black Inventors and Icons Title and Show Info Episode #36. Sister Rosetta Tharpe: The Godmother of Rock and Roll Featuring: Toni Davis (Host & Storyteller). Summary 🎙️ Sister Rosetta Tharpe: The Godmother of Rock and Roll 🎸✨ Before Elvis, Chuck Berry, and Little Richard, there was Sister Rosetta Tharpe. The groundbreaking guitarist, gospel singer, and true Godmother of Rock and Roll. In this episode, we dive into her powerful story: from church stages to international tours, and how her gospel roots shaped the very foundation of rock and roll. We’ll explore how Sister Rosetta’s blistering electric guitar riffs and fearless stage presence influenced legends like Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, and Tina Turner — yet why her name was almost lost to history. Join us as we celebrate one of the most important, and overlooked, figures in music history, an African American woman pioneer who redefined what it meant to rock. If you love music history storytelling, unsung legends of rock, and the powerful role of women in music, this episode is for you. #SisterRosettaTharpe #GodmotherofRockandRoll #RockandRollHistory #WomenInMusic Highlights: 00:57- INTRO.  01:04- ROSETTA NUBIN’S BIRTH. 01:44- HER MOTHER KATIE BELL NUBIN. 01:57- FOUR YEARS OLD PLAYS THE GUITAR AND SINGS. 03:00- CHICAGO. 03:23- TEMPLE CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST. 03:30- SIX YEARS OLD SOLO DEBUT.   04:01- TRAVELING DUO WITH HER MOTHER. 04:32- MARRIES THOMAS J. THARPE AND ADOPTS HIS NAME. 04:48- DIVORCES THOMAS J. THARPE. 04:52- MOVES TO NYC WITH HER MOTHER. 05:02- COTTON CLUB. 05:22- DECCA RECORDS. 05:57- CARNEIGE HALL AND PARAMOUNT THEATRE. 06:11- PLAYS AN ELECTRIC GUITAR AND RECORDS “THAT’S ALL”. 06:36- STRANGE THINGS HAPPENING EVERYDAY. 07:08- MARIE KNIGHT. 07:37- LITTLE RICHARD. 07:58- MARRIES RUSSELL MORRISON. 08:35- 1ST INTERRACIAL DUET AND TOURS WITH THE JORDANAIRES. 08:58- TOURS THE UK. 09:14- THE AMERICAN FOLK, BLUES AND GOSPEL CARAVAN TOUR. 10:07- PRECIOUS MEMORIES. 10:16- GRAMMY NOMINATION FOR BEST GOSPEL SOUL PERFORMANCE. 10:23- STROKE AND AMPUTATED LEG. 10:33- COPENHAGEN. TAKE MY HAND PRECIOUS LORD. 11:09- ROSETTA PASSES AWAY IN PHILADELPHIA. 11:23- BURIED WITHOUT A HEADSTONE AT NORTHWOOD CEMETERY IN PHILADELPHIA. 11:36- ACCOLADES. 14:14- CONCLUSION. Subscribe to the podcast.   Links To Additional Resources: Forebears: Sister Rosetta Tharpe, The Godmother Of Rock 'N' Roll : NPR About - Sister Rosetta Tharpe - The Westport Library Resource Guides at The Westport Library Sister Rosetta Tharpe - Wikipedia Sister Rosetta Tharpe Sister Rosetta Tharpe: The Godmother Of Rock’N’Roll | uDiscover Sister Rosetta Tharpe: A Legacy | Seattle Rep How One Of Music's Biggest Stars Almost Disappeared, And How Her Legacy Was Saved : NPR Tharpe, "Sister Rosetta" - Encyclopedia of Arkansas Rosetta Atkins [Sister Rosetta] Tharpe (1915-1973) | BlackPast.org Sister Tharpe | Pennsylvania Center for the Book Sister Rosetta Tharpe | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Black and Queer Mama of Rock’n’Roll: Sister Rosetta Tharpe - The Oxford Blue Rock pioneer Sister Rosetta Tharpe's legacy remembered Rosetta Tharpe (Nubin) (1915 - 1973) - Genealogy csc-black-history-facts-rosetta-tharpe.pdf Black History 365: Sister Rosetta Tharpe – Communities That Care Coalition Sister Rosetta Tharpe: “The Godmother of Rock ‘n Roll” - Produce Like A Pro Sister Rosetta Tharpe – Music Enthusiast – At the junction of rock, blues, R&B, jazz, pop,and soul Rosetta Nubin (1915-1973) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree iFeminist "Didn't It Rain Children" by Sister Rosetta Tharpe live at Newport Jazz Festival, Jul 3, 1964 at Wolfgang's Sister Rosetta Tharpe - 'Didn't it rain, children' - Project Heaven on Earth Flashback: Sister Rosetta Tharpe Stages Wedding at Griffith Stadium 'The Most Elaborate Wedding Ever Staged': Rosetta Tharpe At Griffith Stadium : NPR Flashback: Sister Rosetta Tharpe Stages Public Wedding at D.C.'s Griffith Stadium Sister Rosetta Tharpe: Godmother of Rock & Roll — Edinburgh Music Review Sister Rosetta Tharpe Facts | [site:name] | Essence queer, black & blue: sister rosetta tharpe is muva of them all | AFROPUNK Sister Rosetta Tharpe Sister Rosetta Tharpe - TeachRock

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