The Mother of Rock & Roll

When you think of rock and roll, you probably think of the “King” himself, Elvis Presley. Or maybe you think of the first rock and roll concert, Alan Freed’s “Moondog Coronation Ball”. But what if I told you the person who started it all was actually a queer black woman? If you’re anything like me, you probably thought, “Shocking! White men getting credit for something they stole from a queer woman of color?? That’s UNHEARD of!!!” (note the heavy sarcasm)

Contrary to popular belief, Rock & Roll was born in the 1940s by Sister Rosetta Tharpe. She wasn’t just there before Elvis and Johnny Cash, she was their inspiration.

Rosetta was a prodigy born into a musical family, singing and playing guitar by the time she was four years old. She grew up performing in gospel concerts with her mother, and by the time she was 20 she was already fusing jazz and blues with gospel music. Her first hit song Rock Me, released in 1938, is probably the first example of early Rock & Roll that exists. And she wasn’t some small name musician, she collaborated with the likes of Duke Ellington and Dixie Hummingbirds, and performed in venues like The Cotton Club and Carnegie Hall. And that “first” Rock & Roll concert, “Moondog Coronation Ball” wasn’t even the first!! The first took place in 1951, to a crowd of 20,000 people. But it wasn’t just a concert, it was a wedding! That’s right–Sister Rosetta Tharpe married her third husband in DC’s Washington Nationals’ Stadium, and then performed an entire concert to a sold out crowd of her fans, accompanied by fireworks. Take notes British royals!!

Unfortunately Rosetta’s fame started to dwindle after this concert. Her style of music became popular enough that the white men started to take over, and she was largely forgotten–until now.