SISTER ROSETTA THARPE / “Sister Rosetta Tharpe Mixtape”
Rosetta Nubin, bka Sister Rosetta Tharpe, (March 20, 1915 – October 9, 1973) is the matriarch of recorded gospel music. She was a child prodigy from Cotton Plant, Arkansas who began performing at the age of four accompanying her mother, Katie Bell Nubin who was a Church of God in Christ evangelist. Sister Rosetta first recorded in 1938 accompanied by the Lucky Millinder Jazz Orchestra.
Her recordings were the first gospel recordings to top the charts. Although she is barely known among today’s public, Sister Rosetta Tharpe is an important forbear of modern gospel recording artists. She was an especially strong guitarist who incorporated instrumental techniques borrowed from jazz and blues.
During World War II she was one of a limited number of popular artists who were permitted to record in the V-disc format while most recordings were restricted due to the war effort. She reached the height of her popularity in the forties and early fifties. Her 1951 wedding celebration attracted 25,000 paying customers to Griffith Stadium in Washington, DC.
Her repertoire is the basis for what many of us know as traditional gospel music. Some of the songs she made famous later were re-arranged and crossed over as popular music. Although she was frequently courted to cross over, Sister Rosetta Tharpe remained a devout performer of gospel music even though she infrequently recorded with jazz musicians such as Chris Barber and blues pianist Sammy Price.
Part of her popularity was based on a witty and charismatic stage personality. She not only pioneered gospel recordings, but additionally Sister Rosetta Tharpe was able to intersperse her vocals with a running commentary that often included humorous asides as well as topical references.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe distinguished herself as both a recording artist and a performer who stayed true to her gospel roots even as she incorporated elements of secular music into her performances.
—Kalamu ya Salaam
Sister Rosetta Tharpe Mixtape Playlist
Precious Memories
01 “Precious Lord"
02 “Last Mile Of The Way”
03 “Savior Don't Pass Me By”
04 “Peace In The Valley”
05 “This Train”
06 “Precious Memories”
Complete Sister Rosetta Tharpe Vol. 4 1951-1953
07 “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”
08 “Amazing Grace”
09 “His Eye Is on the Sparrow”
10 “In the Garden”
11 “Crying in the Chapel”
Gospel 'N' Soul Revival
12 “Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen”
13 “Up Above My Head I Hear Music In The Air”
14 “Joshua Fit The Battle Of Jericho”
15 “Can't Sit Down”
16 “Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child”
17 “Precious Lord”
This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 21st, 2010 at 12:58 am and is filed under Classic. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
2 Responses to “SISTER ROSETTA THARPE / “Sister Rosetta Tharpe Mixtape””
September 22nd, 2010 at 8:19 am
I am 59 years old. My dad is always surprised when I sing a song Sister Rosetta Tharpe recorded. He thinks I’m too young to remember her. But she was played on our house. Hearing her songs always take me back to preparing for church on Sunday morning: smelling grandmother’s breakfast cooking in the kitchen, brushing the hair, having my father tie my tie, moving quickly so as to get that Sunday breakfast in before leaving for Sunday school, and listening too the Sunday comics being read on the radio (the only worldly indulgence we were allowed on this morning). Thanks for posting this.
September 26th, 2010 at 9:13 am
Listening to Sister Rosetta Tharpe brings back pleasant memories of my childhood. I used to listen to her on a Sunday morning gospel program that came on the radio every Sunday morning before I went to Sunday School. My family liked her also, especially my parents. I liked her melodious mexxo-soprano voice which I thought was a very unique one. As a child, I was always the first one to turn on the radio every Sunday morning. As a music professor, I always emphasize her music when we get to chapter on American Religious Music. She paved the way for the gospel artists who followed her and even the jazz artists also. I have been looking for her recordings for a long time. Thanks for sharing.
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