Shout, Sister, Shout!: The Untold Story of Rock-and-Roll Trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe

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New York Times Book ReviewEditor's Pick- The untold story of 2018 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Sister Rosetta Tharpe, America's first rock guitar diva Long before "women in rock" became a media catchphrase, African American guitar virtuoso Rosetta Tharpe proved in spectacular fashion that women could rock. Born in Cotton Plant, Arkansas, in 1915, Tharpe was gospel's first superstar and the preeminent crossover figure of its golden age (1945-1965). Shout, Sister, Shout!is the first biography of this trailblazing performer who influenced scores of popular musicians-from Elvis Presley and Little Richard to Eric Clapton and Etta James. Tharpe was raised in the Pentecostal Church, steeped in the gospel tradition, but she produced music that crossed boundaries, defied classification, and disregarded the social and cultural norms of the age. Blues singer, gospel singer, folk artist, and rock-and-roller, she "went electric" in the late 1930s, captivating both white and black audiences in the North and South, in the U.S. and internationally, with her charisma and skill. Ambitious and relentlessly public, Tharpe even staged her own wedding as a gospel concert in a stadium holding 20,000 people. Wald's eye-opening biography, which draws on the memories of over 150 people who knew or worked with Tharpe, introduces us to this intriguing and forgotten musical heavyweight who forever altered our understanding of both women in rock and U.S. popular music.

Reviews

I talk about Sister Rosetta Tharpe all the time. She was black and queer and big and invented rock and roll.
Lizzo

Wald will give you the story, from small-town Arkansas to the biggest stages in the country.
David Remnick, The New Yorker

[Tharpe] has long been deserving of wider recognition and a place of honor in the field of music history.
Bonnie Raitt

Mixing tireless reporting with nuanced and cultural insights, Walds Shout, Sister, Shout! is about as good as musical reparations get.
Tony Green, Vibe

Rosetta Tharpe was one of my first influences, one of the first people I heard sing. Im glad Gayle Wald has done a book on her because people need to know.
Isaac Hayes

Wald makes a good case that Tharpes R&B spirituals played a key role in inventing rock.
Entertainment Weekly

Seeing Sister Rosetta . . . really gave me a sense that this was a birthright of mine.
Celisse Henderson

Author Bio

Gayle F. Wald is a professor at George Washington University and the author of Crossing the Line. She wrote the liner notes for a critically acclaimed 2003 Rosetta Tharpe tribute album. Wald lives in Washington, D.C.