Sister Rosetta Tharpe

SISTER ROSETTA THARPE d1973. Pioneering American gospel singer, songwriter and recording artist who attained great popularity in the 1930s and 1940s with a unique mixture of spiritual lyrics and early rock n roll accompaniment. She became the first great recording star of gospel music in the late 1930s and is known as the "original soul sister". Willing to cross the line between sacred and secular by performing her inspirational music in concert halls with big bands behind her ; her witty, idiosyncratic style also left a lasting mark on more conventional gospel artists, such as Ira Tucker Sr. Whilst she did offend some conservative churchgoers with her forays into the world of pop music, she never left gospel music. Her career was ended by a stroke in 1970, following this she had a leg amputated as a result of complications from diabetes. She died in 1973 after another stroke, on the eve of a scheduled recording session. She was buried in Pennysylvania in an unmarked grave. A resurgence in interest in her legendary work has led to a biography, several NPR segments, scholarly articles and honors. In 2007 she was inducted into the Blues Hall Of Fame. In 2008, a concert was held to raise funds for a marker for her grave and January 11 was declared Sister Rosetta Tharpe Day in Pennsylvania ....