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

Gayle Wald (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 15, 2007

Long before "women in rock" became a media catchphrase, Rosetta Tharpe proved in spectacular fashion that women could rock. Born in Cotton Plant, Arkansas, in 1915, she was gospel's first superstar and the preeminent crossover figure of its "golden age" (1945-1965). Everyone who saw her perform said she could "make that guitar talk."

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 Bonnie Raitt. An African American guitar virtuoso, Tharpe defied categorization. Blues singer, gospel singer, folk artist, and rock-and-roller, she "went electric" in the late 1930s, amazing northern and southern, U.S. and international, and white and black audiences 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, forever altering our understanding of both women in rock and U.S. popular music.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Though Elvis, Ginger Baker, Keith Richards and Jerry Lee Lewis paid her tribute, Sister Rosetta Tharpe's vast contribution to American musical history has nearly faded away. With the publication of this entertaining and enlightening biography, Tharpe—who reputedly played her electric guitar "like a man," withstood failed marriages, racial and sexual discrimination plus economic hardships—should receive the recognition she deserves. George Washington University professor Wald (Crossing the Line) has knit together memories of 150 people familiar with Tharpe and her work. Wald's competent research provides readers with the larger historical framework within which Tharpe's contributions can be appreciated. Born in Arkansas in 1915, Rosetta Tharpe became a well-known child performer, honing her gospel guitar style in Pentecostal churches and tent revivals throughout the South. By the late 1930s Tharpe relocated to Chicago, made the life-altering choice of forsaking Pentecostal church performances and embarked on a secular career, eventually signing with Decca Records. During the 1950s Tharpe's career sagged due to changing musical tastes, but a well-timed European tour in 1957 reignited her career. Tharpe courageously cut across racial, musical and sexual boundaries, defying easy categorization, which may have contributed to her obscurity. Wald's biography of this unique performer will hopefully reawaken interest in her life and music. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Most people today probably have never heard of Rosetta Tharpe or even seen pictures of her during her heyday at the Cotton Club, the Apollo Theater, Carnegie Hall, and even the Grand Ole Opry, spectacularly picking an electric guitar while decked out in a spangled evening dress. Ward's illuminating biography brings the deliciously flamboyant singer to life as gospel's first superstar and a seminal figure defying musical categorization. Tharpe influenced such stars as Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Etta James, Little Richard, Bonnie Raitt, Ruth Brown, and Isaac Hayes by incorporating blues, jazz, country, R & B, and pop ballads into a fundamentally gospel style, and without her precedent, Wald asserts, there would have been no Elvis (Wald suggests that Tharpe's 1945 crossover hit, "Strange Things Happening Every Day," may be the first rock 'n' roll record). What truly sets her apart is her extraordinary guitar playing. Now buried in an unmarked grave in Philadelphia, Tharpe was a larger-than-life figure in American pop music. May Wald's shimmering book revive her for new listeners. June Sawyers
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: Beacon Press; 1 edition (February 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807009849
• ISBN-13: 978-0807009840
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,107,918 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The biography of Sister Rosetta Tharpe....portrait of a life well lived, May 14, 2007

By 

Paul Tognetti "The real world is so much more... (Cranston, RI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Shout, Sister, Shout!: The Untold Story of Rock-and-Roll Trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe (Hardcover)

As a collector and student of American popular music for more than 40 years now I have occasionally come across the name of Sister Rosetta Tharpe in some of the reference books that I own. I would also see her name mentioned in the liner notes for various CD's as well as in books chronicling the rich and diverse history of American popular music. Having said that there was really not a heck of a lot of information out there on the life and remarkable career of this extremely influential figure. Author Gayle Wald has corrected this unfortunate oversight with her entertaining and highly informative new book "Shout, Sister, Shout: The Untold Story of Rock and Roll Trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe". As a result of reading this book I have already been motivated to purchase a collection of her music. And let me tell you I was not disappointed!

Sister Rosetta Tharpe was born in the tiny town of Cotton Plant, AR on March 20, 1915 not far from the birthplace of another American music legend Johnny Cash. With the encouragement of parents who were very active in the local Church of God in Christ, Rosetta began singing in church at an unusually young age. Before the age of six she started playing around with a guitar. Just about everyone who saw and heard Rosetta thought that she was an exceptionally gifted young lady. In fact, it was her acumen with the guitar that would set her apart and help to make a career in music possible. "Shout, Sister, Shout" follows the mercurial career of Rosetta from performing at her local church to a gig at the world famous Cotton Club in New York City in 1938. It is quite apparent that Rosetta was torn between the gospel music she grew up with and loved so much and the incredible opportunities and financial rewards that beckoned in the secular world. It was a dilemma that would take her years to resolve. In 1938 Rosetta inked her first recording contract with Decca records. Decca was looking to make a name for itself in the emerging gospel and blues market and viewed Sister as their ticket to success. She did not disappoint! In 1941 Sister Rosetta Tharpe joined the Lucky Millinder Orchestra as a featured vocalist. This band was at the height of its popularity at that time and Rosetta made some very memorable recordings with them. But by 1943 Rosetta had tired of the secular music scene and was determined to return to the music she really loved. Ever restless, Sister would return to the secular world from time to time as opportunities presented themselves. In 1950, she appeared on Perry Como's television show and in 1952 she recorded a duet with the legendary country artist Red Foley in Nashville. Sadly, Sister Rosetta Tharpe was only 56 years old when diabetes struck. Two years later in 1973 she died of a massive stroke on the very day she was scheduled to record a brand new album for Savoy records.

"Shout, Sister, Shout" tells the fascinating life story of Sister Rosetta Tharpe. You will the meet people who were most influential in her life, especially her mother Katie Bell Nubin and her close friend Marie Knight. And you will come to understand how it was that a female black guitarist that emerged in the 1930's would become such a major influence on people like Chuck Berry, John Lennon, Elvis and even Mick Jagger. By reading "Shout, Sister, Shout" I was able to fill in a good many gaps in my knowledge of American popular music. Cheryl Wald has come up with an extremely important book that can be read and enjoyed by a wide variety of audiences. Very highly recommended!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rosetta credited, March 25, 2007

By 

K. J. Bowen "Kevin J Bowen" (New Zealand) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Shout, Sister, Shout!: The Untold Story of Rock-and-Roll Trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe (Hardcover)

As I have been looking forward to someone writting a book about Sister Rosetta Tharpe I was excited that one was on the market. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was sensitively written and with a lot of information about this neglected gospel star who pioneered so many trends in music and what she did on stage. A lot of what she accomplished she has not been given due credit by writters of popular music and this book seeks to balance this oversight.

My only critisism was that there were not enough pictures of rosetta in the book and could of done with a fully discogrphy.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Mixed Blessing, January 20, 2009

By 

Frederick J. Decker "Fred Decker" (Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Shout, Sister, Shout!: The Untold Story of Rock-and-Roll Trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe (Paperback)

Gospel music is an overlooked genre so a book about gospel great Sister Rosetta Tharpe is welcome. Hopefully readers will be encouraged to seek out Tharpe's wonderful music with her brilliant and unpredictable singing and breathtaking guitar playing. The problem with this book lies in the subtitle: "Rock and Roll Trailblazer." As a rock and roll trailblazer Tharpe is a historical footnote. As a gospel singer she is a giant. Tharpe doesn't deserve to be heard because Elvis may have listened to her. The author spends too much time trying to shoe horn Tharpe into the "Rock and Roll Trailblazer" mold, which is obnoxious and demeaning to Tharpe. Anthony Heilbut's book "The Gospel Sound: Good News and Bad Times" is a better book on both Tharpe and gospel music in genersal. Heilbut includes a section on Tharpe, who Heilbut knew, as well as sections on many other gospel artists, deserving of wider recognition. Heilbut knew his subjects personally and immersed himself in the gospel world. His insights open up the gospel world. Read Heilbut. By all means listen to Sister Rosetta Tharpe. If you still want to know more after you've done that, then buy this book.