Decades after her death, Sister Rosetta Tharpe will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018, according to Out.com. She will receive the Award for Early Influence.
Tharpe is considered a pioneer in the musical genre of rock gospel, and Elvis Presley cited her as an influence.
Born in Arkansas in 1915, Rosetta Nubin (Tharpe’s birth name) started singing with her mother at churches and revivals as early as age 6. After moving to Chicago, Tharpe started fusing urban and rural influences into her music. After a failed marriage to a preacher when she was a teen (the first of three for her), Tharpe met singer Marie Knight in 1946; they then paired, musically and personally, as revealed the book Tharpe, Shout, Sister, Shout! Tharpe died in 1973.
Other Hall of Fame inductees for next year include Bon Jovi, The Cars, Dire Straits, The Moody Blues and Nina Simone, per the organization’s website. The ceremony will take place Saturday, April 14, in Cleveland, home of the Hall of Fame.
The Out.com piece is at www.out.com/entertainment/2017/12/13/queer-rock-legend-sister-rosetta-tharpe-inducted-rock-roll-hall-fame.