Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Sister Rosetta Tharpe ranks among the most celebrated Sanctified gospel vocalists of her era. A showy stage presence whose sound frequently crossed into blues and swing territory, she ranked as one of the most polarizing figures in the field, alienating traditionalists by venturing into secular venues. Through appearances in nightclubs and theaters she brought sacred material to broader audiences and helped lay the groundwork for pop-gospel.

Born on March 20, 1915, in Cotton Plant, Arkansas, Tharpe was the daughter of Katie Bell Nubin, a traveling missionary and shouter known across the gospel circuit as “Mother Bell.” A prodigy, she had already mastered the guitar by age six. She accompanied her mother to Holiness conventions, delivering versions of “The Day Is Past and Gone” and “I Looked Down the Line.”

The family later settled in Chicago, where Tharpe refined her distinctive approach. Possessing a rich vibrato, both her singing phrasing and guitar technique absorbed strong blues influences, while her flair for theatrical presentation and glamorous presentation set her apart from most gospel artists of the time. After signing with Decca in 1938 she achieved near-instant fame; early releases such as Thomas A. Dorsey’s “Rock Me” and “This Train” became major successes, leading to joint performances with mainstream headliners Cab Calloway and Benny Goodman. She balanced her core following by cutting devotional numbers like “Precious Lord,” “Beams of Heaven,” and “End of My Journey,” yet also reached an expanding white listenership with briskly rearranged spirituals such as “Didn't It Rain” and “Down by the Riverside.”

During World War II her popularity placed her among only two Black gospel acts—the Golden Gate Quartet being the other—chosen to record V-Discs for troops abroad. She also shared bills nationwide with the Dixie Hummingbirds and similar groups. In 1944 she began sessions with boogie-woogie pianist Sammy Price; their initial pairing, “Strange Things Happening Every Day,” reached Billboard’s race records Top Ten, an uncommon achievement for gospel material that she duplicated several times afterward. In 1946 she joined forces with Newark Sanctified shouter Madame Marie Knight, whose straightforward vocal style complemented Tharpe’s dramatic delivery. Their debut single, “Up Above My Head,” scored a major hit, and the pair drew enormous church audiences over the following years.

In the early 1950s, however, Tharpe and Knight issued several straight blues recordings that incensed their listeners. Although Knight soon shifted permanently into secular work with limited commercial reward, Tharpe stayed rooted in gospel, yet her standing and draw suffered lasting harm. Sales declined, bookings grew sparse, and many traditionalists viewed her mainstream moves as a betrayal. She spent more than a year performing in European clubs while awaiting the furor to subside. Her recovery progressed gradually, allowing her by 1960 to share an Apollo Theatre bill with the Caravans and James Cleveland. Though no longer a universal household name, she kept touring even after a severe stroke in 1970 and died in Philadelphia on October 9, 1973.

While most of her catalog has been gathered, remastered, and reissued, producer and archivist Zev Feldman issued the previously unreleased Live in France: The 1966 Concert in Limoges on his new Deep Digs imprint in partnership with Elemental Music. Captured on November 11, 1966, at Le Grand Theatre, the professionally recorded performance comprises 21 tracks presented solely with her voice and electric guitar.