Sister Rosetta was the Zelig of mid-20th century American music- she traveled in most of the musical arenas of the time and was accepted- and loved- by a great deal of people in them all.
Ellen! I dropped everything when my phone chimed and it said you had published this! Great job giving context and some texture to Sister Rosetta's story. There were some anecdotes and bits of her timeline I didn't know about, so kudos to you for doing the digging.
The accounts of what Black artists had to endure, even when they were stars, are infuriating. I loved one reporter's account of the delighted shock Sister Rosetta and her entourage experienced in Europe, when the found the hotels, trains and restaurants were not segregated.
Thanks so much, Charles, for encouraging me to write about her and sharing your own posts, and I'm so glad I was able to fill in some bits here and there.
It was a big help to have your posts as a place to send people so I didn't have to cover that same territory and could focus on the psychological aspects that interested me.
Yes, what minorities had to put up with, and what women had to put up with, now seems absolutely antediluvian! I also read that the much better situation in Europe made black performers suspicious, like what do they want from us and when is the other shoe going to drop?!
Well, I hope people come away with a deeper sense of our musical history and heritage. Re. Europe--I know you have traveled and lived abroad, so it's probably no surprise to you. I am in France and Germany often for business, and it's striking how much more integrated those societies are. Yes, there is still racism, but it just seems much deeper here.
It's a pleasure to watch and listen to someone with that level of competence and confidence in their craft, and a shining example of breaking the mold. Thanks for sharing these moments in musical history.
I'll admit that playing in the musical world seems more fun than empire building, and yet, to raise a harvest we should first disturb the soil.
It is, and I could easily spend my life making music. It won't feed me though, or keep the lights on, or build a farm or care for the household. A harsh reality and the inspiration for much of our music.
Great piece Ellen! Sister Rosetta has always been one of those "if you know, you know" artists. She's not a household name, but people who are serious about music often know who she is, especially guitar players. I remember her being discussed in several issues of Guitar World when I was coming up because as you showed here, her style was a lot more influential than most people realize.
Thanks much, AJ, and for confirming that she's known and appreciated by guitar folk inside the business. I think her example is such a positive one for everyone around how to persist in that often crazy music industry.
Fantastic piece, Ellen, very thorough. I discovered Sister Rosetta maybe 20 years ago, and still felt like I was late to the game - so glad you've caught up as well. She really was a giant in so many ways - an icon for rock 'n' roll, LGBTQ+ and women, and yeah, one smokin' guitarist!
One of my favorite current Seattle bands is The Tripwires (full disclosure, they are friends of mine) and they recently recorded a cover of "Strange Things". Here's a clip of them doing it live a couple months ago, proof that Sister Rosetta's influence lives on -
That clip linked from your piece of the UK performance at the railroad station - Wow! I've seen it before but it kills me every time - the way they sashay in with a rhythmic semi-dance step, and then Rosetta's performance. Damn. I've always wondered about that/those performances from a technical standpoint - it's obviously live, but where are the microphones? I'm guessing they were positioned above the set out of view, and the volume was low and balanced enough to make it work. Whatever, it is absolutely priceless stuff.
Thanks for those kind words and sharing the Tripwires' version of "Strange Things." They've sure got the guitar chops and seem like great fun. Good friends to have!
I was wondering how they miked that UK train station performance as well. I was looking for mikes and wires and wasn't seeing them. I've done a quick search and just discovered this BBC article about it, and turns out that the concert was a nationally broadcast Granada TV production viewed by about 10 million people. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-27256401
Her performance was especially singled out, and "The list of musicians who have told [Granada producer] Johnnie Hamp that the show influenced them is staggering. 'Mick Jagger, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones... the list goes on. You have to remember that Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy, Sister Rosetta - they were icons to us.'" Apparently, when the show came to Manchester the year before, "a minibus came from London to that show and in it were Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Keith Richards and Brian Jones."
So we haven't solved the mike business, but here's some more amazing data on the influence she had on rockers.
Yes, it's a good illustration of the Brits picking up on the USA's African American musical heritage and celebrating/re-interpreting it while it was being ignored here in the States. Stones, Yardbirds, Mayall, all those guys had to bring our own music back to us before we realized what we had. And Cream - I love the references to Ginger Baker! Crazy guy, great musician. Never knew he played with Sister Rosetta.
Excellent point. They brought it back here and cleaned up with it. Pretty darn clever!
Kudos need to go to Gayle Wald for the phenomenal interview research she conducted. So many of those memories like Ginger Baker's would have been lost forever when people died if not for her collecting them and writing this book. She really did a wonderful service in the preservation of musical history.
Thanks so much, Thea, and for the wonderful note as well spreading the word. She's a complete and total inspiration for women and imho for everyone who wants to do good in the world.
I love Tharpe, but I think it's not a good thing to use one book for all your references; it's close to plagiarism. You need to do more independent research. As for who she was, Rosetta was Rosettta and doesn't need to be "Prince...David Bowie" etc. Or to be seen as connected to rock and roll. She stands alone.
Hi Allen, thanks for commenting and giving me the opportunity to address these concerns.
The reason I used that particular book is because it's the only one I found with original research, meaning primary sources where the author interviewed the people who actually knew and worked with Rosetta. Many of those 150+ people are now gone as she did the research from 2004 to 2006, and it would therefore be impossible to do that now. I'm also guessing that she had funding to conduct that research, which is obviously not the case for me. If there are other books or articles based on primary interviews that you think I should use, please do let me know. I'm happy to make revisions or additions if there are any conflicts with what I've written here.
Please also note that in my introduction to this series, I explained that I will be using primary sources only -- either the artist or people who knew or worked with them or writers who interviewed the artists or people who knew them. I'm not interested in secondary sources because then you get into interpretations and the bias that goes with them.
I include quotes from the book as illustration for my own interpretations of why Sister Rosetta was unique, and fully reference them so people can check out the original quotes for themselves and form their own interpretations. It's not plagiarism to include and properly cite references as I have done here (see the footnotes), and the overall interpretations and conclusions are not Gayle Wald's but my own.
In terms of who Sister Rosetta was, yes, I agree that she does stand alone, but you'd be surprised how many writers continue to ignore and diminish her contribution. I picked up a biography of someone she influenced a few days ago and other influences were mentioned but not her. Part of that may be the author being unaware of her contribution, but another part is that some biographers judge it as not important and not worth mentioning. Unfortunately, due recognition of Sister Rosetta is still not happening as much as it should be.
Also, given that substack has people with all different levels of awareness of Sister Rosetta, I felt it helpful to let people know that I consider her someone who has qualities comparable to some of the big names and that it's worth reading about her. Otherwise, even my own subscribers might decide not to read the post as they don't know her name. By mentioning other people they esteem, they are more likely to be persuaded to read the post. And in my view, it's a positive thing for more people to know about her and how extraordinary she was. She was and is a wonderful role model.
I have introduced Sister Rosetta to a number of university students by playing her music during fellowship dinners after church. Before long they were downloading her music unto their personal playlists.
This was fantastic Ellen! I’d heard of and listened to some of Sister Rosetta’s work over the years and I was aware she was a trailblazer and one of the earliest founders of the rock n roll sound. But I learned so so much more in this piece. Thanks for your impeccable research and your beautiful writing.
My contribution was pulling out, summarizing, and giving examples of what I saw as her trailblazing character traits, but I salute Gayle Wald for her incredible research in finding and interviewing people still alive in the mid-noughties -- 30 or more years later! -- who knew and worked with Rosetta. If only someone would do that with so many of our rock 'n' roll pioneers who haven't been well documented, while it's still possible. It takes time, money, and effort, but what an invaluable contribution that is to music history.
Sister Rosetta was the Zelig of mid-20th century American music- she traveled in most of the musical arenas of the time and was accepted- and loved- by a great deal of people in them all.
Yes, well said, David. She was exceptional in her popularity across place and genre.
Ellen! I dropped everything when my phone chimed and it said you had published this! Great job giving context and some texture to Sister Rosetta's story. There were some anecdotes and bits of her timeline I didn't know about, so kudos to you for doing the digging.
The accounts of what Black artists had to endure, even when they were stars, are infuriating. I loved one reporter's account of the delighted shock Sister Rosetta and her entourage experienced in Europe, when the found the hotels, trains and restaurants were not segregated.
So much here, thank you for publishing this!
Thanks so much, Charles, for encouraging me to write about her and sharing your own posts, and I'm so glad I was able to fill in some bits here and there.
It was a big help to have your posts as a place to send people so I didn't have to cover that same territory and could focus on the psychological aspects that interested me.
Yes, what minorities had to put up with, and what women had to put up with, now seems absolutely antediluvian! I also read that the much better situation in Europe made black performers suspicious, like what do they want from us and when is the other shoe going to drop?!
Well, I hope people come away with a deeper sense of our musical history and heritage. Re. Europe--I know you have traveled and lived abroad, so it's probably no surprise to you. I am in France and Germany often for business, and it's striking how much more integrated those societies are. Yes, there is still racism, but it just seems much deeper here.
Wow, this is amazing Ellen! I'll have to stop back over the weekend when I have more time to dig into this. Great series concept! Keep writing! MM
Thanks, Michael. That gives me very welcome motivation and impetus to continue on with the series.
Great piece Ellen! I’ve come to love her guitar playing and now need to fill another hole in my album collection. Thanks!
Thanks for those kind words, Clark, and yes, I too want to explore more of her music. I don't think it will ever go out of style.
It's a pleasure to watch and listen to someone with that level of competence and confidence in their craft, and a shining example of breaking the mold. Thanks for sharing these moments in musical history.
I'll admit that playing in the musical world seems more fun than empire building, and yet, to raise a harvest we should first disturb the soil.
Glad it was a pleasure for a fellow guitar player like you. I think the two of you would have hit it off and had a great ol' time improvising.
I miss the open mic night already, really breaks my heart to put my guitar down, like getting rudely awakened from the dreamworld.
I also feel compelled to put my nose to the grindstone again.
A tough proposition.
Yes, I've been thinking about doing that too. I hope you're still able to play, seems a shame if you couldn't. An important part of your life.
It is, and I could easily spend my life making music. It won't feed me though, or keep the lights on, or build a farm or care for the household. A harsh reality and the inspiration for much of our music.
Great piece Ellen! Sister Rosetta has always been one of those "if you know, you know" artists. She's not a household name, but people who are serious about music often know who she is, especially guitar players. I remember her being discussed in several issues of Guitar World when I was coming up because as you showed here, her style was a lot more influential than most people realize.
Thanks much, AJ, and for confirming that she's known and appreciated by guitar folk inside the business. I think her example is such a positive one for everyone around how to persist in that often crazy music industry.
Lovely piece of writing!
Thanks so much, Joe!
I love this! It was worth the wait :)
Thanks, Staci, so glad you enjoyed it!
Fantastic piece, Ellen, very thorough. I discovered Sister Rosetta maybe 20 years ago, and still felt like I was late to the game - so glad you've caught up as well. She really was a giant in so many ways - an icon for rock 'n' roll, LGBTQ+ and women, and yeah, one smokin' guitarist!
One of my favorite current Seattle bands is The Tripwires (full disclosure, they are friends of mine) and they recently recorded a cover of "Strange Things". Here's a clip of them doing it live a couple months ago, proof that Sister Rosetta's influence lives on -
https://youtu.be/Ss4db0f4mFc?si=UsjfjrkGKVfWPnIm
That clip linked from your piece of the UK performance at the railroad station - Wow! I've seen it before but it kills me every time - the way they sashay in with a rhythmic semi-dance step, and then Rosetta's performance. Damn. I've always wondered about that/those performances from a technical standpoint - it's obviously live, but where are the microphones? I'm guessing they were positioned above the set out of view, and the volume was low and balanced enough to make it work. Whatever, it is absolutely priceless stuff.
Thank you for spreading the gospel!
Thanks for those kind words and sharing the Tripwires' version of "Strange Things." They've sure got the guitar chops and seem like great fun. Good friends to have!
I was wondering how they miked that UK train station performance as well. I was looking for mikes and wires and wasn't seeing them. I've done a quick search and just discovered this BBC article about it, and turns out that the concert was a nationally broadcast Granada TV production viewed by about 10 million people. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-27256401
Her performance was especially singled out, and "The list of musicians who have told [Granada producer] Johnnie Hamp that the show influenced them is staggering. 'Mick Jagger, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones... the list goes on. You have to remember that Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy, Sister Rosetta - they were icons to us.'" Apparently, when the show came to Manchester the year before, "a minibus came from London to that show and in it were Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Keith Richards and Brian Jones."
So we haven't solved the mike business, but here's some more amazing data on the influence she had on rockers.
Yes, it's a good illustration of the Brits picking up on the USA's African American musical heritage and celebrating/re-interpreting it while it was being ignored here in the States. Stones, Yardbirds, Mayall, all those guys had to bring our own music back to us before we realized what we had. And Cream - I love the references to Ginger Baker! Crazy guy, great musician. Never knew he played with Sister Rosetta.
Excellent point. They brought it back here and cleaned up with it. Pretty darn clever!
Kudos need to go to Gayle Wald for the phenomenal interview research she conducted. So many of those memories like Ginger Baker's would have been lost forever when people died if not for her collecting them and writing this book. She really did a wonderful service in the preservation of musical history.
BRAVA!
Thanks so much, Thea, and for the wonderful note as well spreading the word. She's a complete and total inspiration for women and imho for everyone who wants to do good in the world.
I love this on so many levels. Thank you.
I'm so glad, Chris. Thanks for letting me know.
This is great! Thank you so much for this piece. I knew a bit about her, but not too much... and you definitely made me want to learn more!!
I'm so glad, Alex. I think she's well worth learning about and listening to. Thanks for reading.
I love Tharpe, but I think it's not a good thing to use one book for all your references; it's close to plagiarism. You need to do more independent research. As for who she was, Rosetta was Rosettta and doesn't need to be "Prince...David Bowie" etc. Or to be seen as connected to rock and roll. She stands alone.
Hi Allen, thanks for commenting and giving me the opportunity to address these concerns.
The reason I used that particular book is because it's the only one I found with original research, meaning primary sources where the author interviewed the people who actually knew and worked with Rosetta. Many of those 150+ people are now gone as she did the research from 2004 to 2006, and it would therefore be impossible to do that now. I'm also guessing that she had funding to conduct that research, which is obviously not the case for me. If there are other books or articles based on primary interviews that you think I should use, please do let me know. I'm happy to make revisions or additions if there are any conflicts with what I've written here.
Please also note that in my introduction to this series, I explained that I will be using primary sources only -- either the artist or people who knew or worked with them or writers who interviewed the artists or people who knew them. I'm not interested in secondary sources because then you get into interpretations and the bias that goes with them.
I include quotes from the book as illustration for my own interpretations of why Sister Rosetta was unique, and fully reference them so people can check out the original quotes for themselves and form their own interpretations. It's not plagiarism to include and properly cite references as I have done here (see the footnotes), and the overall interpretations and conclusions are not Gayle Wald's but my own.
In terms of who Sister Rosetta was, yes, I agree that she does stand alone, but you'd be surprised how many writers continue to ignore and diminish her contribution. I picked up a biography of someone she influenced a few days ago and other influences were mentioned but not her. Part of that may be the author being unaware of her contribution, but another part is that some biographers judge it as not important and not worth mentioning. Unfortunately, due recognition of Sister Rosetta is still not happening as much as it should be.
Also, given that substack has people with all different levels of awareness of Sister Rosetta, I felt it helpful to let people know that I consider her someone who has qualities comparable to some of the big names and that it's worth reading about her. Otherwise, even my own subscribers might decide not to read the post as they don't know her name. By mentioning other people they esteem, they are more likely to be persuaded to read the post. And in my view, it's a positive thing for more people to know about her and how extraordinary she was. She was and is a wonderful role model.
A great history lesson. She was a pioneer in many aspects of music and the musical culture itself.
Thanks, Daniel! Hope all's well with you and the school.
All is well. Currently in Norway working on one of those musical projects I told you I did from time to time.
Very cool. Hope it goes well and you have a great time to boot.
👍
I have introduced Sister Rosetta to a number of university students by playing her music during fellowship dinners after church. Before long they were downloading her music unto their personal playlists.
That's so great! Thanks for sharing that.
This was fantastic Ellen! I’d heard of and listened to some of Sister Rosetta’s work over the years and I was aware she was a trailblazer and one of the earliest founders of the rock n roll sound. But I learned so so much more in this piece. Thanks for your impeccable research and your beautiful writing.
Thanks so much, Mark. Appreciate it!
My contribution was pulling out, summarizing, and giving examples of what I saw as her trailblazing character traits, but I salute Gayle Wald for her incredible research in finding and interviewing people still alive in the mid-noughties -- 30 or more years later! -- who knew and worked with Rosetta. If only someone would do that with so many of our rock 'n' roll pioneers who haven't been well documented, while it's still possible. It takes time, money, and effort, but what an invaluable contribution that is to music history.