Throwback: Happy Black History Month: Sister Rosetta Tharpe

It’s the SECOND day of Black History Month. And there are some important things everyone should remember — not just during February but all the time:

• You can’t love Black artists and their work, and not see them as people 
• Black lives — and Black art matters 
• Black culture is American culture 

So as we go through the month, I’m going to talk about a collection of Black artists. It’ll be fairly comprehensive and eclectic list — although it won’t be a complete list.

So far I’ve talked about:

• Rick James
•  OutKast‘s Big Boi

Since it’s Black History Month, I must remind y’all of something crucial: Rock ‘n’ roll was created by Black people — in particular, Little Richard and this woman right here, Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Little Richard, and you can hear it directly in their sound. Without Tharpe there isn’t rock as we know it. Plain and simple.