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Sister
Rosetta
Tharpe

2018

Brittany Howard (Alabama Shakes)

Sister Rosetta was the first guitar heroine of rock & roll. Her heartfelt gospel folksiness gave way to her roaring mastery of her trusty Gibson Les Paul Custom, which she wielded on a level that rivaled the best of her male contemporaries.

Induction

Impact

A powerhouse voice and groundbreaking guitar technique

Brittany Howard

2018 Hall of Fame Essay

In the fall of 1938, when she stepped out onto the storied stage of the Cotton Club, Rosetta Tharpe did what no performer sprung from the rich musical traditions of black Pentecostalism had ever previously dared...

Written By Gayle Wald

sealed with a signature

This is the signature that appears on the inductee’s plaque at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to officially commemorate their induction.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe

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