March 20 - BlackFacts.com Black History Fact of the Day

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March 20 is the Birthday of Rosetta Tharpe.

She was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and recording artist who attained popularity in the 1930s and 1940s with her gospel recordings, characterized by a unique mixture that was a precursor of rock and roll.

At the age of 23, Tharpe recorded for the first time. Her songs caused an immediate furor: many churchgoers were shocked by the mixture of gospel-based lyrics and secular-sounding music, but secular audiences loved them.

She influenced early rock-and-roll musicians, including Little Richard, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis.

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