Before women in rock became a catchphrase, Rosetta Tharpe proved that women could rock. Shout, Sister, Shout! is the first biography of this trailblazer who influenced scores of popular musicians and defied categorization. Wald’s biography, which draws on memories from more than 150 people who knew Tharpe, forever alters our understanding of women in rock and of U.S. popular music.
A book like this is long overdue. Rosetta Tharpe was a major star and a huge influence on the musicians of her day. Listen to her recordings and you can hear all the building blocks of rock and roll. –Joan Osborne, singer-songwriter
Rosetta was one of the most beloved and influential artists ever in gospel music … and she blazed a trail for the rest of us women guitarists with her indomitable spirit and accomplished, engaging style. She has long been deserving of wider recognition and a place of honor in the field of music history. –Bonnie Raitt
Rosetta Tharpe’s life is a classic American tall tale, except that it happened, and, in these pages, you are there. –Greil Marcus, cultural critic
Rosetta Tharpe was one of my first influences, one of the first people I heard sing. I’m glad Gayle Wald has done a book on her because people need to know. –Isaac Hayes
Absorbing … Very much a woman’s story, refreshingly free of Svengalis and impresarios. –Laura Sinagra, New York Times
Wald makes a good case that Tharpe’s R&B spirituals played a key role in inventing rock. –Entertainment Weekly
Rosetta Tharpe’s life is a classic American tall tale, except that it happened, and, in these pages, you are there. –Greil Marcus, cultural critic and author of Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock'n'Roll Music