The Influence of Tina Turner, Little Richard & More on Rock n’ Roll

Tina Turner, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Little Richard and various other Black artists paved the way in rock n’ roll before turning into a predominantly white genre in the ’80s. Keep watching to see how these artists influenced the art of rock n’ roll!

Tetris Kelly:Most of the rock music you listen to today would not exist if not for Black innovators paving the way. During this Black Music Month, we’re taking a look back at some of the trailblazing artists that made rock n’ roll what it is.

Rock was born in the 1950s at a time when the United States was just as segregated as music genres. People look back to Elvis, whose sound was not a white sound, he was compared to African American R&B singers and covered countless African American musicians.

Little Richard has been described as the architect of rock n’ roll for his dynamic music and electrifying stage presence in the mid ’50s music scene. Ike and Tina Turner opened for The Rolling Stones in the late 1960s, which introduced their bold style of soul-infused rock.

And Sister Rosetta Tharpe has been credited as the godmother of rock n’ roll. A Black, queer woman in the ’40s, she forged her sound in an industry dominated by men, and she wielded a guitar on a level that rivaled them. But by the ’80s, rock n’ roll had now become white music, with most general knowledge of rock history not going back further than the ’70s.

Rumors are that it may be the third act and a genre Beyonce is looking to reclaim.