Existing comment:
Evolving Traditions
Some musicians pushed the boundaries of what religious music sounded like. The “Queen of Gospel” Mahalia Jackson (1911–1972) used the words and music of gospel to support social causes, such as civil rights and desegregation efforts.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the “Godmother of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” rose to prominence in the 1930s as a pioneer of mixing “secular sounds,” such as electric guitar, with sacred lyrics. |