The women of guitar celebrate International Guitar Month-Old school
When you think of guitar heroes, you usually focus on the men. But there have been many great women players. For the next three days, we’ll focus on some of the great women guitarists. Today, we’ll go old school—real old school.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe first gained popularity in the 1930s. Her blend of gospel music with an electric guitar made her unique. You could hear her influence on early rock and roll musicians such as Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley.
In 1964, she had a tour stop in England with Blues legend Muddy Waters that influenced British musicians Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Keith Richards. Her playing earned her the nicknames “the original soul sister” and “the Godmother of rock and roll.”
Her recording of “Down By The Riverside” was selected by the American Library of Congress National Recording Registry because it captured her spirited guitar playing.
Maybelle Carter was a lot more than just June Carter Cash’s mother. She started studying guitar at age thirteen. She’s considered a pioneering musician as she was one of the first to use the guitar as a lead instrument in country music.
In 2023, Rolling Stone named her as the 17th greatest guitarist of all time. She shows her chops in this 1961 live version of “Wildwood Flower.”
On Saturday, we’ll look at some great female guitarists from the 1970-80s.