Tina Turner, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Little Richard and various other black artists paved the way in Rock and Roll before turning into a predominantly white genre in the 80s. Keep watching to see how these artists influenced the art of Rock and Roll!
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00:00Most of the rock music you listen to today would not exist if not for black innovators
00:08paving the way.
00:12During this black music month, we're taking a look back at some of the trailblazing artists
00:16that made rock and roll what it is.
00:21Rock was born in the 1950s at a time when the United States was just as segregated as
00:25music genres.
00:27Take a look back to Elvis whose sound was not a white sound.
00:33He was compared to African American R&B singers and covered countless African American musicians.
00:39Little Richard has been described as the architect of rock and roll for his dynamic music and
00:44electrifying stage presence in the mid-50s music scene.
00:53Ike and Tina Turner opened for the Rolling Stones in the late 1960s, which introduced
00:58their bold style of soul-infused rock.
01:04And Sister Rosetta Tharpe has been credited as the godmother of rock and roll.
01:08A black queer woman in the 40s, she forged her sound in an industry dominated by men.
01:14And she wielded a guitar on a level that rivaled them.
01:17But by the 80s, rock and roll had now become white music.
01:20With most general knowledge of rock history not going back further than the 70s, rumors
01:25are that it may be the third act in genre Beyonce is looking to reclaim.