Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Sister Rosetta Tharpe was one insanely unique artist. Take a song like "Up Above My Head I Hear Music in the Air," for example; sure, it's gospel music with plenty of references to Sweet Baby J. But the tune also references jazz, jump blues and swing. You can hear why Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley both cited the good Sister as an influence. Long before rock 'n' roll came on the scene, Tharpe was cross-pollinating the sounds of the South in new and unique ways. Plus, she played electric guitar!