And today we’ll explore how rock, soul, and R&B grew out of this gospel influence: Sam Cooke’s emergence as a soul singer epitomized this moment; Sister Rosetta Tharpe defined what it meant to be a rock star and influenced some of the early rock ‘n’ rollers; and The Edwin Hawkins Singers solidified gospel music’s place alongside pop music, with their mainstream hit, “Oh Happy Day.” That’s coming up, on the next World Cafe.
World Cafe airs weekdays at 2:00 pm on KRCB-FM Radio 91 / streaming @ norcalpublicmedia.org / Listen live on-the-go with the FREE KRCB Mobile App from the App Store & Google Play.