Lizzo to trade her flute for an electric guitar to play Rock ‘n’ Roll pioneer Rosetta Tharpe in a biopic for Amazon MGM Studios

It’s about damn time! Someone is finally making a movie about Rosetta Tharpe, the gospel singer who transcended the art form to become one of Rock’ n’ Roll and R&B’s most influential pioneers. The biographical project hails from Amazon MGM Studios, with four-time Grammy award winner Lizzo (Hustlers) shredding the electric guitar to play Rosetta.

In addition to her starring role, Lizzo is producing the film with Kevin Beisler, Significant Productions’ Nina Yang Bongiovi, and Forest Whitaker. Natalie Chaidez (The Flight Attendant, Queen of the South) and Kwynn Perry (Tigerbelles, The Burned Photo) are writing the script, focusing on the life and times of Rosetta Tharpe, the mother of Rock’ n’ Roll. Simply put, there would be no Rock ‘n’ Roll without Tharpe’s influence. She inspired icons like Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and innumerable others to set fire to strings and give their souls to the musical art form.

Actual events inspire Lizzo’s Rosetta movie, which “will capture a pivotal period in Thrape’s life—one of groundbreaking innovation, defiant passion, and secret love. As she shatters musical boundaries with her signature guitar sound, she must navigate societal constraints, conceal her love for another woman, and ultimately transform a wedding into one of the most legendary concerts in history—the first stadium show.”

Sister Rosetta Tharpe gained popularity in the 1930s and 1940s with her gospel recordings. Tharpe’s unique approach to the genre included blending heartfelt hymns with spirited electric guitar riffs. She is one of the first artists to use heavy distortion in her electrifying sound, a musical approach that lives on through today’s artists. She helped develop British blues in the 1960s, and her 1964 tour with Muddy Waters is considered legendary among artists like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Keith Richards.

Rosetta Tharpe embraced all venues, from quaint train station platforms to nightclubs, concert halls, and more. For a great taste of her sound, check out the songs “Up About My Head,” “Didn’t It Rain,” “Shout Sister Shout,” “Rock Me,” and “The Devil Has Thrown Him Down.” Sister Rosetta Tharpe passed away in 1973, but Diggers Factory released the latest collection of her music on February 28, 2025, with the “Godmother of Rock ‘N’ Roll” album.

What do you think about Lizzo playing Rosetta Tharpe in Amazon MGM Studios’s Rosetta? Let us know in the comments section below.

The post Lizzo to trade her flute for an electric guitar to play Rock ‘n’ Roll pioneer Rosetta Tharpe in a biopic for Amazon MGM Studios appeared first on JoBlo.