Shout, sister, shout
Are you like me – do you love the music of Sister Rosetta Tharpe? And are you also a fan of Rosanne Cash?
Well, if you are, here's something you need to see: a new essay by Cash about Tharpe. "She traveled the world and left it scorched with her fearlessness and musical originality...." Yes, she did.
She never has really gotten her due. A southern black woman in the 50's and 60's wailing with both ferocity and class on a distorted Gibson SG was revolutionary on so many levels.
ReplyDeleteHow about that Telecaster lying in the rocking chair? Given the history of it that could be a 2-million dollar guitar.
ReplyDeleteI thought I'd vouch for that number a little since it does sound high. For example, Jimi Hendrix's Strat from Woodstock apparently sold for 2 million but that was a while ago. You get the right rich collector and I could see Rosetta Tharpe's Telecaster fetching 2 million.
DeleteFor one thing, she probably had far fewer guitars throughout her career than Clapton, etc.. Paul Allen would have been a possible buyer. Paul paid the 2 million for Jimi's Strat from Woodstock back in 1998 and these things seem to appreciate fast. It's like vintage cars or the art world: The high end is always a little shocking.
We know Pete Townsend pretty much destroyed a guitar at every concert but I read that because it was Pete Townsend, the guitars were worth more once he destroyed them. So it's hard to factor in the price of history. However, a 1958-59 Gibson Explorer just by itself can be worth $310,000 so a Tele that belonged to Rosetta Tharpe? If you could establish the provenance, I could see it being worth 2 million easy.
I didn't even notice that! Great observations all the way around...
Delete