The Grammy-nominated UK singer on her journey from guesting on dance bangers to starring in Baz Lurhmann’s Elvis, and her long battle for recognition in the white, male-dominated Americana scene
Until recently, Tharpe’s contribution to laying the foundations for rock’n’roll in the 1930s and 40s – with her gutsy gospel singing and claw-hammer-plucked electric guitar, a huge influence on the Memphis Flash himself – had gone largely unsung in popular culture. Quartey has experienced that erasure first hand, too. Back when the 38-year-old was trying to make it in the UK, she says: “I was told by a record company exec that nobody wanted to hear a Black woman sing rock’n’roll.” She says the film is “for all the kids that have been told, because they’re of colour, that they can’t touch a guitar”, another insult that’s been levelled personally at her.