Lizzo is stepping into the spotlight for her first leading film role. The Grammy-winning artist will portray Sister Rosetta Tharpe in Rosetta, a biopic about the trailblazing musician often called the “Godmother of Rock & Roll.” Along with starring in the Amazon MGM Studios project, Lizzo is also producing alongside Kevin Beisler, Nina Yang Bongiovi, and Forest Whitaker, Entertainment Weekly confirms.
Tharpe, a gospel singer and guitarist who gained fame in the 1930s, was a major influence on rock legends like Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash. Though she passed away in 1973, her impact was recognized in 2018 when Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes inducted her into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The Hall credits her as “the first guitar heroine of rock & roll.”
Scholar Gayle Wald described Tharpe’s extraordinary talent, writing, “By her late teenage years, ‘Sister’ Rosetta … had traveled the length of the country on the ‘gospel highway,’ thrilling the folks who came out to see her at revivals and tent shows.” Wald added that Tharpe’s guitar skills were so remarkable that people said she could make it “talk” or even “walk and talk.”
Lizzo celebrated the film announcement on Monday, expressing her excitement on Instagram. “So excited & honored,” she wrote in a story, later adding, “Black people made rock n roll yeaaaah.”
Beyond music, Lizzo has built an acting resume with roles in Hustlers, The Mandalorian, and The Simpsons. She recently returned to the stage after a two-year break and is gearing up to release her new album, Love in Real Life. Fans can also catch her as the musical guest on SNL when Jon Hamm hosts on April 12.
Leave a Reply