It’s worth pointing out that there’s a marked division within the genre between Black gospel music (which is the tradition rock-‘n’-roll has its roots in) and “Southern” or “Christian” gospel which is tightly interrelated with southern evangelical fundamentalism, and is (not surprisingly) both overwhelmingly white and extremely conservative musically.
I’m genuinely sad that people died, but gospel music is bullshit. I don’t feel bad that there are fewer people singing it.
I don’t like the religious nature of it, but we would not have rock music if it wasn’t for gospel.
This is Sister Rosetta Tharpe in the 1960s. But in the 1930s and 1940s, she pretty much invented rock guitar. She was doing it singing gospel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj3fpujjFis
The gospel roots of rock have been discussed in depth. You’ll find a lot of information on the subject online.
It’s worth pointing out that there’s a marked division within the genre between Black gospel music (which is the tradition rock-‘n’-roll has its roots in) and “Southern” or “Christian” gospel which is tightly interrelated with southern evangelical fundamentalism, and is (not surprisingly) both overwhelmingly white and extremely conservative musically.