Which gospel guitarist nicknamed the Godmother of Rock and Roll was inducted as an Early Influence in 2018?

The gospel guitarist nicknamed the Godmother of Rock and Roll and inducted as an Early Influence in 2018 was Sister Rosetta Tharpe.

Born Rosetta Nubin in 1915, Tharpe grew up in the Black Pentecostal church and became a remarkable singer and electric guitarist. She brought gospel performance into theaters, clubs and secular popular music, using forceful riffs, bends and rhythmic attack decades before those techniques became standard in rock. Her combination of spiritual intensity and guitar showmanship made her an important bridge between gospel, blues, rhythm and blues and rock and roll.

Her 1944 recording “Strange Things Happening Every Day” is frequently cited as an early rock-and-roll landmark, although scholars debate exactly where the genre begins. Tharpe also influenced later figures including Little Richard, Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley. The Rock Hall honored her in the Early Influence category in 2018, rather than the standard performer category. Bessie Smith, Big Mama Thornton and Mahalia Jackson were major artists, but they are not the answer to this clue.