Ecstatic Sounds: The Influence of Pentecostalism on Rock and Roll

Abstract

A distinctly Pentecostal music and worship style has strongly affected rock and roll. This influence has been both indirect, through Pentecostal influence on gospel music, and direct, via a surprising number of rock artists who grew up in or were exposed early to Pentecostal settings. Among those rock and soul artists are many in the highest echelons of rock performance and song writing, including Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, B. B. King, James Brown, Tina Turner, Marvin Gaye, Sly Stone, Al Green, and many others. One explanation of Pentecostal influence rests on the parallels between Pentecostalism and rock, both of which feature ecstatic music drawing on West African roots.

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