HE Playlist, Song Two: Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s "Didn't It Rain?"

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With just 18 days until the release of “He,” I thought I’d share the second song on my playlist—Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s "Didn't It Rain?"  For me this song is atmospheric, a sepia-toned watercolor “painting” of the small, dusty farm town where we first encounter our protagonists Oren and Jackson. That it is sung by a queer Black woman who is widely regarded as “the Godmother of Rock 'N' Roll” is especially fitting for a novel centering queer black love.

“He,” like my previous novels, blends romance and history, which makes the inclusion of “Didn’t It Rain?” feel necessary and significant.

WATCH: Sister Rosetta Tharpe "Didn't It Rain?"

Learn more about Sister Rosetta Tharpe and her impact on music HERE.

Missed the first song on the playlist? You can read up on it HERE.

"He" will be released on October 11, 2025 but electronic advanced release copies are available in the US and the UK on Netgalley. Request your copy HERE.

Photo by Jake Bowman on Unsplash


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