Four goals in the opening 15 minutes made this more like an entertaining old style musical than football with Sharp topping the bill.
By the break he had scored twice and helped set up two other goals and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas looked a star in the making.
When Sharp made his first run at the City defence in the second minute, he picked out Thomas at the far post and the 19-year-old stroked confidently into the far corner.
Starting his first game of a one-month loan from Arsenal where he captains the youth side, Emmanuel-Thomas went on to score again.
City right-back Bradley Orr, who took most of the blame for the first goal, redeemed himself with two of his own in the ninth and 15th minutes. Both were scored close in as he connected with meaty left wing crosses from Jamal Campbell-Ryce.
It was all highly entertaining stuff except for the respective coaches who must have found some appalling defending far from amusing.
Both sides could have had more; Nicky Maynard hit the bar from 25-yards for City and James Coppinger had a shot for Rovers diverted by keeper Dean Gerken.
But it was Sharp who made the difference. His first goal came from a cross on the right by Coppinger, his second from a run through the middle after wrong footing central defender Lewin Nyatanga.
Donny's neat passing game and a comfortable two-goal lead at half time was enough to carry them to only their second ever win at Ashton Gate as they completed a second win this season against their opponents.
The scoreline was boosted for them by Bradley Orr who turned the cross from Coppinger through his own goal with an hour gone after he had twice come close to scoring a hat-trick of his own.