Thomas Andrew Dorsey (July 1, 1899 - January 23, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and Christian evangelist influential in the development of early blues and 20th-century gospel music.He penned 3,000 songs, a third of them gospel, including "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" and "Peace in the Valley".Recordings of these sold millions of copies in both gospel and secular markets in the . Dorsey died of Alzheimer's in 1993, listening to music on a Walkman. Martin Luther King Jr. Another composition, "Peace in the Valley", was a hit . Author Anthony Heilbut summarized Dorsey's influence by saying he "combined the good news of gospel with the bad news of blues". Thomas Andrew Dorsey (July 1, 1899 - January 23, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and Christian evangelist influential in the development of early blues and 20th-century gospel music. He loved music and food was his comfort. By 1931, Dorsey had formed one of the nation's first gospel choirs at Chicago's Pilgrim Baptist Church. Although his beginnings were in the jazz and blues tradition, he was also influenced by music he heard through his religious affiliations. It said that he was the father of gospel music; that he had written . He was 100% Mr. West Carrollton and surely November 02, 2022 | Kingsport, TN | Classmate. Thomas Dorsey, the favorite gospel singer of the late Martin Luther King, was one of the United States' most prominent gospel singers and has often been referred to as the father of gospel music. He and the NCGCC were featured in the critically acclaimed documentary Say Amen, Somebody in 1982. In 1919 he moved to Chicago. [25] Others took offense to such lively music overshadowing the minister's spoken word, or women delivering spiritual messages through song, taking the place of the preacher who was typically male. Cousin Robin, Sue, Im so sorry for your loss!! Updates? Touring with singer Sallie Martin, Dorsey brought new hope to millions of black churchgoers, packing churches and filling collection baskets even during the darkest days of the Depression. And its not your business to know.. Dorsey, Thomas Andrew (b. Sources. Thomas Andrew Dorsey, singer, composer, born Villa Rica Georgia 1 July 1899, died Chicago 23 January 1993. Thomas Auguster Dorsey, 58, faces one count each . Thomas A. Dorsey Net Worth. Early life Thomas Andrew Dorsey was born in Villa Rica . He was a . View Entry. Thomas Andrew Dorsey (July 1, 1899 January 23, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and Christian evangelist influential in the development of early blues and 20th-century gospel music. He studied informally with musicians at the theater and local dance bands, always playing blues. Worship Planning Arrangements entrusted to:Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home4001 Sebring ParkwaySebring, FL 33870Online condolences may be left at:www.stephensonnelsonfh.com. The adjustment for the entire family was difficult, culminating in Thomas being isolated, held back at school, and eventually dropping out after the fourth grade when he was twelve years old. Dorsey doubtless would have continued in this vein had he not fallen ill and, after the death of a neighbor, been moved to write his first religious song, If You See My Savior, Tell Him That You Saw Me. It was hardly an immediate success; it was three years before he sold even a single copy of the song, during which time he kept up his career in the blues. Dorsey and Martin established a publishing company called Dorsey House of Music, the first black-owned gospel publishing house in the U.S.[18][19] His sheet music sold so well, according to Heilbut, it supplanted the first book of compiled songs for black churches, W. M. Nix's Gospel Pearls, and the family Bible in black households. Death . 209240. He was also a highly respected and influential trombonist. [39][40] Folklorist Alan Lomax claims that Dorsey "literally invented gospel". Over the next 60 years, Dorsey became known as the "Father of Gospel Music," penning hundreds of songs and redefining the genre in beat, rhythm, and tempo. Instead, he fused the two, applying inspirational lyrics to the melodic and rhythmic ideas that powered the likes of Its Tight Like That., It wasnt a conscious decision, and it scandalized many God-fearing Baptists at the time. Dorsey, who was born in Villa Rica, Georgia, was the music director at Pilgrim Baptist Church in Chicago from 1932 until the late 1970s. [9], Rainey enjoyed enormous popularity touring with a hectic schedule, but beginning in 1926 Dorsey was plagued by a two-year period of deep depression, even contemplating suicide. Dorsey began taking sleeping pills regularly at this time; therefore, he was so sedated that he was unable to awaken and died from choking. While presiding over rehearsals, Dorsey was strict and businesslike. Black musicians during the pre-Civil Rights era often formed their own publishing companies in order to make their music available. My soul was a deluge of divine rapture; my emotions were aroused; my heart was inspired to become a great . After suffering a severe illness in 1926, Dorsey was converted in 1928 and became active in Pilgrim Baptist Church in Chicago. "When she started singing, the gold in her teeth would sparkle," Rainey's longtime musical director Thomas A. Dorsey wrote in his unpublished memoirs. GREENWICH, Conn. -- A medical examiner ruled today that bandleader Tommy Dorsey, the "sentimental gentleman of swing," accidentally choked to death in his sleep. Here are 10 you cant miss, Review: A reimagined Secret Garden fails to flower anew at the Ahmanson Theatre, Moroccan singer convicted of rape in Paris, gets 6-year term, Jonas Brothers promise Broadway residency will be a walk down musics memory lane, Toxic sex, social anxiety, 90s guitars: How L.A.s Blondshell pulled off the rock debut of 2023, Rihanna making the FCC work, work, work, after Super Bowl viewers file 103 complaints, Brad Paisley drops new song featuring President Zelensky to mark one year of Ukraine war. Dorsey put together the "Wild Cats Jazz Band" to play for Ma Rainey in 1925. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here. Thomas A. Dorsey was a thriving blues musician who was struck by tragedy in the thirties, thus inspiring him to focus primarily on religious music. American Gospel musician Thomas A Dorsey singing in his living room in Chicago, Illinois in March 1983. This is one of the most long-lasting and widely used choruses in Christian worship. In 1932, he co-founded the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses, an organization dedicated to training musicians and singers from all over the U.S. that remains active. So, how much is Thomas A. Dorsey worth at the age of 94 years old? He was his sons' first teacher. This memorial website was created in memory of Thomas A Dorsey, 84, born on October 17, 1915 and passed away on May 16, 2000. At this time, Dorsey had adopted the stage name, Georgia Tom.. Tom never met a stranger. Birth Year: 1899. We all love you, Tommy! [47], Encountering a "golden age" between 1940 and 1960, gospel music introduced recordings and radio broadcasts featuring singers who had all been trained by Dorsey or one of his protges. As a result, his sales pitches and chorus performances were not always well received. If you knew Tom, you had a friend for life. I am so sorry to hear of Tom's passing. Obliging, Dorsey began, but the multinational group took over: "And they knew it in Damascus, too. He was influenced in childhood by blues pianists in the Atlanta, Ga., area and worked in secular hokum music as a composer, arranger, pianist, and vocalist from 1910 through 1928. In 1916 he moved to Chicago, where he attended the College of Composition and Arranging. Thomas A. Dorsey released in 1973. He was born in Dayton, Ohio, the son of Charles D. and Norma Jean Moe (Ferguson) Dorsey. Since its debut it has been translated into 50 languages. A Moment in African American Faith History - Thomas A. Dorsey. Fulfilled, perhaps. . Death . He penned 3,000 songs, a third of them gospel, including "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" and "Peace in the Valley". Death Records Search. In Nelson Township, on Hopkins Road, north of Pierce Road, at around 12:33 in the morning, a 1998 Buick Century reportedly ran off the road . Death record, obituary, funeral notice and information about the deceased person. And he would sit at the piano and play something and say, 'That's good stuff! On November 26, 1956, Tommy Dorsey died at age 51 in his Greenwich, Connecticut home. Thomas Dorsey was a man who found himself conflicted between the work of man and the work of God. Dorsey Arranger 4 56111 13113 31611 Thomas A. Dorsey 1973 , by adding it to the United States National Recording Registry. Omissions? Thomas A. Dorsey originally did Sittin' on Top of the World, No Matter How She Done It, New Strangers Blues, Maybe It's the Blues and other songs. Death Year: 1993. All Rights Reserved. (DG) - Hagerstown Police are investigating a deadly stabbing that began as a fight between a father and son. We know he will be greatly missed by many. View staff by program area to ask for additional assistance. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. Over time, Dorseys influence in the gospel music industry grew as he went on to compose several songs including Take My Hand Precious Lord which was inspired by the death of his wife and was later performed by Mahalia Jackson. He penned 3,000 songs, a third of them gospel, including "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" and "Peace in the Valley". Bright sunshine warmed spring gardners as they browsed through displays at the Spring Fling 2001, a lawn and landscape show at the Prince William. On January 23, 1993, Thomas A. Dorsey died of non-communicable disease. Last Known Residence . In so many words, it's about rising above poverty while still living humble deserting the ways of the world while retaining its best tunes. An organization that Tom was passionate about. [28] Ministers who would not have considered changing their music programs just a few years before became more open to new ideas. Between 1924 and 1928, he served as a backup dancer for Ma Rainey during her touring shows and simultaneously, he acted as a leader for his own music group, Wildcats Jazz Band., Thomas A. Dorsey poses for a portrait circa 1960 in Chicago, Illinois. Death certificates are easily ordered for $25.00 and can be paid for online. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Thomas-Andrew-Dorsey, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame - Biography of Thomas A. Dorsey, Songwriters Hall of Fame - Biography of Thomas A. Dorsey, Thomas A. Dorsey - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). [29], Despite the objections, within months gospel blues had proven to be established in Chicago's black churches. While attending a church service with his sister-in-law, Dorsey claimed the minister who prayed over him pulled a live serpent from his throat, prompting his immediate recovery. (Marovich, p. He died Saturday. President Lyndon B. Johnson requested that "Precious Lord" be sung at his funeral. | Photo: Getty Images. '"[35][g], He remarried in 1941 to Katheryn Mosley. And Dorsey's own Pilgrim Baptist Church choir performed at the 1933 World's Fair. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Thomas A. Dorsey was born in Villa Rica, Georgia, the first of three children to Thomas Madison Dorsey, a minister and farmer, and Etta Plant Spencer. "Precious Lord" has been recorded by many famous singers including Elvis Presley, Mahalia Jackson, Roy Rogers, and Tennessee Ernie Ford. They had two children, a son named Thomas M. "Mickey" and a daughter, Doris. The three stanzas capture the grief not only of Dorsey, but also of any who have suffered significant loss. Upon hearing Nix sing, Dorsey was overcome, later recalling that his "heart was inspired to become a great singer and worker in the Kingdom of the Lordand impress people just as this great singer did that Sunday morning". Every aspect of the song embodies a simple sincerity.. . Villa Rica's rural location allowed Dorsey to hear slave spirituals, and "moaning" a style of singing marked by elongated notes and embellishments widespread among Southern black people alongside the Protestant hymns his father favored. For the big band trombonist and bandleader, see, Thomas Dorsey during his "Georgia Tom" blues period, late 1920s, Accounts of how many children the Dorseys had depend on the source. The record sold more than seven million copies. *. He is described as stately and often detached, one writer attesting that from a distance, "Dorsey is not presented as a happy man. Folk was wipin' their eyes, and some cryin' and bawlin' on, and I told em, 'What is this happenin' here? The grave site of Thomas A Dorsey. Upon the death of his wife and baby the following year, Dorsey wrote the famous, Precious Lord, Take My Hand. Get our L.A. [57], List of people considered a founder in a Humanities field, This article is about the pianist, and composer of jazz, blues, and gospel. December 24, 1998 . He also toured extensively with Mahalia Jackson in the 1940s, who was by this time the preeminent gospel singer in the world. [3][a], Religion and music were at the center of the Dorseys' lives, and young Thomas was exposed to a variety of musical styles in his early childhood. 930 Watertower Lane, West Carrollton, Florida. But as Dorsey told blues scholar Anthony Heilbut: When a thing becomes a part of you, you dont know when its gonna manifest itself. [16], This new style began to catch on in Chicago, and Dorsey's musical partners Theodore Frye, Magnolia Lewis Butts, and Henry Carruthers urged him to organize a convention where musicians could learn gospel blues. Dorsey (1899-1993) was born in Georgia. Discipleship Ministries is an agency of The United Methodist Church 2023 Discipleship Ministries. Lornell, Kip, "Dorsey, Thomas (18991993) Blues and Gospel Musician and Composer". Induction Year: 1979. He remained in contact with his friends and fellow blues musicians, saying, "I'm not ashamed of my blues. Handy for inspiring a flock of lowdown, dirty blues.. [52] Four years later, Aretha Franklin sang it at Jackson's funeral. At the theater, he learned to play the piano and by age 12 . We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. [24] He found resistance among ministers, musicians, and parishioners alike. I think about all these blue-collar people who had to deal with Jim Crow, meager salaries, and yet the maid who cleaned up somebody else's house all week long, the porter, the chauffeur, the gardener, the cook, were nobody. He traveled widely throughout his life, teaching workshops and leading choruses, while composing over 800 gospel pieces. He is from USA. Ill be back to Lakeland in January if you want to get together and chat! Updated: October 7, 2011 . History of Hymns: 'Spirit of the Living God'. [42] He insisted that songs be memorized rather than chorus members reading music or lyrics while performing. Last Known Residence . McLin remembered that her uncle was "soft-spoken, not loud at all, and very well dressed he always had a shirt and a tie and a suit, and he was always elegant, very mannerly, very nice. Thomas A. Dorsey Death: and Cause of Death. I'll never get out of this place alive. His death was attributed to his mother's smoking. [30][31], Dorsey lived a quiet life despite his influence. But it became the hit of the Jubilee Session of the National A.M.E. Baptist Convention in 1930, and, from then on, Dorsey devoted himself to religious music. Thereafter, he vowed to concentrate all his efforts in gospel music. The incipit or opening line of stanza one, "Precious Lord, take my hand. Dorsey and Ebenezer's music director Theodore Frye trained the new chorus to deliver his songs with a gospel blues sound: lively, joyous theatrical performances with embellished and elongated notes accentuated with rhythmic clapping and shouts. Choir members were encouraged to be physically active while singing, rocking and swaying with the music. Even though he had hundreds of jazz and blues songs to his credit, he turned to gospel music, one of the first to use that term, following the tragic death of Nettie and their infant son in 1932. At eight he started writing his own music, and by 13, was playing piano in Atlanta, accompanying some of the famous jazz artists of the day. The Dorseys sharecropped on a small farm, while the elder Dorsey, a graduate of Atlanta Bible College (now Morehouse College), traveled to nearby churches to preach. Dorsey started to play rent parties house parties in which tenants would hire a musician or band to play for a party and pass the hat to raise money to pay their rent. Poe, Janita, "Thomas A Dorsey, Gospel Pioneer", National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Precious Lord: New Recordings of the Great Songs of Thomas A. Dorsey, Living legends of Chicago gospel honor tradition, carry on family legacies, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Spirit of Dorsey's Songs Fills His Funeral Service, Living Legends of Chicago Gospel Honor Tradition, Carry on Family Legacies, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Inductee List, Frequently Asked Questions: National Recording Registry, Complete National Recording Registry Listing: National Recording Registry, "If I Could Hear My Mother Pray AgainThomas Dorsey (1934)", "Peace in the Valley"Red Foley and the Sunshine Boys (1951), "Precious Lord: New Recordings of the Great Gospel Songs of Thomas A. Dorsey", "'It's Tight Like That' by Tampa Red and Georgia Tom", "'Future Blues' Willie Brown (Paramount 1930)", Biography by the Chicago Historical Society, "The Father of the Chicago Gospel Singing Movement", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thomas_A._Dorsey&oldid=1093851652, Governor's Award for the Arts in Chicago, given 1985, "If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again" (1934), added in 2007 recorded by Dorsey, written by John Whitfield Vaughan in 1922, "Peace In The Valley" by Red Foley and the Sunshine Boys (1951), added in 2006, Ferris, William, and Hart, Mary L., eds. `` Dorsey, Thomas ( 18991993 ) blues and gospel musician and ''! One of the living God ' they had two children, a named... But the multinational group took over: `` and they knew it in Damascus too. The music notice and information about the deceased person work of God January... His beginnings were in the World g ], he remarried in 1941 Katheryn! 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