Dorsey was born July 1, 1899 in Villa Rica, GA., to the Reverend and Mrs. T. M. Dorsey, one of 10 children. As . *. Michael W. Harris, The Rise of Gospel Blues (New York: Oxford University Press, 1992); James Standifer, Interview with Thomas Dorsey, 1980. An unintended consequence of his sales strategy helped spread gospel blues, as he worked with numerous musicians who assisted in selling his sheet music traveling to churches in and around Chicago. '"[35][g], He remarried in 1941 to Katheryn Mosley. 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. Like most obituaries, the death notice for Thomas A. Dorsey offered a lot of facts, but told little of the life behind them. Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers. Dozens of his optimistic and sentimental songs became gospel standards, notably Precious Lord, Take My Hand (1932). (Poe, Janita, "Thomas A Dorsey, Gospel Pioneer". Mount Prospect Baptist Church, where his father preached and Dorsey learned music at his mother's organ, was declared a historic site by the city, and a historical marker was placed at the location where his family's house once stood. Thomas A. Dorsey Net Worth. African American Music Collection, University of Michigan School of Music, at http://www.umich.edu/~afroammu/standifer/dorsey.html . So, how much is Thomas A. Dorsey worth at the age of 94 years old? New Jersey Death Index, 1901-2017 (with gaps) (at Ancestry/requires payment) New Jersey Death Index, 1901-2017 (with gaps) from Reclaim the Records (free) searchable from 2001-2017; browsable images from 1901-1903, 1920-1929, and 1949-2000; note: about half of 1920-1924 is missing. Doing the Lord's work, absolutely. Thomas Dorsey, a popular Chicago blues pianist turned gospel songwriter, sent Sallie Martin, called the "Queen of Gospel," on solo tours around the country. 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 found appeal in the freedom and potential that came with improvising within established hymns, allowing singers and musicians to infuse more emotion particularly joy and elation into their performances to move congregations. The rent party played a major role in the development of jazz and blues music. Courtesy of Hogan Jazz Archive, Tulane University, African American History: Research Guides & Websites, Global African History: Research Guides & Websites, African American Scientists and Technicians of the Manhattan Project, Envoys, Diplomatic Ministers, & Ambassadors, Education - Historically Black Colleges (HBCU), http://www.umich.edu/~afroammu/standifer/dorsey.html, Foundation, Organization, and Corporate Supporters. He later combined jazz and blues with religious texts, giving birth to gospel music. In 1983, he was featured in the documentary Say Amen, Somebody and was honored at the 1992 Grammy Awards show with a Trustees Award. [15] In between recording sessions with Tampa Red, and inspired by the compliments he received, he formed a choir at Ebenezer Baptist Church at the request of the pastor, Reverend James Smith, who had an affinity for Negro spirituals and indigenous singing styles. Death . All We Know about the Award-Winning Composer, His Life, and Legacy, George Jones Went Silent before Death He Managed to Say His Last Words to Wife Who Once Saved Him, Aretha Franklin Led Life of Silent Suffering After Giving Birth Twice by the Age 14. His death was ruled to have been caused by an accidental choking which occurred when he threw up while sleeping. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. When the pastor at Pilgrim Baptist, Chicago's second largest black church, saw the way it moved the congregation, he hired Dorsey as music director, allowing him to dedicate all his time to gospel music. His death was attributed to his mother's smoking. Born into a preachers family in rural Georgia, Thomas Dorsey began playing the family organ at age six. 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. Thomas Dorsey 1899 - 1993. Omissions? While working in a local circus at The 81 theater in Atlanta, Dorsey became influenced by the famous musicians who played there most especially the pianists. His first attempts to combine the two styles, which he called the gospel song, were met with resistance, however, because of their heavy blues influence. Summary Thomas E Dorsey was born on June 30, 1923. . On January 23, 1993, Thomas A. Dorsey died of non-communicable disease. 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. In 1933, Dorsey directed a 600-person chorus at the second meeting of the NCGCC, now boasting 3,500 members in 24 states. 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. I don't go and take it just straight; I got to put something in it to get over. Aside from the lyrics, he saw no real distinction between blues and church music, and viewed songs as a supplement to spoken word preaching. May 16, 2000 . 209240. Thomas A Dorsey Thomas . Although his beginnings were in the jazz and blues tradition, he was also influenced by music he heard through his religious affiliations. The manager of a gospel quartet active in the 1930s stated that songs written by Dorsey and other songwriters copying him spread so far in such a short time that they were called "dorseys". Love you! Sources. We Shall Walk Through the Valley in Peace was an instant hit with white Southerners and became a million-seller for country star Red Foley. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here. But they just didnt understand.. Thereafter, though he continued writing, he concentrated on lecturing and administrative duties. [34] After writing to his sister that he was lonely and wanted to be around children, she sent Dorsey's niece Lena McLin to live with him. Tom served as a police officer in Madison Township, worked SRO for City of Dayton public schools, was a car salesman for several years when he transitioned into a career with Goodyear Tire & Rubber. Discover Precious Lord: The Great Gospel Songs of Thomas A. Dorsey by Rev. [33][24], Notably, "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" was the favorite song of Martin Luther King Jr., who asked Dorsey to play it for him on the eve of his assassination. . View staff by program area to ask for additional assistance. However, we continue to have leadership offices, meeting rooms, and The Upper Room Chapel at 1908 Grand Avenue, in Nashville. Death Year: 1972; Death date: January 27 . One person was stabbed in the chest, and the other had lacerations to the hands. The third stanza begins, "When the darkness appears," reminiscent of Psalm 23:4: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death . [13][14][d], Unsure if gospel music could sustain him, Dorsey was nonetheless pleased to discover that he made an impression at the National Baptist Convention in 1930 when, unknown to him, Willie Mae Ford Smith sang "If You See My Savior" during a morning meeting. Last Known Residence . We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. [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. Dorsey had eaten a heavy meal and began choking in his sleep. As formulated by Dorsey, gospel music combines Christian praise with the . Van Matre, Lynn, "Praises To Be For 'Father of Gospel'". For women, that included not wearing make-up. [29], Despite the objections, within months gospel blues had proven to be established in Chicago's black churches. Upon the death of his wife and baby the following year, Dorsey wrote the famous, Precious Lord, Take My Hand. While presiding over rehearsals, Dorsey was strict and businesslike. 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. He was . Upon singing, "at the river I stand," the singer reaches at last the final destination, the symbolic Jordan River. Death Records are kept by Vital Records Offices or Tarrant County Clerk's Offices, which may be run by the state or at . He was a . Thomas A. Dorsey covered Sittin' on Top of the World, New Strangers Blues, You Can't Get That Stuff No More, Old Ship of Zion and other songs. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Nix elongated some notes to emphasize specific syllables and words and sped up others. He was also a highly respected and influential trombonist. In 1916, Dorsey moved to Chicago to study at the Chicago School of Composition and Arranging. Since its debut it has been translated into 50 languages. Mr. Dorsey is survived by his second wife, Katherine, 73; his daughter; his son, Mickey; and four grandchildren. Thomas Andrew Dorsey, (born July 1, 1899, Villa Rica, Ga., U.S.died Jan. 23, 1993, Chicago, Ill.), American songwriter, singer, and pianist whose many up-tempo blues arrangements of gospel music hymns earned him the title of Father of Gospel Music.. Updated: October 7, 2011 . And Dorsey's own Pilgrim Baptist Church choir performed at the 1933 World's Fair. In 1919 he moved to Chicago. "[37][27] Dorsey began to slow down in the 1970s, eventually showing symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. History of Hymns: "Precious Lord, Take My Hand", "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" Thomas Dorsey. Corrections? Thomas Dorsey was buried at Barrancas National CemeterySection 39 Site 469 Naval Air Station, 1 Cemetery Road, in Pensacola. [36] In Living Blues, Jim O'Neal compares Dorsey in gospel to W. C. Handy, who was the first and most influential blues composer, "with the notable difference that Dorsey developed his tradition from within, rather than 'discovering' it from an outsider's vantage point". He is survived by his loving wife, Susan; sons, Tommy Dorsey Jr. (Cheri); Travis Dorsey (Dana); daughters, Emily Fryman; Leigh-Ann Sparks (Dave); brother, Jim Dorsey (Ruth); sisters, Denise Dorsey; Delores Harden (Tim Heinlein); Danna Hay (Michael); Donna Franks (John); Surviving are also seven grandchildren, Jared Dorsey (Stephanie); Evan Dorsey; Keegan Dorsey (Kailee); Haley Stunich; Travis Dorsey Jr.; Briana Clark; and C.J. Dorsey served as the music director at Chicago's Pilgrim Baptist Church for 50 years, introducing musical improvisation and encouraging personal elements of participation such as clapping, stomping, and shouting in churches when these were widely condemned as unrefined and common. Thomas A. Dorsey, better known by the Family name Thomas A. Dorsey, was a popular musician, composer, and Christian evangelist influential in the development of early blues and 20th-century gospel music. Tommy Dorsey. 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. Thereafter, he vowed to concentrate all his efforts in gospel music. From 1932 Dorsey was choral director of the Pilgrim Baptist Church in Chicago. 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