After a spiritual awakening, Dorsey began concentrating on writing and arranging religious music. Dorsey also recorded under the names George Ramsey, Memphis Jim, Memphis Mose, Railroad Bill, Smokehouse Charley, Texas Tommy, and others. He was his sons' first teacher. He was soon making printed copies of his gospel blues, but since he relied on the performer to embellish the music, they did not sell well. 84.00. He was, however, able to work, though he remained on the periphery of the music community, held back, Harris observed, by both his lack of technique and repertoire, which prevented him from joining the union, and the sheer size and wealth of the musical community. 102. Documentary clip on Thomas Dorsey 26,519 views Oct 6, 2014 405 Dislike Share Save mattsak12 860 subscribers taken from "The Story of Gospel Music" Show more 2015 NHD Thomas A Dorsey. [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. In San Francisco, the Reverend Cecil Williams develops a "come as you are" church. Nierenberg centered his film around two pioneering gospel artists, Rev. "Amen" is a response a congregation offers readily and without hesitation after something agreeable and rousing. My favorite; "I'll Tell It Wherever I Go", with such a special version by the Gaither Vocal Band. His first gospel song, "If You See my Savior Tell Him That You Saw Me" was published in 1932. Dorsey married again in 1941. [33][50][51], Despite racial segregation in churches and the music industry, Dorsey's music had widespread crossover appeal. They would tour together in the 1940s. 'Say Amen' focuses on Thomas Dorsey and Willie Mae Ford Smith, two lifelong gospel performers who spend their golden years barnstorming to small churches and congregations, where they perform, spread the gospel, revisit their old stomping grounds, and tell their. The pilgrims took a physical and spiritual voyage, walking from Massachusetts to New Orleans, through the Caribbean, and ultimately, to Goree Island in Senegal. Say Amen, Somebody is one of my favorite music documentaries of all time. Between 1932 and 1944, he held "Evenings with Dorsey" on this circuit, teaching novices the best ways to deliver his songs. Thomas A. Dorsey Net Worth Patty Thomas - Wikipedia He and the NCGCC were featured in the critically acclaimed documentary Say Amen, Somebody in 1982. Give me a song, I stick to the note and play it like it is, you won't pay much attention to it. Thomas A. Dorsey continue to be a giant in gospel music, and after his death his music is still alive and well. [49] In Dorsey's wake, R&B artists Dinah Washington, who was a member of the Sallie Martin Singers, Sam Cooke, originally in the gospel band the Soul Stirrers, Ray Charles, Little Richard, James Brown, and the Coasters recorded both R&B and gospel songs, moving effortlessly between the two, as Dorsey did, and bringing elements of gospel to mainstream audiences. Search the characters on YT, wonderful performances via 78's. Through their work, Dorsey & Williams create new expressions of faith. One of the most acclaimed music documentaries of all time, Say Amen, Somebody is George T. Nierenberg's masterpiece a joyous, funny, deeply emotional celebration of African American culture, featuring the father of Gospel, Thomas A. Dorsey (""Precious Lord, Take My Hand""); Mother Willie Mae Ford Smith; and soul-shaking performances by the Barrett Sisters, the O'Neal Twins, and Zella . 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". He wrote over 400 compositions, but it is for Take My Hand, Precious Lord that he is best known. Was so happy to see it available on DVD at a price I could afford. [10][12], Dorsey tried to market his new sacred music by printing thousands of copies of his songs to sell directly to churches and publishers, even going door to door, but he was ultimately unsuccessful. 2015 NHD Thomas A Dorsey Documentary - by Adero Brooks RicardoBDC 23 subscribers Subscribe 6K views 7 years ago "Make A Joyful Noise" is the 2015 - 1st place winning documentary entered into. Out of that tragedy he wrote the song for which he is best known, "Precious Lord," which has been translated into 50 languages and recorded with success by gospel and secular singers alike, including Elvis Presley, much as Dorsey's "Peace in the Valley" was a hit for Tennessee Ernie Ford and others. Thomas A. Dorsey documentary rough cut - YouTube "[2], Aside from his prodigious songwriting, Dorsey's influence in the gospel blues movement brought about change both for individuals in the black community and communities as a whole. Dorsey instead asked his singers to rely on feeling.[43]. His best-known composition, "Take My Hand, Precious Lord", was performed by Mahalia Jackson and was a favorite of the Rev. Thomas Andrew Dorsey, singer, composer, born Villa Rica Georgia 1 July 1899, died Chicago 23 January 1993. . Before long he was earning money playing at private parties and bordellos. Using rare historic recordings and contemporary performances, "The Birth of Gospel" explores the growth of gospel music from slavery to now. Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2022, Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2022. [52] Four years later, Aretha Franklin sang it at Jackson's funeral. [53][54] Though he never returned to his hometown, efforts to honor Dorsey in Villa Rica, Georgia, began a week after his death. In his grief, he turned to the piano for comfort. Say Amen, Somebody gives an overview of the history of gospel music in the U.S. by following two main figures: Thomas A. Dorsey, considered the "Father of Gospel Music," 83 at the time of filming, recalls how he came to write his most famous song, "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" (1932), and the difficulty he faced introducing gospel blues to black SAY AMEN, SOMEBODY is without question one of the greatest documentaries that you're going to see when it comes to gospel music. It left me wanting more. Film data from TMDb. The documentary follows their lives from the early days and leads up to a big conference when the two dynamic subjects share an auditorium. Posters are sourced from TMDb and Posteritati, and appear for you and visitors to your profile and content, depending on settings. Dorsey, Thomas A. | Encyclopedia.com He recalled visiting Damascus, Syria, where he was approached in a bathroom by a man who recognized his name. Turner encouraged his followers to find God from within. Haley. This journey is also critical to an understanding of what Michael W. Harris called "the rise of gospel blues" in his book of that title, which chronicles the role Dorsey's music played in urban churches. Recommended as an antidote to the blahs. There is joy, but there is also bittersweetness, gospel's popularity having waned by this film's release in 1982 since its broader cachet in the late forties and early fifties. I miss her everyday. Yoruba originated in West Africa and pre-dates Christianity. The 1981 meeting featured in the film was the last convention he was able to attend. ), McLin became a composer, singer, and voice coach for, Numerous sources state Dorsey coined the term "gospel" to refer to sacred music, but W. M. Nix, the singer who inspired Dorsey at the 1921 National Baptist Convention, compiled a songbook titled, NCGCC annual meetings were also attended by members of the, Dorsey later stated that all the praise he received for this song never eclipsed his grief, saying, "None of it's ever been soothing to me, from that day to this day." Thomas Markle Sr has said he will not allow his daughter, Meghan Markle, to "bury" him while he is still alive.. Even with a family he remained active in music, attending multiple engagements each year. Everything I do - that's good, at least - is a reflection of His hand. 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. Dorsey was the son of a Baptist preacher; his mother was the church organist. [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. Both were born enslaved; both used the Gospel to shape their identities. He penned 3,000 songs, a third of them gospel, including "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" and "Peace in the Valley". I feel like I can fly away!". Available as a boxed vhs set or as a DVD for $199.95. Thomas A. Dorsey Biography Born in 1899 in Villa Rica, GA; died of Alzheimer's disease, January 23, 1993, in Chicago, IL; son of a minister and church organist/pianist; married Nettie Harper, 1925 (died, 1931); married Kathryn Mosely, 1941; children: a daughter and a son. [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". It just makes you feel like you want to you hear me say I want to fly away somewhere? (Poe, Janita, "Thomas A Dorsey, Gospel Pioneer". In that film, after being helped into a room, he addresses a group of people, moving comfortably in and out of song all the while. Thomas Dorsey : NPR January 17, 2000 Sung at the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., it is the most-recorded gospel song ever. Apparently, this is a common phrase for a preacher to employ when looking to foster agreement. But Dorsey's conversion was fleeting; he was soon playing with the Whispering Syncopators, making a salary commensurate with professional theater musicians. So spiritual and uplifting! There is no sense of social performance outside of what is naturally there. Now you're not singing blues; you're singing gospel, good news song, singing about the Creator; but it's the same feeling, a grasping of the heart." In doing so, he became one of the first musicians to copyright blues music. July 25, 2003 Thomas Dorsey combined sacred and secular styles to create a revolution in music. [2] Called the "Father of Gospel Music" and often credited with creating it, Dorsey more accurately spawned a movement that popularized gospel blues throughout black churches in the United States, which in turn influenced American music and parts of society at large. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of serviceapply. So many people have sent emails about "Precious Lord, Take my Hand" thinking that the big band leader Tommy Dorsey was the author, tht I have sent this biography to those in response. Eventually Dorsey's desire to become a professional musician motivated him to move to Philadelphia, in 1916, but his plans soon changed and he settled in Chicago, then abuzz with both migrant workers and migrant musicians.