A legend
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Thomas Andrew Dorsey,
born on July 1, 1899, in Villa Rica, Georgia, and died on January 23, 1993, in Chicago, Illinois, was known by his stage name “Georgia Tom.”
Dorsey is primarily regarded as the “father of gospel music.”
Dorsey began his musical career in blues and ragtime. In the 1920s, he became known as a pianist and composer and worked with prominent blues artists such as Ma Rainey. Under the name “Georgia Tom,” he had great success with blues numbers such as “It's Tight Like That,” a 1928 hit he recorded with Tampa Red.
A decisive turning point in his life was a personal tragedy in 1932, when his wife and newborn son died. This event led Dorsey to devote himself exclusively to religious music. He began combining blues melodies and rhythms with spiritual lyrics, thus creating the distinctive “gospel blues.”
Dorsey wrote thousands of songs, including many gospel standards, the best known of which are “Take My Hand, Precious Lord” (1932) and “Peace in the Valley.” He was not only a prolific composer, but also a pioneer in the dissemination and promotion of gospel music. In 1933, he founded the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses, an organization dedicated to the education and promotion of gospel choirs, and served as its president for 40 years. He also founded the first African-American gospel music publishing company, Dorsey House of Music.
Thomas Dorsey was the musical mentor of many well-known gospel singers, including Mahalia Jackson, for whom he wrote “Peace in the Valley,” among other songs. His work had a significant impact on the development of gospel music in the 20th century and also influenced other genres such as country, rockabilly, and rock ‘n’ roll.
Thomas Dorsey has been honored many times for his groundbreaking contributions to music, including induction into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame (1994), the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame (2013), and the Blues Hall of Fame (2018).
Mahalia Jackson and Thomas Dorsey – an ideal team
They worked most closely together during the war years from 1941 to 1944, when their programs were advertised in black newspapers in the Midwest, on the East Coast, and in the South. With a few breaks, they toured together until 1951.
Two geniuses of improvisation!
Two improvisational geniuses! Thanks to his experience as a blues musician, Thomas Dorsey had extensive improvisational skills and encouraged Mahalia to develop her abilities during their performances by giving her lyrics and playing chords while she invented melodies.
Sometimes she would perform 20 or more songs in this manner. She was very good at connecting with the audience and expressing emotions. Her goal was to “destroy” a church or cause a state of spiritual pandemonium among the audience, which she always succeeded in doing.
During an event, Dorsey jumped up from the piano in a moment of ecstasy and proclaimed,
“Mahalia Jackson is the Empress of Gospel Singers!
She is the Empress! The Empress!!”