Thomas A. Dorsey

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Thomas A. Dorsey · Thomas Andrew Dorsey was born in 1899 in Villa Rica, Georgia, the son of a preacher and farmer, and died in 1993. He grew up amid spirituals, hymns and the country blues of an uncle, and in Atlanta learned to play blues on piano in barrelhouses and at parties. In 1919 he moved to Chicago, where he became an arranger and composer and was one of the first musicians to have blues copyrighted. He became pianist and leader of Ma Rainey's band and, as Georgia Tom with the guitarist Tampa Red, recorded the successful It's Tight Like That, which sold more than seven million copies.

Music and breakthrough

After a period of deep depression he devoted himself from 1928 to religious music. Apart from the lyrics he saw no real difference between blues and church music. In Chicago he was for fifty years musical director of the Pilgrim Baptist Church, where he introduced improvisation, clapping, stomping and shouting, even though many churches considered that inappropriate. In 1932 he co-founded the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses and, with Sallie Martin, started the first publishing house for Black gospel. After the death of his wife and son he wrote Take My Hand, Precious Lord. Peace in the Valley is also his. He is estimated to have written three thousand songs.

Influence

Many early gospel singers worked or studied with him, such as Mahalia Jackson, Sallie Martin, Roberta Martin and James Cleveland. He is called the Father of Gospel Music, although he mainly started a movement that spread gospel blues through the Black churches. According to one author, he combined the good news of gospel with the bad news of the blues.

Listening

Discography

Studio albums

• 1973Precious Lord: New Recordings of the Great Songs of Thomas A. Dorsey

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

• After Hours: Session 1^NL Reader