Thomas A. Dorsey, who was widely known as the father of gospel music, died on Saturday at his home in Chicago. Of his 1,000 musical works, at least 200 were gospel songs. 1 July 1899 in Villa Rica, Georgia; d. 23 January 1993 in Chicago, Illinois), called "The Father of Gospel Music" for the contributions he made as songwriter, arranger, choir director, and publisher in the development of gospel hymnody.Dorsey helped usher in the Golden Age of Gospel (1930-1960).. Dorsey was the first of three children born to the Reverend Thomas . He stopped recording in 1934 but toured widely into the 1940s. and died after 2 days. Death record, obituary, funeral notice and information about the deceased person. Dorsey (1899-1993) was born in Georgia. Thereafter, he vowed to concentrate all his efforts in gospel music. Upon the death of his wife and baby the following year, Dorsey wrote the famous, Precious Lord, Take My Hand. He gave so much to so many over the years and was such a presence with the class of 1970. Many hymns are conceived in the throes of tragedy. But his greatest legacy is the music itself. Clark; two great-grandchildren, Madelyn Dorsey and Bryson Cubbage. [1] Billed as "Tampa Red and Georgia Tom" and "The Famous Hokum Boys", the duo found great success together, eventually collaborating on 60 songs between 1928 and 1932, and coining the term "Hokum" to describe their guitar/piano combination with simple, racy lyrics. He is the son of the late William and Thelma Merryman Dorsey. He recalled visiting Damascus, Syria, where he was approached in a bathroom by a man who recognized his name. 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. [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. All Rights Reserved. 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. At the beginning of worship services, Dorsey instructed choruses to march from the rear of the sanctuary to the choir-loft in a specific way, singing all the while. 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. They had two children, a son named Thomas M. "Mickey" and a daughter, Doris. He promoted the gospel song through the formation of the National Association of Gospel Choirs and Choruses, serving as the organizations president. Paul Moseley Star-Telegram/DFW.com. "J. W." First & Middle Name (s) Last Name. The grave site of Thomas A Dorsey. .." By the time we reach the third stanza, the terrain has changed from a stormy sea (stanza one), a long road (stanza two), to a river of hope (stanza three). [48] In 1936, members of Dorsey's junior choir became the Roberta Martin Singers, a successful recording group which set the standard for gospel ensembles, both for groups and individual voice roles within vocal groups. He introduced rituals and standards among gospel choirs that are still in use. As a result, his sales pitches and chorus performances were not always well received. His father was a Baptist preacher, and his mother a piano teacher. Dorsey had eaten a heavy meal and began choking in his sleep. [45] Choruses were stocked primarily with women, often untrained singers with whom Dorsey worked personally, encouraging many women who had little to no participation in church before to become active. . [41] Horace Boyer attributes this popularity to "simple but beautiful melodies", unimposing harmonies, and room for improvisation within the music. He returned to blues, recording "It's Tight Like That" with guitarist Hudson "Tampa Red" Whittaker despite his misgivings over the suggestive lyrics. "[36], To accomplish this, Dorsey traveled beyond the U.S., through Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Middle East. Dorsey was the son of a revivalist preacher. Terry Dorsey, a popular fixture in Dallas-Fort Worth radio since 1981 . The Dorsey brothers' father, Thomas Dorsey Sr., was a cornet-playing coal miner who also led the Shenandoah town band and gave music lessons on the side. The Dorsey family relocated from rural Villa Rica, GA to Atlanta in 1908. 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. All Rights Reserved, Terms of Use Privacy Policy Cookie Policy, YES! [33][50][51], Despite racial segregation in churches and the music industry, Dorsey's music had widespread crossover appeal. Your donation is fully tax-deductible. He was born in Dayton, Ohio, the son of Charles D. and Norma Jean "Moe" (Ferguson) Dorsey. After a spiritual awakening, Dorsey began concentrating on writing and arranging religious music. One of the most popular bandleaders of the Big Band era, Tommy Dorsey grew up learning his future profession from his music-teacher father alongside his older brother Jimmy . October 25, 2022 | Monticello, KY | Friend, I will miss your smile and your laugh and big hugs! So, how much is Thomas A. Dorsey worth at the age of 94 years old? Labowskie, Mark, ". View staff by program area to ask for additional assistance. And he would sit at the piano and play something and say, 'That's good stuff! Plot #24437553. . Fulfilled, perhaps. 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.. We all love you, Tommy! He was also a highly respected and influential trombonist. '"[35][g], He remarried in 1941 to Katheryn Mosley. Last Known Residence . Jimmy Dorsey led his brother's band . Corrections? [57], List of people considered a founder in a Humanities field, This article is about the pianist, and composer of jazz, blues, and gospel. [20] He also mentored many young musicians, including training a teenage Mahalia Jackson when she first arrived in Chicago, although he said she did not entirely accept his instruction: "She said I was trying to make a stereotyped singer out of her. 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. [en] Vital records: Thomas A Dorsey at +Archives . Birth Year: 1899. Atlanta ' s " Barrel House Tom ". He was a truly decent, honest, and honorable man and it was a privilege to know him. Summary Thomas E Dorsey was born on June 30, 1923. . Thomas A. Dorsey Sr., age 70, passed away on Sunday October 16, 2022, in Sebring Florida. We know that Thomas A Dorsey had been residing in Hampton, Hampton City County, Virginia 23669. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. Anthony Heilbut writes that "the few days following his death, 'Precious Lord' seemed the truest song in America, the last poignant cry of nonviolence before a night of storm that shows no sign of ending". He traveled widely throughout his life, teaching workshops and leading choruses, while composing over 800 gospel pieces. Mr. Dorsey is survived by his second wife, Katherine, 73; his daughter; his son, Mickey; and four grandchildren. At this time, Dorsey had adopted the stage name, Georgia Tom.. The family has requested in Toms name for donations to be sent to the Blue Knights of Ohio III. He is often quoted saying that he had "been kicked out of the best churches in the country". After a fatal single-vehicle collision early on Saturday morning in Northeast Ohio, the Ohio State Highway Patrol is conducting an investigation. He died on May 16, 2000 at 84 years of age. Born in rural Georgia, Dorsey grew up in a religious family but gained most of his musical experience playing blues at barrelhouses and parties in Atlanta. "[27] However, once known, Dorsey could offer a "charming smile", according to Heilbut, and his enthusiasm "often lifts his voice to an irrepressible falsetto". AKA Thomas Francis Dorsey. Database Death Records. When he was eight years old, the family moved to Atlanta where he soon was working part time selling ginger ale at a local theater, halfway between a pool hall and a barber shop. Online New Jersey Death Records Indexes and Probate Records. "When she started singing, the gold in her teeth would sparkle," Rainey's longtime musical director Thomas A. Dorsey wrote in his unpublished memoirs. On January 23, 1993, Dorsey passed away at the age of 93 in the master bedroom of his $130,000 Chicago home. You got to always have something: a little trick, a little embellishment or something. In 1923, he became the pianist and leader of the Wild Cats Jazz Band accompanying Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, a charismatic and bawdy blues shouter who sang about lost love and hard times. He was born a salesman. Norton, Kay, "'Yes, [Gospel] Is Real': Half a Century with Chicago's Martin and Morris Company". Thomas A Dorsey singing in his living room in Chicago, Illinois, in March 1983. It said that he was the father of gospel music; that he had written . We laughed all the way, and joined forces for several years in efforts to promote events for our mutual Alma Mater, West Carrollton. | Photo: Getty Images. However, we continue to have leadership offices, meeting rooms, and The Upper Room Chapel at 1908 Grand Avenue, in Nashville. For information about our privacy practices, please read our Privacy Policy page. Death Records are kept by Vital Records Offices or Tarrant County Clerk's Offices, which may be run by the state or at . was one of the United States' most prominent gospel singers. Because as much as Dorseys life testified to the power of faith and the promise of salvation, it also seemed to prove that the real difference between the devils music and the Lords is not a matter of notes, but of inspiration. Dorsey provides an account of the circumstances surrounding the composition of this famous song: Dorsey remembered an old pentatonic (five-note) melody from his Sunday School days, MAITLAND (The United Methodist Hymnal, No. Forego a bottle of soda and donate its cost to us for the information you just learned, and feel good about helping to make it available to everyone. Thomas A. Dorsey. He was a staple in the West Carrollton community, served as class President for the alumni association and a former member of the Blue Knights Chapter 3. The Thomas A. Dorsey Birthplace and Gospel Heritage Festival, established in 1994, remains active. 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. [27], During his blues period, Dorsey presented himself as dapper and dignified, which carried over into his gospel work. Mahalia Jackson sang at his funeral when King did not get to hear it. By 1931, Dorsey had formed one of the nation's first gospel choirs at Chicago's Pilgrim Baptist Church. 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. The night Rainey opened at Chicago's largest black theater Dorsey is remembered as "the most exciting moment in my life". He died Saturday. After suffering a severe illness in 1926, Dorsey was converted in 1928 and became active in Pilgrim Baptist Church in Chicago. Lyrically, according to Boyer, Dorsey was "skilled at writing songs that not only captured the hopes, fears, and aspirations of the poor and disenfranchised African Americans but also spoke to all people". Hampton, Hampton City County, Virginia 23669 . Aside from the lyrics, he saw no real distinction between blues and church music, and viewed songs as a supplement to spoken word preaching. He moved to Chicago in 1915 and studied at the Chicago College of Composition and Arranging and began playing in nightclubs under a variety of names as a young man, including, "Georgia Tom," "Texas Tommy" and "Barrelhouse Tom." Thomas Dorsey 1899 - 1993. As Dorsey is remembered as the father of gospel music, other honorifics came from his choirs: Sallie Martin, considered the mother of gospel (although Willie Mae Ford Smith, also a Dorsey associate, has also been called this), Mahalia Jackson, the queen of gospel, and James Cleveland, often named the king of gospel. 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