"[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. He was ordained a minister in his sixties, formalizing the union of song and worship; the Pilgrim Baptist Church created the T. A. Dorsey Choir to honor him in 1983. He introduced rituals and standards among gospel choirs that are still in use. Birth of the Gospel Blues. Selected writings. Never was released on dvd, only tape way back when. I hope others will take the time to research the real facts and give Thomas A. Dorsey credit for his great Gospel works. A beat is a beat whatever it is. There, Dorsey remained active until the 1970s, when failing health forced him into semi-retirement. Yoruba originated in West Africa and pre-dates Christianity. He was demoted a grade and ostracized by the other children. 1982 1: Songs And Singing As Church. [32][33] Never considering himself a strong singer, Dorsey recorded gospel music sporadically up to 1934, and two songs in 1953 were his last, though he continued to write. When Muhammad's son, Warith Deen, assumes leadership after his father's death, he transforms the organization to follow the practice of orthodox Islam (Louis X. Farrakhan resurrected the ideology of the old Nation of Islam in 1978). The pilgrims took a physical and spiritual voyage, walking from Massachusetts to New Orleans, through the Caribbean, and ultimately, to Goree Island in Senegal. Give me a song, I stick to the note and play it like it is, you won't pay much attention to it. The documentary was originally released in 1982, and has been remastered and re-released. (Poe, Janita, "Thomas A Dorsey, Gospel Pioneer". "He is understanding the dynamics at play and he has a sensitivity to the story and the people truly to the people and respects them. As the blues grew in popularity in the 1920s, black churches condemned it widely for being associated with sin and hedonism. . And they insisted; they pursued it nonetheless.". He infused joy and optimism in his written music as he directed his choirs to do perform with uplifting fervor as they sang. Posters are sourced from TMDb and Posteritati, and appear for you and visitors to your profile and content, depending on settings. By the time Ma Rainey finished her song, she was "in her sins" - and Georgia Tom was right there with her, his rhythmic piano filling the grooves. Say Amen, Somebody is one of my favorite music documentaries of all time. As the head of the NCGCC, he traveled the "gospel highway": a circuit of churches and similar venues throughout the U.S. where he trained singers and choirs. Thomas A. Dorsey was one of the gospel pioneers profiled in George Nierenberg's Say Amen, Somebody. 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. I'll never get out of this place alive. Dorsey's background convinced him that the same experiences that had engendered secular blues should also inform church music. But the Lord's work would not be easy for him. Under the name Georgia Tom he performed with blues artist Ma Rainey and her Wild Cats Jazz Band. In his grief, he turned to the piano for comfort. Latest Movies and TV Shows With Thomas A. Dorsey - IMDb 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. The narrow focus of this doc lets us really dive into the world and upturn the furniture rather that only tread upon the surface of the genre and its leaders. Amazon.com: Say Amen, Somebody : Thomas A. Dorsey, Mother Willie Mae Pun. Instead, George Nierenberg made a beautifully shot and edited film about the legacy and spirit of gospel, complementing the wildly infectious good will and intense devotion of church performances with his thoughtfully paced portrait of the families and communities who sustain this ecstatic genre. Thomas A. Dorsey - Wikipedia [53][54] Though he never returned to his hometown, efforts to honor Dorsey in Villa Rica, Georgia, began a week after his death. Six years later, he teamed with Mahalia Jackson, and the team ushered in what was known as the Golden Age of Gospel Music. Dorsey himself became known as the father of gospel music. The reporter found a collector so consumed by the need to. Aside from the lyrics, he saw no real distinction between blues and church music, and viewed songs as a supplement to spoken word preaching. 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. You got to always have something: a little trick, a little embellishment or something. Thank you for your article..maybe I was meant to hear this song and maybe like Thomas Dorsey it will be a turnaround for me too, eval(decodeURIComponent('%64%6f%63%75%6d%65%6e%74%2e%77%72%69%74%65%28%27%3c%61%20%68%72%65%66%3d%5c%22%6d%61%69%6c%74%6f%3a%48%65%63%74%6f%72%20%4d%2e%49%72%69%7a%61%72%72%79%20%26%6c%74%3b%68%6d%69%72%69%7a%61%72%72%79%40%6b%6e%6f%6c%6f%67%79%2e%6e%65%74%26%67%74%3b%5c%22%3e%48%65%63%74%6f%72%20%4d%2e%49%72%69%7a%61%72%72%79%3c%5c%2f%61%3e%27%29%3b')). Say Amen, Somebody (1982) - IMDb Less than a year later, however, Dorsey was back in the secular blues business full-time. Gospel music did not start with Dorsey. [55][56], As of 2020, the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses has 50 chapters around the world. "Ministers didn't want them there. Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2022. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of serviceapply. Thomas A Dorsey was truely one of pop-music cultural best kept secrets. I owned it years ago on VHS. Extremely entertaining documentary that takes a look at religious music as we get to meet two key people. eval(decodeURIComponent('%64%6f%63%75%6d%65%6e%74%2e%77%72%69%74%65%28%27%3c%61%20%68%72%65%66%3d%5c%22%6d%61%69%6c%74%6f%3a%4c%61%4a%75%61%6e%61%20%42%61%6e%6e%69%6e%67%20%26%6c%74%3b%6c%61%6a%62%61%6e%6e%69%6e%67%40%70%65%6f%70%6c%65%70%63%2e%63%6f%6d%26%67%74%3b%5c%22%3e%4c%61%4a%75%61%6e%61%20%42%61%6e%6e%69%6e%67%3c%5c%2f%61%3e%27%29%3b')). The 1981 meeting featured in the film was the last convention he was able to attend. ", Pop craftsman Paul Simon talks about writing the now gospel standard Bridge Over Troubled Water. The whole phrase like a bridge over troubled water, I will lay me down, the words and the melody, all of that came [snaps fingers] like that., Hear more about "Take My Hand, Precious Lord". Now at the center of gospel music activity in Chicago, Dorsey countered his bereavement by immersing himself in marketing his songs. Choir members were encouraged to be physically active while singing, rocking and swaying with the music. Pastor Turner helped organize the Repubican Party in Georgia only to find himself denied access to societal institutions as discrimination reigned in the dark days following Reconstruction. Courtesy Milestone Films hide caption. With church no longer the focal point of his parents' lives, his connection to organized religion waned. Despite featuring musical genres that couldn't be more different from one another, it's interesting how both Say Amen, Somebody and Imagine the Sound (which came out the year before) document the end of the same era in American music. The lyrics, however, were written by Dorsey. "[21][22], In addition to the high spirited choir performances, Dorsey began introducing uptempo Negro spirituals, what he referred to as "jubilees", alongside published hymns in worship services. She appeared in the 1961 film The Ladies Man, 1938 film You Can't Take It with You and toured with Bob Hope during and after World War II. Rehearsals for sales pitches took place in Dorsey's nearly bare room in his uncle's house. Six years later, Dorsey left Atlanta for Chicago. How old are his children, and where are they living now? He studied informally with musicians at the theater and local dance bands, always playing blues. Thomas A. Dorsey, Barrett Sisters, Mother Willie Mae Ford Smith, O'Neal Twins, Nierenberg, George T., Zella Jackson Price, Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2023. He demanded that members attend practice regularly and that they should live their lives by the same standards promoted in their songs. There were also a growing number of influential choirs in Chicago challenging the musical norms of the established churches, though Dorsey was usually more associated with the rise of the solo tradition. IMDb Recommended as an antidote to the blahs. People are responding to these singers because it feels good! They created enclaves within neighborhoods through church choirs, which doubled as social clubs, offering a sense of purpose and belonging. Dorsey, Thomas A. | Encyclopedia.com As a native Georgian I was pleased to have met Mr. Dorsey back in the early 70's. He recalled visiting Damascus, Syria, where he was approached in a bathroom by a man who recognized his name. 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. Black-History Archives Are in Trouble - The Atlantic After the death of a close friend, Dorsey was inspired to write his first religious song with a blues influence, "If You See My Savior, Tell Him That You Saw Me".[10][c]. While often living hand-to-mouth, the Dorseys were able to own an organ, which was rare for black families, and Dorsey's mother played during his father's church services. [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. January 7, 2006 A fire has destroyed the landmark Pilgrim Baptist Church on Chicago's South Side. I bet he and God are having a ball in Heaven! 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". "When I saw the film after it was restored, it felt like a new film completely," he says. Thomas Markle Sr has said he will not allow his daughter, Meghan Markle, to "bury" him while he is still alive.. We long for it, and when it comes to us it is directly from our heavenly Father. Well known within the African-American community, Dorsey nonetheless remained relatively obscure outside of it--though people were singing his songs all over the world--until he became the subject of a BBC documentary in 1976. In order to improve his skills and identify himself as a professional, he briefly took piano lessons from a teacher associated with Morehouse College, as well as a harmony course at the college itself.