Thomas A. Dorsey

Born in rural Georgia, Dorsey grew up in a religious family but gained most of his musical experience playing blues piano at barrelhouses and parties in Atlanta. He moved to Chicago and became a proficient composer and arranger of jazz and vaudeville just as blues was becoming popular. He gained fame accompanying blues belter Ma Rainey on tour and, billed as "Georgia Tom", joined with guitarist Tampa Red in a successful recording career.
After a spiritual awakening, Dorsey began concentrating on writing and arranging religious music. Aside from the lyrics, he saw no real distinction between blues and church music, and viewed songs as a supplement to spoken word preaching. Dorsey served as the music director at Chicago's Pilgrim Baptist Church for 50 years, introducing musical improvisation and encouraging personal elements of participation such as clapping, stomping, and shouting in churches when these were widely condemned as unrefined and common. 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 first generation of gospel singers in the 20th century worked or trained with Dorsey: Sallie Martin, Mahalia Jackson, Roberta Martin, and James Cleveland, among others.
Author Anthony Heilbut summarized Dorsey's influence by saying he "combined the good news of gospel with the bad news of blues". 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. Provided by Wikipedia
Showing 1 - 20 results of 32 for search 'Dorsey, Thomas Andrew', query time: 0.12s
Refine Results
-
1
Treasure chest of favorite hymns by Dorsey, Thomas Andrew
[New York] : Treasure Chest Publications, 1940Call Number: Loading…
Located: Loading…Format: Musical Score Book
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?>
//ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?> -
2
The essential by Dorsey, Thomas Andrew
U.S. : Classic Blues, 2002Call Number: Loading…
Located: Loading…Format: Audio
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?>
//ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?> -
3
Precious Lord : recordings of the great gospel songs of Thomas A. Dorsey by Dorsey, Thomas Andrew
New York, N.Y. : Columbia/Legacy, 1994Call Number: Loading…
Located: Loading…Format: Audio
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?>
//ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?> -
4
African American gospel : the pioneering composers. by Tindley, Charles Albert, Campbell, Lucie Eddie, 1885-1963, Brewster, W. Herbert (William Herbert), 1897-1987, Dorsey, Thomas Andrew, Martin, Sallie, 1895-1988, Morris, Kenneth, 1917-1988, Martin, Roberta (Vocalist)
Washington, DC : Smithsonian/Folkways, 1994Call Number: Loading…
Located: Loading…Format: Audio
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?>
//ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?> -
5
Reflections on Afro-American music by De Lerma, Dominique-René, Brown, Marian (Educator), Williams-Jones, Pearl, 1931-1991, Klotman, Robert H., Lee, Johnnie V., Maultsby, Portia K., Moore, Undine S., Taylor, John Armstead, 1939-, Anderson, T. J. (Thomas Jefferson), 1928-, Baker, David, 1931-2016, Carter, John, 1930 October 8-, Price, John E. (John Elwood), 1935-1995, Spillman, Herndon, Abrams, Muhal Richard, 1930-2017, Ellison, Charles, Adderley, Cannonball, Ashby, Dorothy, Akpabot, Samuel Ekpe, Calloway, Earl, Johnson, Carole Y., Southall, Geneva H., Garland, Phyl, Dorsey, Thomas Andrew, Gillis, Frank, Malin, Donald Franklin, 1896-, Blacking, John
[Kent, Ohio] : Kent State University Press, 1973Call Number: Loading…
Located: Loading…Format: Book
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?>
//ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?> -
6
Take My Hand, Precious Lord
Hill and Range Songs, Inc., 1938Other Authors: “…Dorsey, Thomas Andrew…”
Call Number: Loading…
Located: Loading…Format: Musical Score Book
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?>
//ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?> -
7
Peace In The Valley
Thomas A. Dorsey : Hill And Range Songs, Inc., 1939Other Authors: “…Dorsey, Thomas Andrew…”
Call Number: Loading…
Located: Loading…Format: Musical Score Book
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?>
//ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?> -
8
Say amen, somebody
[United States] : Milestone Films, 2021Other Authors:Call Number: Loading…
Located: Loading…Format: DVD
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?>
//ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?> -
9
Say amen, somebody
Call Number: Loading…
Located: Loading…Format: DVD
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?>
//ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?> -
10
Tampa Red : the guitar wizard by Tampa Red, 1904-1981
New York : Sony Music, 1994Other Authors: “…Dorsey, Thomas Andrew…”
Call Number: Loading…
Located: Loading…Format: Audio
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?>
//ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?> -
11
Guitar wizard by Tampa Red, 1904-1981
New York : Columbia/Legacy, 1994Other Authors:Call Number: Loading…
Located: Loading…Format: CD Audio
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?>
//ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?> -
12
Moving on up a little higher
[Newton, New Jersey] : Shanachie, 2016Other Authors:Call Number: Loading…
Located: Loading…Format: Audio
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?>
//ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?> -
13
Say amen, somebody
New York, N.Y. : Ryko Filmworks, 2007Other Authors:
25th anniversary deluxe ed.Call Number: Loading…
Located: Loading…Format: DVD
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?>
//ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?> -
14
Ultimate gospel by Presley, Elvis, 1935-1977
New York : BMG, 2004Other Authors:Call Number: Loading…
Located: Loading…Format: CD Audio
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?>
//ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?> -
15
Ultimate gospel by Presley, Elvis, 1935-1977
New York : BMG, 2004Other Authors:Call Number: Loading…
Located: Loading…Format: CD Audio
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?>
//ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?> -
16
My soul's been anchored in the Lord.
Northfield, MN : St. Olaf Records, 2001Other Authors:Call Number: Loading…
Located: Loading…Format: Audio
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?>
//ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?> -
17
1920's blues classics. Vol. 15.
Grants Pass, OR : Blues Images, 2017Other Authors:Call Number: Loading…
Located: Loading…Format: Audio
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?>
//ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?> -
18
19 classic blues songs from the 1920's. Vol. 9.
Grants Pass, OR : Blues Images, 2011Other Authors:Call Number: Loading…
Located: Loading…Format: Audio
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?>
//ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?> -
19
A first-time buyer's guide to American Negro spirituals
Czech Republic : Primo Collection, 2006Other Authors:Call Number: Loading…
Located: Loading…Format: Audio
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?>
//ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?> -
20
Saga of the good life and hard times. by Simone, Nina, 1933-2003
New York, N.Y. : RCA : Distributed by BMG Entertainment, 1997Other Authors:Call Number: Loading…
Located: Loading…Format: CD Audio
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?>
//ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?>
Search Tools:
Related Subjects
Blues (Music)
Gospel music
Popular music
African Americans
Spirituals (Songs)
Contemporary Christian music
Hymns, English
Jazz
African American gospel singers
Blues
Cajun music
Country music
Folk music
Gospel
Guitar music (Blues)
Indians of North America
Indigenous peoples of North America
Tejano music
Zydeco music
African American singers
African Americans in motion pictures
American poetry
Anthems
Ballads, English
Bluegrass music
Choruses, Sacred (Mixed voices)
Compact discs
Gospel musicians
Gospel singers
Histoire et critique