And Dorsey's own Pilgrim Baptist Church choir performed at the 1933 World's Fair. 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. See production, box office & company info. Six years later, Dorsey left Atlanta for Chicago. Choir members were encouraged to be physically active while singing, rocking and swaying with the music. It's a look behind the scenes at a world few (particularly white) viewers get to see unless it appears on a religious TV show if you like in a town with a black population. [29], Despite the objections, within months gospel blues had proven to be established in Chicago's black churches. At their debut, Frye strutted up and down the aisles and sang back and forth with the chorus, and at one point Dorsey jumped up from the piano stool in excitement and stood as he played. 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. "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. Ma Rainey's Pianist Thomas Dorsey "Say Amen, Somebody" (1982) - YouTube 0:00 / 1:30 Ma Rainey's Pianist Thomas Dorsey "Say Amen, Somebody" (1982) 3,888 views Feb 1, 2021 Thomas A.. His reputation led him to become a music arranger for Paramount Records and the Chicago Music Publishing Company. A tour group of 150 demanded he sing "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" right there. Dorsey married again in 1941. The tune he wrote, Take My Hand, Precious Lord, came, he says, direct from God. Was so happy to see it available on DVD at a price I could afford. He was demoted a grade and ostracized by the other children. While attending a church service with his sister-in-law, Dorsey claimed the minister who prayed over him pulled a live serpent from his throat, prompting his immediate recovery. 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. December 31, 2005 A major big band leader is the subject of a new book: Tommy Dorsey: Livin' in a Great Big Way. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Martin Luther King Jr.. It only made sense to watch George Nierenberg's celebrated 1982 documentary on gospel music Say Amen, Somebody before that, as of course this genre was crucial to her upbringing, family, and culture, singing gospel in her father's church as a child and finding her voice in this medium long before she was "The Queen of Soul. Furthermore, when Thomas' father traveled to preach at other churches, Thomas and his mother attended a church that practiced shape note singing; their harmonizing in particular making a deep impression on him. Composer, arranger, pianist. Status is huge in this world. Thankfully enough folks saw the light. [13][14][d], Unsure if gospel music could sustain him, Dorsey was nonetheless pleased to discover that he made an impression at the National Baptist Convention in 1930 when, unknown to him, Willie Mae Ford Smith sang "If You See My Savior" during a morning meeting. You got to always have something: a little trick, a little embellishment or something. Lamont Dozier, along with partners Eddie and Brian Holland was a main architect of the Motown sound, creating a stunning body of work in the sixties most notably for the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, and The Temptations. He and the NCGCC were featured in the critically acclaimed documentary Say Amen, Somebody in 1982. In 1932 Dorsey was appointed musical director of Pilgrim Baptist Church in Chicago, a post he held until his retirement in 1983. [49] In Dorsey's wake, R&B artists Dinah Washington, who was a member of the Sallie Martin Singers, Sam Cooke, originally in the gospel band the Soul Stirrers, Ray Charles, Little Richard, James Brown, and the Coasters recorded both R&B and gospel songs, moving effortlessly between the two, as Dorsey did, and bringing elements of gospel to mainstream audiences. Spirit of the Church: A Celebration of Black Gospel Music, Volume 1, Summer of Soul (Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (Feature), The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song, American Masters: How It Feels To Be Free, Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations. Thomas Dorsey wrote nearly one thousand gospel songs in his lifetime. 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. Thomas A. Dorsey 1997 Share Widely regarded as the father of gospel music, Thomas A. Dorsey's composing talent became a merging point in the early '20s, for many musical styles. Norton, Kay, "'Yes, [Gospel] Is Real': Half a Century with Chicago's Martin and Morris Company". TMDb He is often quoted saying that he had "been kicked out of the best churches in the country". I love this DVD it is full of history and over the top singing. February 25, 2020 Almost 40 years since its cinematic release, a restoration brings this documentary featuring Thomas A. Dorsey and Mother Willie Mae Ford Smith back to life. In actual fact, his first musical impact was as a blues stylist as both writer and performer. The outcome of this is unknown other than the clinic stating they would no longer serve black patients. . He was, however, able to work, though he remained on the periphery of the music community, held back, Harris observed, by both his lack of technique and repertoire, which prevented him from joining the union, and the sheer size and wealth of the musical community. Copyright 2003 The Faith Project, Inc. All rights reserved. [28] Ministers who would not have considered changing their music programs just a few years before became more open to new ideas. People are singing because it feels good! He also toured extensively with Mahalia Jackson in the 1940s, who was by this time the preeminent gospel singer in the world. At twenty-one, his hectic and unhealthy schedule led to a nervous breakdown. Thomas A. Dorsey was one of the gospel pioneers profiled in George Nierenberg's Say Amen, Somebody. Directed by George T. Nierenberg, Documentary on modern black gospel music, focusing on the pioneering Rev. Director George T. Nierenberg Stars Willie Mae Ford Smith Smith Thomas A. Dorsey Sallie Martin See production, box office & company info Search on Amazon search for Blu-ray and DVD Add to Watchlist ", Wade In The Water Ep. Thomas A. Dorsey, who wrote scores of gospel classics, including "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" and "Peace in the Valley," and Willie Mae Ford Smith, whose dynamic "song and sermon" approach to gospel set an almost impossible to duplicate performance standard. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we dont use a simple average. ABOUT THE EPISODE. Pun. Please try again. Mount Prospect Baptist Church, where his father preached and Dorsey learned music at his mother's organ, was declared a historic site by the city, and a historical marker was placed at the location where his family's house once stood. 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. We see the lives and performances of two gospel greats, Willie May Ford Smith and Thomas Dorsey. 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". [30][31], Dorsey lived a quiet life despite his influence. Between 1932 and 1944, he held "Evenings with Dorsey" on this circuit, teaching novices the best ways to deliver his songs. Played for parties and bordellos in Atlanta; became music director of New Hope Baptist Church, Chicago; performed with the Whispering Syncopators, early 1920s; as "Georgia Tom," debuted, with Ma Rainey, at Grand Theater, Chicago, 1924; composed "It's Tight Like That," 1928, and "Precious Lord," 1931; became music director of Pilgrim Baptist Church, Chicago, 1932; with blues singer Sallie Martin, formed National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses, 1932; became minister, 1960s; featured in BBC documentary, 1976; with gospel singer Willie Mae Ford Smith, featured in documentary Say Amen Somebody, 1984. * Live TV from 100+ channels. Say Amen, Somebody is one of my favorite music documentaries of all time. [36] He is buried at Oak Woods Cemetery in Chicago. The Thomas A. Dorsey Birthplace and Gospel Heritage Festival, now in its 25th year celebrates the Dorsey legacy with 3 days of music in the city that is credited with being the birth home of Coca Cola and the Father of Gospel Music. (Staig, Laurence, "Obituary: Thomas Dorsey", Dorsey later filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the Illinois Research Clinic in response. Loved the film!! Similarly, the NCGCC in 1933 is described by Dorsey biographer Michael W. Harris as "a women's movement" as nine of the thirteen presiding officer positions were held by women. The documentary was originally released in 1982, and has been remastered and re-released. 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]. I first encountered it as an LP from the documentary and have enjoyed it ever since. [2] 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. As George T. Nierenberg guides us through its relatively brief history, we come to see that. Thank you for remembering and honoring a great legend Their collaboration would continue over the years as his fame spread, Martin often accompanying him on his tours around the country. I have just come out of a tough sometimes violent marriage and on one of my down days heard this on the radio and it just struck a chord with me I guessso much so that I had to find out more about it. Less than a year later, however, Dorsey was back in the secular blues business full-time. ABOUT THE EPISODE, Guide My Feet traces African-Americans as they move from the rural South to the promised land of the industrial North. I feel like I can fly away!". "Thomas Dorsey, Father of Gospel Music, Dies at 93". Dorsey died of Alzheimer's in 1993, listening to music on a Walkman. [26][27], Simultaneously, a shift in Chicago's black churches was taking place. by George Allen. Dorsey began developing a sacred music based on the secular blues. Young Dorsey was also influenced musically by his mother's brother, an itinerant blues musician, and by her brother-in-law, a teacher who favored shaped note singing--also known as "fasola" (fa-so-la), a rambunctious, 19th-century congregational style propagated by songbooks and popular in the rural South in which four distinct shapes (the diamond, for one) correspond to specific notes on the musical scale. Selected writings. "Dedication: Thomas Dorsey Dedication Day". His emphasis on a black nationalist philosophy alienated him from the mainstream, but led to a greater role for the black church in African-American culture. ABOUT THE EPISODE, In 1998, 60 people embarked on an Interfaith Pilgrimage of the Middle Passage. 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. Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2022, Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2022. Loved it. Dorsey and Martin established a publishing company called Dorsey House of Music, the first black-owned gospel publishing house in the U.S.[18][19] His sheet music sold so well, according to Heilbut, it supplanted the first book of compiled songs for black churches, W. M. Nix's Gospel Pearls, and the family Bible in black households. Men groaned who had given their week's pay to a woman who betrayed her promises. He became enthralled with them, and set out to learn as much about music (primarily the blues) as he could. I don't go and take it just straight; I got to put something in it to get over. As the popularity of the blues increased in New York and Chicago, especially among non-black audiences, Dorsey was able to adapt his style to the tastes of the day, though singers like Bessie Smith, who embodied the southern tradition, were also popular, especially among black Americans. Then, he began to think more seriously about his faith. Yoruba worshipers find a means of gaining strength and spirituality from within. He studied informally with musicians at the theater and local dance bands, always playing blues. After his recovery three years later, Dorsey committed himself to composing sacred music. In 1916, he left Atlanta for good. "[36], To accomplish this, Dorsey traveled beyond the U.S., through Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Middle East. 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. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. The adjustment for the entire family was difficult, culminating in Thomas being isolated, held back at school, and eventually dropping out after the fourth grade when he was twelve years old. McLin remembered that her uncle was "soft-spoken, not loud at all, and very well dressed he always had a shirt and a tie and a suit, and he was always elegant, very mannerly, very nice. It covers interviews of key missionary workers and their experiences of how they became missionary workers, their personal struggles within the churches and how they survived the ministering call to help people. His sister-in-law convinced him to attend church, and, while at a service, he had a vision, after which he pledged to work for the Lord. The Dorseys sharecropped on a small farm, while the elder Dorsey, a graduate of Atlanta Bible College (now Morehouse College), traveled to nearby churches to preach. However, mainstream churches rejected his songs. Glad i was able to get the remastered copy.