The Heavens called out to me
Thomas A. Dorsey is considered to be the Father of Gospel. Using Jazzy tunes and spiritual lyrics, Thomas set the scene for artists to follow in his path.
Thomas A. Dorsey was born July 1, 1899 in Villa Rica, Georgia. He migrated to Atlanta in 1910 where he became influenced by many Blues artists located in Atlanta. He passed in Chicago at the age of 93.

During World War I, Dorsey and his family went to Chicago and Dorsey studied at Chicago College of Composition and Arranging. He then started working for Paramount Records.
Thomas A. Dorsey is still today best known for Precious Lord, take my hand, written for Mahalia Jackson.
"...recognized as one of the earliest and most creative authors of gospel songs." (Palmer, 175)
He became known as Georgia Tom, jump starting his musical career. He lead Ma' rainey's jazz band and played barrellhouse piano in one of Al Capone's Chicago speakeasies.

Dorsey was changed around by an afternoon service in his church, Pilgrim Baptist Church. In which the Lord spoke to him and told him to start preaching to his children through Dorsey's music.
"Dorsey became the first independent publisher of Black Gospel music with the establishment of the Dorsey House of music in Chicago in 1932." (www.southernmusic.net/thomasdorsey.htm)
According to Arthur Kempton, Dorsey's greatest accomplishment was to take" 'Precious Lord, take my hand' into sounding like and feeling the same as 'Baby please don't  go'."
There was, however, controversy, at Dorsey's "new" sound for the Gospel. "His background in the blues greatly influenced his composing and singing.

The Blacks only had one main pure form of musical expression left so they did not like the integration of sacred and secular music.

The respected Black churches of Chicago rejected his songs, at first. For two reasons:
1) The songs sounded much like the blues, and the attendants did not like it because they knew what reputation the blues had.
2)They did not like the excitement that the Gospel music brought to the church congregation.
Here is a link to the lyrics  for Dorsey's most popular song "Precious Lord, Take My Hand".
"Dorsey may have written as many as one thousand songs, but 'Precious Lord' remains his most enduring creation." (Palmer, 175)
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