thomas dorsey documentary

Dorsey was the son of a Baptist preacher; his mother was the church organist. It's all the same talent. "When I saw the film after it was restored, it felt like a new film completely," he says. Dorsey died of Alzheimer's in 1993, listening to music on a Walkman. He experienced a spiritual re-invigoration of sorts in 1928. Personal expressions such as clapping, stomping, and improvising with lyrics, rhythm, and melody were actively discouraged as being unrefined and degrading to the music and the singer. 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. Dorsey, Thomas A. | Encyclopedia.com And he would sit at the piano and play something and say, 'That's good stuff! Eventually Dorsey's desire to become a professional musician motivated him to move to Philadelphia, in 1916, but his plans soon changed and he settled in Chicago, then abuzz with both migrant workers and migrant musicians. SAY AMEN, SOMEBODY is without question one of the greatest documentaries that you're going to see when it comes to gospel music. Music publisher. [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. No cable. Labowskie, Mark, ". Cecil Williams and Thomas A. Dorsey, born a generation apart, both seeking to bring the reality of the streets into the church. 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. He visited a faith healer, Bishop H.H. We feel the purity of expression here and see very little of the commercial trappings we see in so much of organized religion. And Dorsey's own Pilgrim Baptist Church choir performed at the 1933 World's Fair. Status is huge in this world. 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. Martin Luther King Jr.. The documentary was originally released in 1982, and has been remastered and re-released. "I just tried to make my little talk to the Lord but it was wasted, I think," Dorsey tells the audience. 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%73%68%61%6e%69%63%65%20%26%6c%74%3b%6d%69%7a%7a%63%68%65%72%72%79%31%32%39%40%61%6f%6c%2e%63%6f%6d%26%67%74%3b%5c%22%3e%73%68%61%6e%69%63%65%3c%5c%2f%61%3e%27%29%3b')), Copyright 2023 Net Industries - All Rights Reserved, Additional information for this profile was obtained from the documentary. Thomas A. Dorsey was born in Villa Rica, Georgia, the first of three children to Thomas Madison Dorsey, a minister and farmer, and Etta Plant Spencer. I first encountered it as an LP from the documentary and have enjoyed it ever since. Combs says the filmmaker recorded a crucial changing of the guard between generations. As he related in the documentary Say Amen Somebody, "People tried to tell me things that were soothing to me none of which have ever been soothing from that day to this." This is priceless DVD that will touch your heart no matter what. He retired from Pilgrim Baptist Church and the NCGCC soon after, though he continued to participate and perform when he was able. 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. The efforts of student workers on the front lines of the civil rights movement are shown from the perspective of Rev. Under the name "Georgia Tom". 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. Choir members were encouraged to be physically active while singing, rocking and swaying with the music. Dorsey co-founded the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses in 1933. Due to the spontaneous nature of the events Dorsey worked, he became proficient at improvising, and along the way, learned to read musical notation. The film also explores the role of the Nation of Islam, led by Elijah Muhammad. His story is the latest in "Honky Tonks, Hymns and the Blues," a special 11-part weekly series on the creation of American musical traditions. Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2022. 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. This Far by Faith: African-American Spiritual Journeys is a co-production of Blackside Inc. (Eyes on the Prize, Americas War on Poverty, and Malcolm X: Make it Plain) and The Faith Project, Inc. in association with the Independent Television Service. The first was Thomas A. Dorsey, known as the father of gospel music. 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. 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. 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. After his recovery three years later, Dorsey committed himself to composing sacred music. Black-History Archives Are in Trouble - The Atlantic Dorsey's background convinced him that the same experiences that had engendered secular blues should also inform church music. As he said in The Rise of Gospel Blues: "If a woman has lost a man, a man has lost a woman, his feeling reacts to the blues; he feels like expressing it. Just a genuine soul of a man. It explores Islam and Yoruba. The luminaries of gospel are. In 1925, he married Nettie Harper, who Rainey hired as a wardrobe mistress despite her inexperience, so she could join Dorsey on tour. ), McLin became a composer, singer, and voice coach for, Numerous sources state Dorsey coined the term "gospel" to refer to sacred music, but W. M. Nix, the singer who inspired Dorsey at the 1921 National Baptist Convention, compiled a songbook titled, NCGCC annual meetings were also attended by members of the, Dorsey later stated that all the praise he received for this song never eclipsed his grief, saying, "None of it's ever been soothing to me, from that day to this day." Haley. Nierenberg centered his film around two pioneering gospel artists, Rev. 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. [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. It left me wanting more. Even with a family he remained active in music, attending multiple engagements each year. Give me a song, I stick to the note and play it like it is, you won't pay much attention to it. Dorsey and Ebenezer's music director Theodore Frye trained the new chorus to deliver his songs with a gospel blues sound: lively, joyous theatrical performances with embellished and elongated notes accentuated with rhythmic clapping and shouts. "[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. December 31, 2005 A major big band leader is the subject of a new book: Tommy Dorsey: Livin' in a Great Big Way. Easily one of the best music documentaries I have ever seen, this film could have coasted on the charisma and brilliance of its subjects, primarily Willie Mae Ford Smith and Thomas A. Dorsey, seminal figures in the history of Black gospel music. They created enclaves within neighborhoods through church choirs, which doubled as social clubs, offering a sense of purpose and belonging. That's not surprising, but it is surprising that the filmmakers exposed it as they did because it's quite unflattering. hide caption. He recalled visiting Damascus, Syria, where he was approached in a bathroom by a man who recognized his name. It features one of the first gospel soloists, Willie Mae Ford Smith and the father of gospel music, Thomas Dorsey late in their lives. 1982 Directed by George T. Nierenberg Synopsis Pure joy Documentary on modern black gospel music, focusing on the pioneering Rev. : "The Secularization of Black Gospel Music" by Heilbut, Anthony in, This page was last edited on 19 April 2023, at 17:18. Dorsey was a popular blues pianist and arranger he was best known as Ma Rainey's band leader, until he took the blues and adapted it to sacred music. There is joy, but there is also bittersweetness, gospel's popularity having waned by this film's release in 1982 since its broader cachet in the late forties and early fifties. Thomas Andrew Dorsey (July 1, 1899 - January 23, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and Christian evangelist influential in the development of early blues and 20th-century gospel music. 'Say Amen, Somebody' Restoration Unveils The Wonder Of The Gospel Pioneers, Thomas Dorsey, the Father of Gospel Music. Since its debut it has been translated into 50 languages. Nix elongated some notes to emphasize specific syllables and words and sped up others. "And I think the real treasure for me is the legacy of the film and how it will carry forward gospel music and allow people for generations to experience this music: at this time and place and [with] those people that really created it. He was demoted a grade and ostracized by the other children. He infused joy and optimism in his written music as he directed his choirs to do perform with uplifting fervor as they sang. ", So, in this recently restored film -- by Milestone Films with support from the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Academy Film Archive, and the Criterion Collection --. He considered suicide. "He is coming in as a collaborator with them, as opposed to this notion or feeling of voyeurism," she says. This the story. Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them. Votes: 392 ABOUT THE EPISODE, Faith sustained black families through the oppression of segregation in the 1940s and 1950s. And a good Christmas gift. The Thomas A. Dorsey Birthplace and Gospel Heritage Festival, established in 1994, remains active. This Far by Faith . About the Series | PBS 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). It may seem out of place for a documentary about gospel music, especially to a more modern audience. In Dorsey's story, he was stuck until a friend suggested he try adding "precious" to his address. The same thing acts for a gospel song. 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. People are saying amen because it feels good! As Dorsey related in The Rise of Gospel Blues: "My inner-being was thrilled. "It is a great joy and an . Ma Rainey's listeners swayed, rocked, moaned and groaned with her. Many churches sought prestige in their musical offerings, which were often ornate and sophisticated liturgical compositions by classical European composers, such as Handel's Messiah (1742) and Mozart's Alleluia (1773). It is the story of two sourthern migrants, Rev. Born in 1899 in Villa Rica, GA; died of Alzheimer's disease, January 23, 1993, in Chicago, IL; son of a minister and church organist/pianist; married Nettie Harper, 1925 (died, 1931); married Kathryn Mosely, 1941; children: a daughter and a son. In 1975 he appeared in WBBM TV's documentary film The Devil's Music - A History of . Mr. Dorsey's work reached a wider audience in 1983 through the documentary film, "Say Amen, Somebody," and in 1992, he was honored with the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences National . Say Amen Somebody - AllMusic "You have the Barrett Sisters; you have the O'Neal Twins. In Chicago,. Letterboxd is an independent service created by a small team, and we rely mostly on the support of our members to maintain our site and apps. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness. As the blues grew in popularity in the 1920s, black churches condemned it widely for being associated with sin and hedonism. Apparently, this is a common phrase for a preacher to employ when looking to foster agreement. Doing the Lord's work, absolutely. He penned 3,000 songs, a third of them gospel, including "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" and "Peace in the Valley". Norton, Kay, "'Yes, [Gospel] Is Real': Half a Century with Chicago's Martin and Morris Company". 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. I guarantee you watching this program you will be touched in same way watching this show!! "[36], To accomplish this, Dorsey traveled beyond the U.S., through Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Middle East. Loved it. 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. 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. Thomas A. Dorsey | Songwriters Hall of Fame We long for it, and when it comes to us it is directly from our heavenly Father. From God, for God and His People: "Peace in the Valley" Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images January 17, 2000 Sung at the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., it is the most-recorded gospel song ever. Women swooned who had lost their men. Dorsey described it as "good news on either side." It is completely un-invasive, and you get the sense that if the camera wasn't present at all, these people would be acting exactly the same. Aside from the lyrics, he saw no real distinction between blues and church music, and viewed songs as a supplement to spoken word preaching. [15] In between recording sessions with Tampa Red, and inspired by the compliments he received, he formed a choir at Ebenezer Baptist Church at the request of the pastor, Reverend James Smith, who had an affinity for Negro spirituals and indigenous singing styles. A new 4K restoration of Say Amen, Somebody opens at Film at Lincoln Center on Friday, September 5, featuring an a cappella gospel performance by Songs of Sol. From then on, Dorsey vowed to do the Lord's work. Sacred music could not sustain him financially, however, so he continued to work in blues. Say Amen, Somebody is one of my favorite music documentaries of all time. I owned it years ago on VHS. In terms of the personalities that occupy the film, their presence is remarkable. The Lord has too much work for you to let you die.". With church no longer the focal point of his parents' lives, his connection to organized religion waned. I feel I've thoroughly blessed over the years with an abundance of songs and materialThere is definitely God behind this thing that I do. He remained in contact with his friends and fellow blues musicians, saying, "I'm not ashamed of my blues. He was his sons' first teacher. He also taught black children at a one-room schoolhouse where his son accompanied him and listened to lessons. [18][h], Throughout his career, Dorsey composed more than 1,000 gospel and 2,000 blues songs, an achievement Mahalia Jackson considered equal to Irving Berlin's body of work. Recordings of these sold millions of copies in both gospel and secular markets in the 20th century.[1]. [33][50][51], Despite racial segregation in churches and the music industry, Dorsey's music had widespread crossover appeal. Nevertheless, imparting a bluesy feel to a traditional arrangement was shocking to many, though Dorsey was able to vary the effect depending on his audience and their reaction. Thomas Dorsey : NPR (For more of Thomas A. Dorsey's work, see also "Precious Lord: New Recordings of the Great Gospel Songs of Thomas A. Dorsey," added to the National Registry in 2002.) Dorsey described it as serving as a channel through which God spoke. 2015 NHD Thomas A Dorsey Documentary - by Adero Brooks Nierenberg's other main character was Mother Willie Mae Ford Smith, one of gospel's pioneering female ministers and performers, and a mentor to younger singers. In The Rise of Gospel Blues Harris noted, "Other than slave spirituals, the white Protestant hymns and shaped note music, Dorsey describes a type of 'moaning' as the only other style of religious song he recalls." He is described as stately and often detached, one writer attesting that from a distance, "Dorsey is not presented as a happy man. Thomas Dorsey and Mother Willie Mae Ford Smith Remove Ads Cast Crew Details Genres Cast Thomas Dorsey Willie Mae Ford Smith 100 mins More at IMDb TMDb Sign in to log, rate or review Share Ratings 1 fan 3.9 by George Nelson Allen (1852). Say Amen, Somebody gives an overview of the history of gospel music in the U.S. by following two main figures: Thomas A. Dorsey, considered the "Father of Gospel Music," 83 at the time of filming, recalls how he came to write his most famous song, "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" (1932), and the difficulty he faced introducing gospel blues to black ", Combs is curator of photography and film at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, which helped fund the restoration of Say Amen, Somebody. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we dont use a simple average. In his grief, he turned to the piano for comfort. His "gospel music" met so much resistance from pastors who considered it "devil's music," that he found it easier to play the blues straight. Made by fans in Aotearoa New Zealand. (Marovich, p. I miss her everyday. (Staig, Laurence, "Obituary: Thomas Dorsey", Dorsey later filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the Illinois Research Clinic in response. Dorsey soon began composing sacred songs and took a job as director of music at New Hope Baptist Church on Chicago's South Side, where he described the congregation's singing of spirituals "like down home," noting that the congregants also clapped to his music. He and the NCGCC were featured in the critically acclaimed documentary Say Amen, Somebody in 1982. Composer, arranger, pianist. I hope others will take the time to research the real facts and give Thomas A. Dorsey credit for his great Gospel works. 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')). In Chicago, Dorsey adopted the name Georgia Tom and found work as a session musician. This freed the choir members' hands to clap, and he knew anyway that most of the chorus singers in the early 1930s were unable to read music. His father was a Baptist minister with a flamboyant pulpit style, and his mother played a portable organ and piano wherever the elder Dorsey preached. 16: The Gospel Song Legacy Of Thomas Andrew Dorsey, Wade In The Water Ep. Documentary clip on Thomas Dorsey - YouTube 102. Letterboxd Limited. There, Dorsey remained active until the 1970s, when failing health forced him into semi-retirement. Dorsey was the first black person to be inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. 209240. Patty Thomas - Wikipedia Thomas Francis Dorsey Net Worth - Celebrity Net Worth Wiki Fulfilled, perhaps. 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. Copyright 2003 The Faith Project, Inc. All rights reserved. With church no longer the focal point of his parents' lives, his connection to organized religion waned. Some objected to the degradation of worship through blues shouting. And now that the chance has come, to just stop and [not] be able to fulfill my dream when it is really coming into reality it would be quite a letdown to me.". His uncle was also a musician, a traveling guitarist concentrating on country blues while it was in its infancy. Thomas Dorsey wrote nearly one thousand gospel songs in his lifetime. Dorsey described to his biographer, Michael Harris, how Haley pulled a "live serpent" out of his throat. Both were born enslaved; both used the Gospel to shape their identities. hide caption. 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. 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. See production, box office & company info. But in 1925, a second breakdown left Dorsey unable to play music. 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. Documentary about the American gospel music scene, focusing on two of the movement's pioneering forces, Thomas A. Dorsey and Willie May Ford Smith. Rehearsals for sales pitches took place in Dorsey's nearly bare room in his uncle's house. Under the name Georgia Tom he performed with blues artist Ma Rainey and her Wild Cats Jazz Band. Thomas A. Dorsey continue to be a giant in gospel music, and after his death his music is still alive and well. Amazon.com: Say Amen, Somebody : Thomas A. Dorsey, Mother Willie Mae One night, onstage, Dorsey noticed an "unsteadiness" in his playing. Thomas A. Dorsey, often called the Father of Gospel Music, migrated from Atlanta to Chicago as a young man, thus exemplifying the experience of many southern blacks of his day. Although Dorsey claimed to have been thrown out of some of the best churches, Harris observed that the time was right for Dorsey's eventual success; there were increasing numbers of store-front churches that appealed to southern migrants, and there was a booming trade in recorded sermons of the type Dorsey's father might have delivered. My soul was a deluge of divine rapture; my emotions were aroused; my heart was inspired to become a great singer and worker in the Kingdom of the Lord--and impress people just as this great singer did that Sunday morning." There was a great deal of early resistance to Dorsey's work, partly because it was rooted in the rural southern African-American culture from which the old-line urban churches sought to distance themselves in favor of assimilation.

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