Moreover, Dorsey refused to provide musical notation, or use it while directing, because he felt the music was only to be used as a guide, not strictly followed. "You know, Frank, this has been my life dream to go abroad," Barrett says to her husband in one scene. . '"[35][g], He remarried in 1941 to Katheryn Mosley. 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%42%65%63%6b%79%20%26%6c%74%3b%61%6e%74%62%77%6f%6c%66%66%40%73%62%63%67%6c%6f%62%61%6c%2e%6e%65%74%26%67%74%3b%5c%22%3e%42%65%63%6b%79%3c%5c%2f%61%3e%27%29%3b')). He spent his afternoons and evenings watching vaudeville performances. It provided the courage needed to fight Jim Crow. 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. Since its debut it has been translated into 50 languages. Thank you for remembering and honoring a great legend Loved it. You got to always have something: a little trick, a little embellishment or something. It is perhaps Dorsey's greatest achievement that he was able to overcome this opposition and thus preserve important aspects of black musical expression as it had existed in both the spiritual and secular realms. Dorsey returned to Chicago in 1921, and his uncle encouraged him to attend the National Baptist Convention. 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. He was part of the Great Migration north. ABOUT THE EPISODE, "Inheritors of the Faith" follows those who seek spiritual fulfillment outside of Christianity. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness. Before long he was back to writing and performing secular blues, and in 1928, "It's Tight Like That" became a hit, selling seven million copies. Try it free. Loved the film!! It goes beyond the series to explore the full diversity of African-American religious expression. 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. People are singing because it feels good! 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. 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. Thomas Markle Sr has said he will not allow his daughter, Meghan Markle, to "bury" him while he is still alive.. Dorsey, one of five children, was born in Villa Rica, Georgia, but soon moved with his family to Atlanta. 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. Extremely entertaining documentary that takes a look at religious music as we get to meet two key people. His song "Peace in the Valley", written in 1937 originally for Mahalia Jackson, was recorded by, among others, Red Foley in 1951, and Elvis Presley in 1957, selling more than a million copies each. I owned it years ago on VHS. He is a truly mesmerizing figure, the stuff of which legends are made. Thomas A. Dorsey Biography 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. [47], Encountering a "golden age" between 1940 and 1960, gospel music introduced recordings and radio broadcasts featuring singers who had all been trained by Dorsey or one of his protges. I guarantee you watching this program you will be touched in same way watching this show!! He recalled visiting Damascus, Syria, where he was approached in a bathroom by a man who recognized his name. 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. He was demoted a grade and ostracized by the other children. Ive been trying to get this DVD for a while Thanks, Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2022. Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them. In Chicago, Dorsey found success almost immediately. Please try again. The same thing acts for a gospel song. In Chicago,. Despite being meagerly compensated, he played rent parties, house parties, barrelhouses, and brothels, but enjoyed the social life of a musician. 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. Film data from TMDb. He is often quoted saying that he had "been kicked out of the best churches in the country". Education: Attended Morehouse College; attended Chicago School of Composition and Arranging. Music performed in established black churches in Chicago and throughout the U.S. came from hymnals and was performed as written, usually as a way to showcase the musical abilities of the choirs rather than as a vehicle to deliver a specific spiritual message. Men groaned who had given their week's pay to a woman who betrayed her promises. 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. How old are his children, and where are they living now? 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. Rehearsals for sales pitches took place in Dorsey's nearly bare room in his uncle's house. Lyrically, according to Boyer, Dorsey was "skilled at writing songs that not only captured the hopes, fears, and aspirations of the poor and disenfranchised African Americans but also spoke to all people". Birth of the Gospel Blues. Apparently, this is a common phrase for a preacher to employ when looking to foster agreement. In 1932 however, just as Dorsey co-founded the Gospel Choral Union of Chicago eventually renamed the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses (NCGCC), his wife Nettie died in childbirth, then 24 hours later, their son. 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. 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. It is presented on PBS by WGBH and ITVS. An unintended consequence of his sales strategy helped spread gospel blues, as he worked with numerous musicians who assisted in selling his sheet music traveling to churches in and around Chicago. January 7, 2006 A fire has destroyed the landmark Pilgrim Baptist Church on Chicago's South Side. This the story. The emotionality of gospel music is always spectacular to witness, and while a large portion of Say Amen, Somebody is devoted to the massive productions of black church music, it goes behind the scenes to illuminate the culture, both good and bad. He convalesced back home in Atlanta. 1932 was also the year he formed the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses with blues singer Sallie Martin. 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%4d%69%6b%65%20%57%68%69%74%66%69%65%6c%64%20%26%6c%74%3b%64%75%6c%63%69%6d%65%72%64%75%64%65%40%79%61%68%6f%6f%2e%63%6f%6d%26%67%74%3b%5c%22%3e%4d%69%6b%65%20%57%68%69%74%66%69%65%6c%64%3c%5c%2f%61%3e%27%29%3b')). Dorsey co-founded the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses in 1933. 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 bet he and God are having a ball in Heaven! A Moment with Thomas Dorsey, from the Movie Say Amen, Somebody - YouTube from The Movie, Say Amen Somebody from The Movie, Say Amen Somebody AboutPressCopyrightContact. Now at the center of gospel music activity in Chicago, Dorsey countered his bereavement by immersing himself in marketing his songs. Between 1932 and 1944, he held "Evenings with Dorsey" on this circuit, teaching novices the best ways to deliver his songs. 2015 NHD Thomas A Dorsey Documentary - by Adero Brooks RicardoBDC 23 subscribers Subscribe 6K views 7 years ago "Make A Joyful Noise" is the 2015 - 1st place winning documentary entered into. He penned 3,000 songs, a third of them gospel, including "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" and "Peace in the Valley". [3], The Dorseys moved to Atlanta to find better opportunities when Thomas was eight years old. In 1924, Dorsey made his debut as "Georgia Tom" with Ma Rainey at the Grand Theater and continued to tour with her, even after he wed in 1925, until he suffered the second of his breakdowns in 1926. Van Matre, Lynn, "Praises To Be For 'Father of Gospel'". Dorsey found appeal in the freedom and potential that came with improvising within established hymns, allowing singers and musicians to infuse more emotion particularly joy and elation into their performances to move congregations. Just a genuine soul of a man. In the fall of 1896, the Philadelphia Times published articles about two visits to Dorsey's "humble dwelling" at 206 Dean Street. 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. It's like a family business, and watching the different generations striving for significance was quite fascinating. There he was impressed by the singing of W. M. Nix. As the blues grew in popularity in the 1920s, black churches condemned it widely for being associated with sin and hedonism. 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.". Loud Pictures - A Music Movie Project38/65, Even without the explanation of the title from Say Amen, Somebody's Wikipedia page, its meaning is obvious once the film gets rolling. [25] Others took offense to such lively music overshadowing the minister's spoken word, or women delivering spiritual messages through song, taking the place of the preacher who was typically male. Search the characters on YT, wonderful performances via 78's. Yoruba originated in West Africa and pre-dates Christianity. Under the name "Georgia Tom". For his part, Nierenberg is grateful for the restoration of Say Amen, Somebody because of what it might mean for new audiences, especially because the film's central figures are no longer with us: Thomas A. Dorsey died in 1993 and Mother Willie Mae Ford Smith died the following year. It is the story of two sourthern migrants, Rev. ", Though the new biopic about Aretha Franklin starring Jennifer Hudson is earning tepid reviews, I'm going to see it this afternoon. Glad i was able to get the remastered copy. 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.