1982 Directed by George T. Nierenberg Synopsis Pure joy Documentary on modern black gospel music, focusing on the pioneering Rev. In doing so, he became one of the first musicians to copyright blues music. Extremely entertaining documentary that takes a look at religious music as we get to meet two key people. Documentary clip on Thomas Dorsey - YouTube Thomas A. Dorsey | Songwriters Hall of Fame In actual fact, his first musical impact was as a blues stylist as both writer and performer. 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. Cecil Williams and Thomas A. Dorsey, born a generation apart, both seeking to bring the reality of the streets into the church. Nierenberg's documentary catches these performers in their homes and at two events: the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses and a tribute to Mother Willie Mae Ford Smith that Nierenberg helped put together. The same thing acts for a gospel song. Even with a family he remained active in music, attending multiple engagements each year. While presiding over rehearsals, Dorsey was strict and businesslike. 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. It is presented on PBS by WGBH and ITVS. Recommended as an antidote to the blahs. Out of that tragedy he wrote the song for which he is best known, "Precious Lord," which has been translated into 50 languages and recorded with success by gospel and secular singers alike, including Elvis Presley, much as Dorsey's "Peace in the Valley" was a hit for Tennessee Ernie Ford and others. The outcome of this is unknown other than the clinic stating they would no longer serve black patients. But the Lord's work would not be easy for him. Mobilesite. "You have the Barrett Sisters; you have the O'Neal Twins. 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. ABOUT THE EPISODE, God Is a Negro takes place after Emancipation, as the minister and journalist Henry McNeal Turner uses the black church to engage newly freed blacks in the political realm. But in 1925, a second breakdown left Dorsey unable to play music. Latest Movies and TV Shows With Thomas A. Dorsey - IMDb [39] Anthony Heilbut further explains that "the gospel of [Charles] Tindley and Dorsey talks directly to the poor. Thomas Andrew Dorsey | Encyclopedia.com There he first saw Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith. And that's how he came to capture his subjects accurately, says Dr. Rhea Combs. In San Francisco, the Reverend Cecil Williams develops a "come as you are" church. [32][33] Never considering himself a strong singer, Dorsey recorded gospel music sporadically up to 1934, and two songs in 1953 were his last, though he continued to write. In 1975 he appeared in WBBM TV's documentary film The Devil's Music - A History of . Many well-known and accomplished musicians have spoke of writing experiences that were similar to Thomas Dorsey's. ABOUT THE EPISODE, In 1998, 60 people embarked on an Interfaith Pilgrimage of the Middle Passage. One of the most acclaimed music documentaries of all time, Say Amen, Somebody is George T. Nierenberg's masterpiece a joyous, funny, deeply emotional celebration of African American culture, featuring the father of Gospel, Thomas A. Dorsey (""Precious Lord, Take My Hand""); Mother Willie Mae Ford Smith; and soul-shaking performances by the Barrett Sisters, the O'Neal Twins, and Zella . [citation needed] Patty Thomas was born Patricia Thomas on August 1, 1922, in Erie, Pennsylvania.She also was in the films: Smooth Sailing, a 1947 short film by Jerry Hopper and the 2003 film . Thomas A. Dorsey was one of the gospel pioneers profiled in George Nierenberg's Say Amen, Somebody. [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. 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 Folk was wipin' their eyes, and some cryin' and bawlin' on, and I told em, 'What is this happenin' here? [26][27], Simultaneously, a shift in Chicago's black churches was taking place. ", Pop craftsman Paul Simon talks about writing the now gospel standard Bridge Over Troubled Water. The whole phrase like a bridge over troubled water, I will lay me down, the words and the melody, all of that came [snaps fingers] like that., Hear more about "Take My Hand, Precious Lord". At the time, Nierenberg was looking for a follow-up to his award-winning 1979 tap dance documentary, No Maps on My Taps, when he had dinner with musician Ry Cooder. You got to always have something: a little trick, a little embellishment or something. By what name was Say Amen, Somebody (1982) officially released in Canada in English? '"[27], When he gave interviews later in his life, he never condemned blues music or his experiences in that period. [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. Dorsey returned to Chicago in 1921, and his uncle encouraged him to attend the National Baptist Convention. These folks added boogey woogey to the hymns and were heretics. [52] Four years later, Aretha Franklin sang it at Jackson's funeral. Say Amen, Somebody is one of my favorite music documentaries of all time. 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. A beat is a beat whatever it is. Thomas Andrew Dorsey, (born July 1, 1899, Villa Rica, Ga., U.S.died Jan. 23, 1993, Chicago, Ill.), American songwriter, singer, and pianist whose many up-tempo blues arrangements of gospel music hymns earned him the title of "Father of Gospel Music." Dorsey was the son of a revivalist preacher. 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. It's incredible how Gospel produced such top tier talents with such ease. Thomas A. Dorsey was one of the gospel pioneers profiled in George Nierenberg's Say Amen, Somebody.The documentary was originally released in 1982, and has been remastered and re-released. Six years later, Dorsey left Atlanta for Chicago. In his grief, he turned to the piano for comfort. He demanded that members attend practice regularly and that they should live their lives by the same standards promoted in their songs. His reputation led him to become a music arranger for Paramount Records and the Chicago Music Publishing Company. 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. 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." The documentary was originally released in 1982, and has been remastered and re-released. Their collaboration would continue over the years as his fame spread, Martin often accompanying him on his tours around the country. 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. Dorsey, one of five children, was born in Villa Rica, Georgia, but soon moved with his family to Atlanta. Try it free. The documentary was originally released in 1982, and has been remastered and re-released.. People are singing because it feels good! Throughout his early years he felt torn between the sacred and the secular. 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. Mahalia Jackson sang at his funeral when King did not get to hear it. 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. 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.". Recordings of these sold millions of copies in both gospel and secular markets in the 20th century.[1]. The lyrics, however, were written by Dorsey. He was demoted a grade and ostracized by the other children. By far the best documentary Ive seen! [5][7], Two of his secular songs were recorded by Monette Moore and another by Joe "King" Oliver, ensuring Dorsey a place as one of Chicago's top blues composers. It featured syncopated notes in an eight-bar blues structure; but instead of themes of defiance in the face of despair - the theme most common in the blues - this new music told stories of hope and affirmation. 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. Two of those "cats" became the focus of Nierenberg's film. Thomas A. Dorsey Biography As George T. Nierenberg guides us through its relatively brief history, we come to see that. Combs says the filmmaker recorded a crucial changing of the guard between generations. "[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. 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. You've got Thomas Dorsey, the man who is credited with creating gospel music and Willie Mae Ford Smith, a woman who wants to preach the gospel. Under the name Georgia Tom he performed with blues artist Ma Rainey and her Wild Cats Jazz Band. Really curious what happened to the speaking-in-tongues charismatic preacher who tried to guilt his wife into staying home with him instead of going on tour, the closest thing to a villain here. Villa Rica's rural location allowed Dorsey to hear slave spirituals, and "moaning" a style of singing marked by elongated notes and embellishments widespread among Southern black people alongside the Protestant hymns his father favored. After months of difficult travel and deep soul-searching, the pilgrims reach Africa with a stronger sense of identity and purpose. He considered suicide. By 1920, Dorsey was prospering, but the demanding schedule of playing at night, working at other jobs during the day, and studying in between led him to the first of two nervous breakdowns; he was so ill that his mother had to go to Chicago to bring him back to Atlanta. 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. It charts the devbelopment of underground churches, and attempts by slaves and free blacks to unify the black community. This was a documentary on the history of American Gospel music with clips of some of the greats from the early years of the 1930s and also those, later, like Mahalia Jackson. In the film, he tells the story of how the death of his wife and their newborn child led him to church music. [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. Peter Levinson tells Linda Wertheimer about his biography. Thomas A Dorsey was truely one of pop-music cultural best kept secrets. The documentary was originally released in 1982, and has been remastered and re-released. I think about all these blue-collar people who had to deal with Jim Crow, meager salaries, and yet the maid who cleaned up somebody else's house all week long, the porter, the chauffeur, the gardener, the cook, were nobody. "Brother Dorsey," Bishop Haley reportedly said, "there is no reason for you to be looking so poorly and feeling so badly. Copyright 2003 The Faith Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Documentary performer: "Opus One" - as Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra: Cold Case: 2006: TV Series 1 episode: Anytown, USA: 2005: Documentary performer . He also toured extensively with Mahalia Jackson in the 1940s, who was by this time the preeminent gospel singer in the world. 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. Rehearsals for sales pitches took place in Dorsey's nearly bare room in his uncle's house. Dorsey, who was born in Villa Rica, Georgia, was the music director at Pilgrim Baptist Church in Chicago from 1932 until the late 1970s. 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.
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