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Thomas Andrew Dorsey

Thomas Andrew Dorsey (July 1, 1899 – January 23, 1993) was an American musician. Dorsey was known as "the father of gospel music" and was at one time so closely associated with the field that songs written in the new style were sometimes known as "dorseys". Dorsey was the music director at Pilgrim Baptist Church in Chicago, Illinois, from 1932 until the late–1970s.

Dorsey's best-known composition, "Take My Hand, Precious Lord", was performed by Mahalia Jackson and was a favorite of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Another composition, "Peace in the Valley", was a hit for Red Foley in 1951 and has been performed by dozens of other artists, including Albertina Walker (the "Queen of Gospel"), Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. The Library of Congress added his album Precious Lord: New Recordings of the Great Songs of Thomas A. Dorsey (1973) to the United States National Recording Registry in 2002.

Birth and Death Data: Born July 1, 1899 (Villa Rica), Died January 23, 1993 (Chicago)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1923 - 1951

Roles Represented in DAHR: piano, vocalist, composer, songwriter, lyricist, arranger, speaker

Notes: Used pseudonyms Georgia Tom and Memphis Mose.

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 158 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BVE-48619 10-in. 11/23/1928 It's tight like that McKinney's Cotton Pickers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BVE-48755 10-in. 12/14/1928 Rolling mill stomp State Street Stompers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor BVE-48756 10-in. 12/14/1928 Panama blues State Street Stompers Jazz/dance band speaker  
Victor BS-87037 10-in. 12/11/1934 I'll be home some day Carter Family Mixed vocal trio, with 2 guitars composer  
Victor BS-99398 10-in. 2/27/1936 Red's tight like that Tune Wranglers String band, with male vocal solo and ensemble songwriter  
Victor BS-028116 10-in. 10/18/1938 It's tight like that Eddie De Lange Orchestra ; Phil Sillman Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and vocal ensemble songwriter  
Victor BS-032653 10-in. 2/5/1939 If you see my Saviour Charlie Monroe’s Boys Male vocal duet, with guitar and mandolin lyricist, composer  
Victor E1VB-0103 10-in. 1/9/1951 I want to be more like Jesus Carpenter Trio Vocal trio, with piano arranger  
Columbia 140064 10-in. 9/30/1924 Freight train blues Clara Smith Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with instrumental trio songwriter  
Columbia W147890 10-in. 1/26/1929 It's tight like that Clara Smith Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with trombone and piano songwriter  
Columbia 147945 10-in. 2/8/1929 It's tight like that Lou Gold Orchestra ; Robert Wood Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
OKeh 8484 10-in. October 1923 Riverside blues King Oliver’s Jazz Band Jazz/dance band composer  
OKeh 9789 10-in. 6/25/1926 That Creole band Gut Bucket Five ; Albert Wynn Jazz/dance band composer  
OKeh S-71595 10-in. June 1923 I just want a daddy Alice Carter Female vocal solo, with piano lyricist, composer  
OKeh S-72858 10-in. Sept. 1924 Eagle Rock me, papa Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Sara Martin Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance quintet songwriter  
OKeh W401534 10-in. 1/15/1929 It's tight like that Burning Eight ; Luis Russell Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
OKeh W402204 10-in. 12/11/1928 (Honey) It's tight like that Harry Jones ; Papa Too Sweet Male vocal duet, with piano and guitar songwriter, instrumentalist, piano  
OKeh W402205 10-in. 12/11/1928 Big fat mama Papa Too Sweet Male vocal solo, with guitar and piano instrumentalist, piano  
OKeh W403307 10-in. 11/15/1929 Lonesome man blues Sylvester Palmer Male vocal solo, with piano lyricist, composer  
Brunswick VO100 10-in. 1/21/1931 Do it some more Georgia Tom ; Kansas City Kitty Female-male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, composer, lyricist  
Brunswick VO101 10-in. 1/21/1931 Knife man blues Georgia Tom ; Kansas City Kitty Female-male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, composer, lyricist  
Brunswick VO114 10-in. 2/6/1931 New stranger's blues Georgia Tom ; Tampa Red Male vocal duet, with guitar and piano vocalist, instrumentalist, piano, songwriter  
Brunswick VO115 10-in. 2/6/1931 Georgia hound blues Tampa Red Male vocal solo, with guitar and piano instrumentalist, piano  
Brunswick VO120 10-in. 2/10/1931 Things ‘bout coming my way Tampa Red Male vocal solo, with guitar and piano instrumentalist, piano  
Brunswick VO121 10-in. 2/10/1931 Cotton seed blues Tampa Red Male vocal solo, with guitar and piano instrumentalist, piano  
(Results 1-25 of 158 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Dorsey, Thomas Andrew," accessed March 28, 2023, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106306.

Dorsey, Thomas Andrew. (2023). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2023, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106306.

"Dorsey, Thomas Andrew." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2023. Web. 28 March 2023.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106306

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