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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 1st, 1899 (Villa Rica), Died January 23rd, 1993 (Chicago)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1923 - 1939

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

Notes: Used pseudonyms Georgia Tom and Memphis Mose.

Recordings (Results 26-50 of 122 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Brunswick C2324 10-in. 9/20/1928 Lonesome man blues Georgia Tom Male vocal solo, with guitar vocalist, composer, lyricist  
Brunswick C2325 10-in. 9/19/1928 Grievin’ me blues Georgia Tom Male vocal solo, with guitar and piano vocalist, composer, lyricist, instrumentalist, piano  
Brunswick C2326 10-in. 9/19/1928 It’s tight like that Georgia Tom ; Tampa Red Male vocal duet, with guitar and piano instrumentalist, piano, vocalist, songwriter  
Brunswick C2415 10-in. 10/8/1928 It’s tight like that Georgia Tom ; Tampa Red Male vocal duet, with piano and guitar vocalist, songwriter  
Brunswick C2433 10-in. 10/10/1928 Some cold rainy day Bertha Chippie Hill ; Tampa Red Female vocal solo, with guitar and piano composer, lyricist  
Brunswick C2449 10-in. 10/16/1928 Christmas man blues Bertha Chippie Hill ; Tampa Red Female vocal solo, with guitar and piano composer  
Brunswick C2450 10-in. 10/16/1928 Grievin’ me blues Georgia Tom ; Tampa Red Male vocal solo, with guitar and piano vocalist, composer, lyricist  
Brunswick C2476 10-in. 10/24/1928 It’s tight like that Georgia Tom ; Tampa Red Male vocal duet, with guitar and piano vocalist, songwriter  
Brunswick C2508 10-in. 11/1/1928 Long ago blues Georgia Tom Male vocal solo, with guitar vocalist, composer, lyricist  
Brunswick C2536 10-in. 11/9/1928 It’s tight like that Hokum Jug Band ; Frankie Half Pint Jaxon ; Tampa Red Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Brunswick C2554 10-in. 11/12/1928 Ocean blues Octavia Dick Female vocal solo, with guitar and piano composer  
Brunswick C2610 10-in. 11/28/1928 It’s tight like that Walter Barnes ; Royal Creolians Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Brunswick C2635 10-in. 12/5/1928 It’s tight like that no. 3 Georgia Tom ; Tampa Red Male vocal duet, with guitar and piano composer, vocalist  
Brunswick C2636 10-in. 12/6/1928 Strange woman blues Georgia Tom ; Tampa Red Male vocal duet, with guitar and piano vocalist  
Brunswick C2637 10-in. 12/6/1928 Jelly whippin’ blues Georgia Tom ; Tampa Red Male vocal duet, with guitar and piano vocalist  
Brunswick C2638 10-in. 12/6/1928 It’s tight like that no. 2 Georgia Tom ; Tampa Red Male vocal duet, with guitar and piano vocalist, songwriter  
Brunswick C2650 10-in. 12/11/1928 Uncle Bud (Dog-gone him) Georgia Tom ; Tampa Red Male vocal duet, with guitar and piano vocalist  
Brunswick C2651 10-in. 12/11/1928 Train time blues Georgia Tom ; Tampa Red Male vocal duet, with guitar and piano vocalist  
Brunswick C2652 10-in. 12/11/1928 Chicago moan blues Georgia Tom ; Tampa Red Male vocal duet, with guitar and piano vocalist  
Brunswick C2653 10-in. 12/11/1928 Juicy lemon blues Georgia Tom ; Tampa Red Male vocal duet, with guitar and piano vocalist  
Brunswick C2705 10-in. 12/24/1928 It’s tight like that Walter Barnes ; Royal Creolians Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Brunswick C2710 10-in. 12/27/1928 It’s tight like that Jimmie Noone’s Apex Club Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet songwriter  
Brunswick C2777 10-in. 1/9/1929 Juicy lemon blues Georgia Tom ; Tampa Red Male vocal solo, with guitar and piano instrumentalist, piano  
Brunswick C2778 10-in. 1/9/1928 Chicago moan blues Georgia Tom ; Tampa Red Male vocal duet, with guitar and piano instrumentalist, piano, vocalist  
Brunswick C2779 10-in. 1/9/1928 Strange woman blues Georgia Tom ; Tampa Red Male vocal duet, with guitar and piano instrumentalist, piano, vocalist  
(Results 26-50 of 122 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Dorsey, Thomas Andrew," accessed March 3, 2021, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106306.

Dorsey, Thomas Andrew. (2021). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 3, 2021, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106306.

"Dorsey, Thomas Andrew." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2021. Web. 3 March 2021.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

External Sources

Wikipedia: Thomas A. Dorsey

Discogs: Dorsey, Thomas Andrew

Allmusic: Dorsey, Thomas Andrew

Linked Open Data Sources

LCNAR: Dorsey, Thomas Andrew - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n91014968

Wikidata: Thomas A. Dorsey - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q562158

VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/37104273/

MusicBrainz: Dorsey, Thomas Andrew - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/6fb94460-3194-43cb-8b30-aecf862c93b9

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