BHS Day 11: Thomas Dorsey

Hi! Since the entertainment industry as a whole is a very broad one, I tried to put some variety in the professions of the people I selected for the Spotlights. This particular Spotlight focuses on the music industry and the accomplishments of today's featured star in a genre very rooted in Black history. Let's get to it!

Source

Name: Thomas "Georgia Tom" Dorsey, 1899-1993 Profession: Gospel pioneer and musician; blues pianist and composer/musician in both genres Why is the Spotlight on him today? For his contributions to the creation of the gospel genre receiving mainstream acceptance and success, and his accomplishments in the music industry Accomplishments: --Composed the gospel song Mahalia Jackson later made famous, "Precious Lord, Hold My Hand" --Founded the gospel-based organization National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses, which is still in operation today
--Is the author of many well-known gospel classics
--Was the first Black musician added to the Gospel Music Association's Living Hall of Fame
--Founded the first gospel choir in the world
--Created the first gospel-based publishing company
--Is often considered the father of the gospel genre
--Was inducted as a member of the Gennett Records Walk of Fame
--Wrote a number of songs for other artists that later became hits
--Has an album in the US National Recording Registry
--The first Black musician added to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
--Was honored by Fisk University by having a collection of his music added to it Further reading links:
Wikipedia | Southern Music

I grew up listening to gospel music, but I see now that I haven't even hit the tip of the iceberg in learning about the genre's rich history. I had no idea that one person was primarily responsible for exposing gospel to a broader audience, and his efforts have had a lasting effect on the genre. I guess because the world was much smaller back then, the task of creating resources where there weren't any before doesn't sound quite as daunting. It sounds next to impossible today. Regardless of the time period though, it was a gutsy move Thomas Dorsey made and I applaud both his ambition and accomplishments. I hope you enjoyed today's post and I'll see you tomorrow!