thomas dorsey documentary

"I just tried to make my little talk to the Lord but it was wasted, I think," Dorsey tells the audience. 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. 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. It's like a family business, and watching the different generations striving for significance was quite fascinating. "From a childhood day I dreamed of being a great singer, and singing over in Europe. They had to sit in the back of the bus, they were denied their rights, but when they walked into their church on Sunday morning and put on a robe and went down that aisle and stood on that choir stand, the maid became a coloratura, and when she stood before her church of five hundred to a thousand, two thousand people, she knew she was somebody. ", Though the new biopic about Aretha Franklin starring Jennifer Hudson is earning tepid reviews, I'm going to see it this afternoon. A tour group of 150 demanded he sing "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" right there. After his recovery three years later, Dorsey committed himself to composing sacred music. 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. Thomas Dorsey and Mother Willie Mae Ford Smith Remove Ads Cast Crew Details Genres Cast Thomas Dorsey Willie Mae Ford Smith 100 mins More at IMDb TMDb Sign in to log, rate or review Share Ratings 1 fan 3.9 Amazon.com: Say Amen, Somebody : Thomas A. Dorsey, Mother Willie Mae 1932 was also the year he formed the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses with blues singer Sallie Martin. Never was released on dvd, only tape way back when. Thomas Dorsey, Father of Gospel Music, Dies at 93 Dorsey, Thomas A. | Encyclopedia.com Thank you for your article..maybe I was meant to hear this song and maybe like Thomas Dorsey it will be a turnaround for me too, 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%48%65%63%74%6f%72%20%4d%2e%49%72%69%7a%61%72%72%79%20%26%6c%74%3b%68%6d%69%72%69%7a%61%72%72%79%40%6b%6e%6f%6c%6f%67%79%2e%6e%65%74%26%67%74%3b%5c%22%3e%48%65%63%74%6f%72%20%4d%2e%49%72%69%7a%61%72%72%79%3c%5c%2f%61%3e%27%29%3b')). The pressures of touring overwhelmed him, and Dorsey considered suicide. He is a truly mesmerizing figure, the stuff of which legends are made. I say this all the time, as someone who grew up in and out of the church, no matter how far Ive strayed from Christianity and the church itself, I will always love gospel music. The documentary was originally released in 1982, and has been remastered and re-released. A beat is a beat whatever it is. The documentary was originally released in 1982, and has been remastered and re-released. It is a film that has seemingly won the full trust of it's subjects, and thus said subjects barely acknowledge the camera. Documentary performer: "Opus One" - as Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra: Cold Case: 2006: TV Series 1 episode: Anytown, USA: 2005: Documentary performer . After months of difficult travel and deep soul-searching, the pilgrims reach Africa with a stronger sense of identity and purpose. 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, however, able to work, though he remained on the periphery of the music community, held back, Harris observed, by both his lack of technique and repertoire, which prevented him from joining the union, and the sheer size and wealth of the musical community. He said that he suffered a debilitating stroke last year and expressed disappointment that she did not reach out. Both were born enslaved; both used the Gospel to shape their identities. He died in 1993. [20] He also mentored many young musicians, including training a teenage Mahalia Jackson when she first arrived in Chicago, although he said she did not entirely accept his instruction: "She said I was trying to make a stereotyped singer out of her. "You have the Barrett Sisters; you have the O'Neal Twins. Now George T. Nierenberg's film has been restored and re-released to theaters and DVD. ", So, in this recently restored film -- by Milestone Films with support from the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Academy Film Archive, and the Criterion Collection --. [52] Four years later, Aretha Franklin sang it at Jackson's funeral. 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. These churches discouraged expressive congregational participation and attempted to incorporate white church traditions in both service and music. Thomas A Dorsey | gospelgold Pun. "You know, Frank, this has been my life dream to go abroad," Barrett says to her husband in one scene. He also taught black children at a one-room schoolhouse where his son accompanied him and listened to lessons. Letterboxd Limited. These migrants were refugees from poverty and the systemic racism endemic throughout the Jim Crow South. 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. In that film, after being helped into a room, he addresses a group of people, moving comfortably in and out of song all the while. 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. 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%73%68%61%6e%69%63%65%20%26%6c%74%3b%6d%69%7a%7a%63%68%65%72%72%79%31%32%39%40%61%6f%6c%2e%63%6f%6d%26%67%74%3b%5c%22%3e%73%68%61%6e%69%63%65%3c%5c%2f%61%3e%27%29%3b')), Copyright 2023 Net Industries - All Rights Reserved, Additional information for this profile was obtained from the documentary. Prominent hymnal publishers began including his compositions in the late 1930s, ensuring his music would be sung in white churches. But he lives on each Sunday as voices rise in praise, singing the gospel across the land. Pastor Turner helped organize the Repubican Party in Georgia only to find himself denied access to societal institutions as discrimination reigned in the dark days following Reconstruction. We see the lives and performances of two gospel greats, Willie May Ford Smith and Thomas Dorsey. Many churches sought prestige in their musical offerings, which were often ornate and sophisticated liturgical compositions by classical European composers, such as Handel's Messiah (1742) and Mozart's Alleluia (1773). Deemed the " father of gospel music, " Thomas Dorsey emerged, during the early 1930s, as the creator of an African American religious music style known as the gospel blues an idiom . His father was a Baptist minister with a flamboyant pulpit style, and his mother played a portable organ and piano wherever the elder Dorsey preached. Courtesy Milestone Films I bet he and God are having a ball in Heaven! His association with musicians there encouraged him to practice at home on his mother's organ, and by age 12, he claimed that he could play the piano very well. 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. The first was Thomas A. Dorsey, known as the father of gospel music. Under the name "Georgia Tom". Dorsey died of Alzheimer's in 1993, listening to music on a Walkman. Lornell, Kip, "Dorsey, Thomas (18991993) Blues and Gospel Musician and Composer". I guarantee you watching this program you will be touched in same way watching this show!! "It goes between the marrow and the bone. I miss her everyday. This the story. 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. You have this kind of inter-generational blending, and we're seeing that in this film, where there is this sort of critical moment within the tradition of gospel music sort of this passing of the torch, if you will.". SERIES CREDITS, "There is a River" explores the evolution of African-American religious thought, from the beliefs and rituals Africans brought to America to the influence of Christian teachings imposed on slaves in the new world. It's a look behind the scenes at a world few (particularly white) viewers get to see unless it appears on a religious TV show if you like in a town with a black population. He was demoted a grade and ostracized by the other children. 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. By far the best documentary Ive seen! As a native Georgian I was pleased to have met Mr. Dorsey back in the early 70's. (Staig, Laurence, "Obituary: Thomas Dorsey", Dorsey later filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the Illinois Research Clinic in response. Extremely entertaining documentary that takes a look at religious music as we get to meet two key people. [30][31], Dorsey lived a quiet life despite his influence. My favorite; "I'll Tell It Wherever I Go", with such a special version by the Gaither Vocal Band. Dorsey was a popular blues pianist and arranger he was best known as Ma Rainey's band leader, until he took the blues and adapted it to sacred music. 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. Martin Luther King Jr.. Soon he began selling concessions there, and aspiring to join the theater band, honed his musical skills on his family's organ and a relative's piano, picking out melodies that he had heard and practicing long hours. When the pastor at Pilgrim Baptist, Chicago's second largest black church, saw the way it moved the congregation, he hired Dorsey as music director, allowing him to dedicate all his time to gospel music. This Far by Faith . About the Series | PBS Directed by George T. Nierenberg, Documentary on modern black gospel music, focusing on the pioneering Rev. Instead, George Nierenberg made a beautifully shot and edited film about the legacy and spirit of gospel, complementing the wildly infectious good will and intense devotion of church performances with his thoughtfully paced portrait of the families and communities who sustain this ecstatic genre. The night Rainey opened at Chicago's largest black theater Dorsey is remembered as "the most exciting moment in my life". 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. Six years later, he teamed with Mahalia Jackson, and the team ushered in what was known as the Golden Age of Gospel Music. Dorsey himself became known as the father of gospel music. Two of those "cats" became the focus of Nierenberg's film. In 1931, Dorsey experienced great personal tragedy again: the death in childbirth of both his wife and newborn son devastated him. You got to always have something: a little trick, a little embellishment or something. The 1981 meeting featured in the film was the last convention he was able to attend. 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. [49] In Dorsey's wake, R&B artists Dinah Washington, who was a member of the Sallie Martin Singers, Sam Cooke, originally in the gospel band the Soul Stirrers, Ray Charles, Little Richard, James Brown, and the Coasters recorded both R&B and gospel songs, moving effortlessly between the two, as Dorsey did, and bringing elements of gospel to mainstream audiences. Obituary: Thomas Dorsey | The Independent | The Independent 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. Dorsey served as the music director at Chicago's Pilgrim Baptist Church for 50 years, introducing musical improvisation and encouraging personal elements of participation such as clapping, stomping, and shouting in churches when these were widely condemned as unrefined and common. Dorsey's mother took work as a domestic servant; his father curtailed his pastoring and worked as a laborer. Some objected to the degradation of worship through blues shouting. Director: George T. Nierenberg | Stars: Willie May Ford Smith, Thomas A. Dorsey, Sallie Martin, Delois Barrett Campbell. 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. And they insisted; they pursued it nonetheless.". "Dedication: Thomas Dorsey Dedication Day". Willie Mae reminded me so much of my grandmother, the moment she began to sing I immediately got teary eyed. The companion book of the same title was written by NPR correspondent Juan Williams (with historical notes by University of Indiana professor Quinton Hosford Dixie). Nix elongated some notes to emphasize specific syllables and words and sped up others. [f], Chapters of the NCGCC opened in St. Louis and Cleveland. [41] Horace Boyer attributes this popularity to "simple but beautiful melodies", unimposing harmonies, and room for improvisation within the music. But in 1925, a second breakdown left Dorsey unable to play music. See production, box office & company info. Encountering more competition for jobs and with his concentration primarily on blues, Dorsey turned to composing, copyrighting his first song in 1920, titled "If You Don't Believe I'm Leaving, You Can Count the Days I'm Gone". Indeed, in the late 1920s, he would begin work with one of the great gospel soloists of all time, Mahalia Jackson. Director George T. Nierenberg Stars Willie Mae Ford Smith Smith Thomas A. Dorsey Sallie Martin See production, box office & company info Search on Amazon search for Blu-ray and DVD Add to Watchlist "It's just a feeling within; you can't help yourself," Smith says in the film, describing the experience of singing gospel. "When I saw the film after it was restored, it felt like a new film completely," he says. [48] In 1936, members of Dorsey's junior choir became the Roberta Martin Singers, a successful recording group which set the standard for gospel ensembles, both for groups and individual voice roles within vocal groups. 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. India's economy is likely moving into a low inflation regime as supply shocks fade and demand cools, according to a paper co-authored by Reserve Bank of India Deputy . [4], Seeking a greater challenge, Dorsey relocated to Chicago in 1919, where he learned that his style of playing was unfashionable compared to the newer uptempo styles of jazz. Dorsey found refuge in downtown Atlanta's black community. Built in 1890, the church became a catalyst for the popularity of gospel music in the 1930s under choir director Thomas Dorsey. 'Say Amen, Somebody' Restoration Unveils The Wonder Of The Gospel Pioneers, Thomas Dorsey, the Father of Gospel Music. The reporter found a collector so consumed by the need to. Selected discography. India's Economy Moving Into Low Inflation Regime, RBI Paper Says Thomas A. Dorsey continue to be a giant in gospel music, and after his death his music is still alive and well. If I may get personal: finally seeing this 1982 gospel music documentary (recently restored and out this month in a theatrical re-release) was like the fulfillment of a decades-long mission, as it was a mainstay of Roger Eberts annual home video companions, his four-star review promising one of the most joyful movies Ive ever seen also one of the best musicals and one of the most interesting documentaries.
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