Thomas Dorsey and The Gospel Sound by Sierra Henderson
Sierra Henderson
Professor Messbauer
MUS 28
30 October 2015
Thomas Dorsey Setting
Thomas A. Dorsey, often regarded as “The Father of Black Gospel Music” revolutionized the music industry, as well as sacred and secular communities by successfully conjoining secular music with sacred text. From creating one of the most influential Gospel records in the genre’s history, to influencing future generations of religious communities to find various methods to reach broader audiences, Dorsey’s impact transcends time and music. Although his adversities led Dorsey to combine two completely opposing ideals to create such a well-known and beloved music genre, understanding how those adversities shaped his perceptions in a broader historical sense permits us to discern how and why Dorsey united two very distinct and differing worlds into one. Additionally, it also permits us to understand how this genre best described as “a marriage between secular blues and sacred text,” (PBS.org) was able to flourish, despite years of overwhelming disapproval that hindered its growth. Dorsey’s ability to discover and perceive how both genres as separate entities had a similar impact on their audiences and the close relationships between particular sounds led to his successful venture in musically developing the perfect formula for Gospel.
Despite his religious upbringing and contributions to the African American church, Thomas Dorsey frequently expressed how he was often dismissed from some of the most prominent African American churches; due to his association with Blues music and secular artists. Dorsey was born into a very religious family in the rural South. “[He] was the son of a Baptist preacher; his mother was the church organist”, which immediately established his connection with Christianity and religion from birth. (PBS.org) When his family left the rural city of Villa Rica, Georgia to Atlanta in his early life, his connection with church life and its components diminished gravely. Due to financial hardships, the family focus became less centered on faith and more so on achieving financial stability. Additionally, Dorsey experienced constant ridicule in his new surroundings. “[He] describes feeling alienated from school and church during his first years in Atlanta. He was demoted a grade and ostracized by the other children….” (PBS.org) Arguably, it is the combination of these factors, but more so the feelings of rejection and ridicule that heightened Dorsey’s fascination with Blues music and the environment. After Dorsey dropped at out of school at 11 to work at a vaudeville theater, he became more entangled with the downtown lifestyle and nightlife, but more so after he experienced Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith perform. It is often speculated that their performances motivated Dorsey to learn how to play the piano and the organ.
Dorsey’s love for the Blues and desire to follow his passion prompted him to take part in what many describe as one of the largest migrations to take place within the United States. The First Wave of the Great Migration (1914 -18) prompted many African American families to migrate from the rural South to the North and Midwest. Exhausted from the limited opportunities for Blacks in the South, migrant Blacks were not only seeking better job opportunities with higher wages, but also the opportunity to be treated as more than second class citizens. A large population were also in pursuit of reconciliation with long lost family members separated by the slave trade. Many African Americans were often plagued by racism and risked the harsh realities of lynching and terrorism by organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan. There was no legal protection for African Americans in the South, which created an atmosphere of hopelessness and despair. Additionally, most Blacks were expected to work under similar labor intensive positions closely related to slavery, while receiving minimal to no pay. Thomas A. Dorsey was no exception to the thousands of African Americans in pursuit of the American Dream; although it often meant parting with close family and relatives. Feeling discontent with the limitations of the South and a desire to advance in his musicianship, Thomas Dorsey joined the Great Migration North, headed towards Chicago in 1916 when he was 17 years old (This Far by Faith, Episode 3). He firmly believed in his capabilities as a musician to achieve success and eventually work alongside Ma Rainey, who was one of Dorsey’s favorite Blues artists.
Much to the surprise and disappointment of many African Americans, their desire for acceptance and prosperity in the North was met with opposition, not only from Whites, but from Northern Blacks, as well. There was a presumption of ignorance and savagery that many Northern Blacks carried about their Southern counterparts that transcended into almost every aspect of Black life. Many Northern Blacks even felt it was their obligation to inform Black Southern migrants about how to conduct themselves properly in society by creating a list of rules and guidelines they should follow. Migrants were often reduced to living in impoverished communities that rivaled their previous places of residence in the South.
In the church setting, Northern Black style of worship was similar to a European style, accompanied by Hymn Spirituals, rather than the Folk Spirituals commonly sung in most Southern Black Churches. This rift within the African American community caused a great divide that countered the core values of Christianity. Unable to find refuge and belonging not even in a religious context, prompted many migrant Blacks to reject the churches of the North and turn towards bars and blues hall. Thomas Dorsey was one of numerous African Americans who enjoyed secular music that were dismissed and disowned from religious communities. These settings became the places in which the exiled felt accepted, which is how and why Blues music became described as “the voice for the voiceless” and many turned away from “Sunday mornings” to adopt the “Saturday night lifestyle.” (This Far by Faith) To the church, Blues music was often perceived as the music of degenerates and sinners. The music itself did incorporate concepts and ideas that were considered very controversial and perhaps sacrilegious to a degree. For instance, Ma Rainey often sung of sexual encounters with both males and females and referenced drug and alcohol use. The stereotype of the time was where there was blues you would find alcohol, fornication and drugs. Dorsey himself was not necessarily involved with the presumed lifestyle associated with Blues (his focus was on the music), but playing alongside artists such as Ma Rainey made him guilty by association.
Despite the negative image Dorsey obtained by working closely with Ma Rainey, musically he did obtain overwhelming success within the Blues spectrum. He started working alongside Ma Rainey and Her Wild Cats Jazz Band (PBS.org) in 1924; together they developed a particular style of rural Blues most commonly referred to as “moanin’”, which received overwhelming praise amongst followers of the genre. Lyrically, this sub-genre had a very melancholy tone with themes of loss and misfortune; some of the most favorable topics were loss of love and financial hardships. Historically, many African Americans encountered great financial difficulties following their migration North because of segregation and racism. Those who were fortunate enough to find employment were still plagued with financial instability, which led to various other hardships. The struggles described within the lyrics of many moanin’ records attested to the realities that many African Americans encountered regularly, which substantiates its popularity, especially amongst those who could not rely on the church for comfort and solidarity.
To express the pain and discomfort conveyed lyrically, Ma Rainey would often moan and groan throughout the record, especially during her live performances. The moaning and groaning was not only presented to exemplify the hardships, but also to mimic the sound of certain instruments, particularly the saxophone. Her listeners would also moan and groan along with her, almost as if they were exchanging and empathizing with one another’s pain through the sounds. Both parties would often sway rhythmically to the music in what most would consider a very slow and seductive manner. The audience as well as the performers would often lose themselves within the music, bearing the full weight of the emotions conveyed lyrically, vocally, and instrumentally. Dorsey was present throughout all of these performances as the lead pianist to witness how the music effected the listeners.
Although Dorsey was no longer prominently involved with organized religion, he still maintained a spiritual connection. For a five-year period, Dorsey was unable to create any music, appearing to be physically incapable of playing the piano. However, after receiving several medical opinions, there was nothing physically inhibiting Dorsey from playing, which prompted him to begin his quest for the gospel, believing his physical restraint was a message from God to devote his talents towards the church. He felt a conviction to provide a middle ground for his love of Blues and his devotion to God, which enabled him to create his first gospel song “If You See my Savior Tell Him That You Saw Him” in 1932. This particular record arguably utilized sounds more closely related to Blues music, which may attest to its reception from the religious community. The song has an upbeat tempo that most likely evoked dancing, a reaction to music that was not necessarily popular in most northern churches during the time period. The instrumentation in the song features the piano and the guitar, accompanied by Dorsey’s vocals, which featured long drawn out notes that one would typically hear in a Blue’s record. Because most spiritual music for most Northern African American churches contained very slow tempos, strategic vocal arrangements and drew heavily from biblical text, ‘If You See My Savior” was most likely too much of a Blue’s record in it’s essence. Despite his best efforts, many members within the African American church community denounced this valiant attempt as devil’s music. After receiving numerous adverse responses to the record, Dorsey felt discouraged and returned his focus towards Blues music. It was not until he suffered the loss of his child and his wife that he created his most famous Gospel song “Precious Lord” performed by Mehalia Jackson and fully devoted his music to Gospel. This record was a perfect balance between the two worlds, drawing from the best aspects of both genres.
Dorsey’s ability to revolutionize sacred music inherently created an opportunity to reach audience members that were not heavily involved within the church lifestyle, by utilizing a familiar instrumentation and musical styles to reach those audiences. It is reasonable to suggest that Dorsey’s relentlessness to create Gospel was in favor of the outcasts of the church community, rather than the church community itself. For instance, the Blues instrumentation permitted fans of the genre who were generally outcast from the church to be drawn in by the sound and then later captivated by the lyrics. By applying this approach, those who constantly felt exiled from the church felt as if Gospel music served as middle ground in which the secular and sacred community could understand one another. Additionally, seeking Mahalia Jackson, the “Queen of Gospel” (bio.com) solidified this middle ground because of her fame and influence within the spiritual music spectrum and church community. Mahalia Jackson, like Dorsey, grew up in the church; however, unlike Dorsey, she remained heavy involved in church music and lifestyle. By collaborating with Mahalia Jackson to perform the vocals for his hit “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” and other songs, Dorsey was able to not only make the church community turn their heads, but also nod in overwhelming approval. Symbolically, this collaboration represented secular and sacred by establishing a collaboration between two artists that were prominent in both spectrums.
In “Oh Precious Lord, Take My Hand” the lyrics “When my light is almost gone; Hear my cry, hear my call” is not specifically speaking to a physical light, but rather the faith or hope of a person to sustain despite adversity. “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” written by Thomas Dorsey and performed by Mehalia Jackson exemplifies the manner in which conjoining two distinct musical genres yields a euphoric masterpiece. Instrumentally, the song utilizes the piano; however, the distinction lies between the riffs strategically placed to accompany Mahalia’s emotional conviction throughout her vocal performance. She incorporates the use of Blue notes, as a point of emphasis to the pain and suffering conveyed throughout the song and her vulnerability. While Jackson sings a Blue note, the piano plays in a much lighter key, creating a decrescendo effect, to permit the Blue notes to take the forefront of the musical arrangements. Although Jackson’s voice takes the forefront of the musical arrangements during the Blue notes, her voice simultaneously becomes lighter along with the piano. Contrastingly, whenever Jackson sings much more powerfully, the piano follows with a much louder and powerful style of playing.
Though it is never explicitly stated from Dorsey himself, it is reasonable to suggest that the impact that Blues music had on its listeners drawing similarities to that of a Southern church may have attributed to his quest to conjoin the two genres. Within the Southern church, many members would often wail, cry and shout in solidarity and would be overcome by so emotional conviction that it would appear as if the entire congregation could feel one another’s spirit through the music. The major distinction would be that most spiritual music spoke of liberation from adversities, while most Blues songs emphasized the pain of the circumstances themselves and the emotions that followed. Nevertheless, both genres provided liberation from circumstances by uniting people from various backgrounds facing similar strife. Musically, Southern spiritual music and Blues could have upbeat records, as well as records with slower tempos; however, it is the slower tempo records that are often most similar; both utilizing instruments such as the organ and the piano, often presenting the most serious topics, with more powerful and strong vocal arrangements. At the core of both of these genres which were often perceived as polar opposite, lied almost identical similarities. Dorsey, being heavily involved in various portions of his life in both worlds was able to discover the potential behind unifying these genres to establish Gospel. The fundamental similarities permit the two to function harmoniously. The two genres share a similar trait of relaying emotional conviction, primarily by utilizing strategic instrumentation and the use of signifyin’ and double entendre. Blues music and Spirituals in the context of the African American experience often permits its artist to express themselves without receiving overwhelming negative backlash from the cultural hegemonic group. Furthermore, both genres utilize the creative license and draw upon African influences of signifyin’ throughout the lyrics and various instruments, such as the saxophone, piano, guitar, etc. Signifyin’ is still utilized in Gospel music vocally, instrumentally, and lyrically; demonstrating how the African American sound ideals are present in every genre of music.
Prior to the inception of Gospel music, many artists were unable to successfully create a genre of its caliber, primarily because of the negative reception from church communities. Once Dorsey’s hit record received overwhelming support from the sacred community, the opportunities to couple sacred and secular genres became a very lucrative venture in the music industry to this present day. Since Dorsey’s era, Gospel music incorporates less Blues music, but draws from other secular genres, such as modern Rhythm and Blues. Additionally, there have been various sub-genres created following Gospel’s inception, such as Gospel hip-hop and even Gospel trap music. The Gospel trap music sound ideal is believed to be the most unorthodox combination between the two worlds. It incorporates the heavy base and claps that many would often associate with Southern gangster rap, while delivering a message of religious devotion and faith. Erica Campbell’s gospel trap record’s “I Luh God” success and positive reception greatly attest to how Dorsey’s efforts greatly shaped this innovation. Thomas Dorsey embarking in a very risky venture several decades prior has enabled many artists and record companies to explore various ways to intertwine spiritually charged lyrics with popular mainstream genres to expand musical creativity. This also established a greater focus on targeting the youth, believing that they are more easily swayed by attributes of a secular lifestyle.
Many Gospel artists and producers today use a very similar technique to spread their message, as well. For instance, modern Gospel artists such as Mary Mary are well-known for incorporating upbeat rhythm and blues background music, accompanied by lyrics that embody the essence of African American spirituality with a modern twist. Renowned Gospel artist Kirk Franklin provides his listeners with a church atmosphere by incorporating large choirs into his songs, while using call and response methods one would associate with hip-hop. For example, in the song “Stomp” there is a portion of the song in which Kirk Franklin calls out to the choir “GP (God’s Property) are you with me?” while the choir responds “Oh yeah! We having church we ain’t going no where”. (“Stomp”, Kirk Franklin) This style creates a familiarity, particularly amongst the youth, which usually draws them into sacred spaces that they may not enter otherwise.
Thomas Dorsey’s contributions to music greatly influenced the industry and the African American church community as well. Musically, gospel became a catalyst for further exploration of coupling spiritual and secular, which established a middle ground that transcended beyond music. He was able to discover the similarities between the two genres that made them almost identical in their essence. Vocally, most performers utilized long, drawn out notes to convey particular emotions to their listeners; lyrically, both genres speak of numerous hardships; musically, both genres utilize similar instruments and arrangements. Cultivating the relationship between spirituals and Blues music created opportunities to substantiates other relationship between the secular and sacred community outside of music. The physical, mental and emotional adversities throughout Dorsey’s life served as a pivotal influence to Modern musicians often incorporate issues into their lyrics that many people can relate to, while relating it to God’s salvation and liberation. Many Gospel artists that have a prominent following and influence would arguably would have met much more resistance, had Dorsey not taken the full extent of the backlash. “Without Thomas A. Dorsey…there would be no Yolanda Adams, Donnie McClurkin…Kirk Franklin” – Margo McKenzie
Work Cited
"People of Faith." PBS. Accessed October 29, 2015.
“Guide My Feet” Episode 3. This Far by Faith, Public Broadcast Network, 2005
McKenzie, Margo. "Thomas Dorsey Biography." Inspirational Christians. Accessed November 19, 2015. http://www.inspirationalchristians.org/biography/thomas-dorsey.
Biography.com Editors. "Mahalia Jackson Biography." Bio.com. Accessed November 19, 2015. http://www.biography.com/people/mahalia-jackson-9351242.
Franklin, Kirk. Stomp (Remix). Kirk Franklin Ft. God's Property. Fo Yo Soul Entertainment/Verity/Legacy, 1997. CD.
Jackson, Mahalia. By Thomas A. Dorsey. Precious Lord, Take My Hand. Mahalia Jackson. Thomas Dorsey, 1937. Vinyl.