It may seem out of place for a documentary about gospel music, especially to a more modern audience. 84.00. [3][a], Religion and music were at the center of the Dorseys' lives, and young Thomas was exposed to a variety of musical styles in his early childhood. ABOUT THE EPISODE, God Is a Negro takes place after Emancipation, as the minister and journalist Henry McNeal Turner uses the black church to engage newly freed blacks in the political realm. Lyrically, according to Boyer, Dorsey was "skilled at writing songs that not only captured the hopes, fears, and aspirations of the poor and disenfranchised African Americans but also spoke to all people". "[21][22], In addition to the high spirited choir performances, Dorsey began introducing uptempo Negro spirituals, what he referred to as "jubilees", alongside published hymns in worship services. Available as a boxed vhs set or as a DVD for $199.95. Director: George T. Nierenberg | Stars: Willie May Ford Smith, Thomas A. Dorsey, Sallie Martin, Delois Barrett Campbell. [24] He found resistance among ministers, musicians, and parishioners alike. [45] Choruses were stocked primarily with women, often untrained singers with whom Dorsey worked personally, encouraging many women who had little to no participation in church before to become active. Copyright 2003 The Faith Project, Inc. All rights reserved. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Both were born enslaved; both used the Gospel to shape their identities. I havent seen it yet but Im sure I will enjoy it because the Barrett Sisters are featured in it and they are my favorite. From God, for God and His People: "Peace in the Valley" This is priceless DVD that will touch your heart no matter what. Amazon.com: Say Amen, Somebody : Thomas A. Dorsey, Mother Willie Mae In actual fact, his first musical impact was as a blues stylist as both writer and performer. '"[27], When he gave interviews later in his life, he never condemned blues music or his experiences in that period. [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. Apparently, this is a common phrase for a preacher to employ when looking to foster agreement. Documentary about the American gospel music scene, focusing on two of the movement's pioneering forces, Thomas A. Dorsey and Willie May Ford Smith. Using rare historic recordings and contemporary performances, "The Birth of Gospel" explores the growth of gospel music from slavery to now. The life of Professor Dorsey was immortalized in the documentary, Say Amen Somebody. A tour group of 150 demanded he sing "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" right there. [2] Called the "Father of Gospel Music" and often credited with creating it, Dorsey more accurately spawned a movement that popularized gospel blues throughout black churches in the United States, which in turn influenced American music and parts of society at large. Say Amen, Somebody - Letterboxd One of the most acclaimed music documentaries of all time, Say Amen, Somebody is George T. Nierenberg's masterpiece a joyous, funny, deeply emotional celebration of African American culture, featuring the father of Gospel, Thomas A. Dorsey (""Precious Lord, Take My Hand""); Mother Willie Mae Ford Smith; and soul-shaking performances by the Barrett Sisters, the O'Neal Twins, and Zella . The same thing acts for a gospel song. Easter Flowers for Composer and Musician Thomas A. Dorsey, the "Father There was a great deal of early resistance to Dorsey's work, partly because it was rooted in the rural southern African-American culture from which the old-line urban churches sought to distance themselves in favor of assimilation. The efforts of student workers on the front lines of the civil rights movement are shown from the perspective of Rev. "[37][27] Dorsey began to slow down in the 1970s, eventually showing symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Thank you for remembering and honoring a great legend Nierenberg centered his film around two pioneering gospel artists, Rev. There, his mother admonished him to stop playing the blues and serve the Lord. He ignored her and returned to Chicago, playing with Ma Rainey. In Chicago, Dorsey adopted the name Georgia Tom and found work as a session musician. His reputation led him to become a music arranger for Paramount Records and the Chicago Music Publishing Company. It is presented on PBS by WGBH and ITVS. [citation needed] Patty Thomas was born Patricia Thomas on August 1, 1922, in Erie, Pennsylvania.She also was in the films: Smooth Sailing, a 1947 short film by Jerry Hopper and the 2003 film . The film also explores the role of the Nation of Islam, led by Elijah Muhammad. 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')). There, Dorsey remained active until the 1970s, when failing health forced him into semi-retirement. He was his sons' first teacher. Six years later, Dorsey left Atlanta for Chicago. 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 the time Ma Rainey finished her song, she was "in her sins" - and Georgia Tom was right there with her, his rhythmic piano filling the grooves. Van Matre, Lynn, "Praises To Be For 'Father of Gospel'". There the family struggled economically. Please try again. Before long he was earning money playing at private parties and bordellos. In a purely musical sense, to Dorsey, the blues was merely a collection of improvisational techniques. Looked for it for years. Due to the spontaneous nature of the events Dorsey worked, he became proficient at improvising, and along the way, learned to read musical notation. (Harris, p. 24. states three, Marovich, p. 71 states five), Sometimes titled "Standing at the Bedside of a Neighbor". These churches discouraged expressive congregational participation and attempted to incorporate white church traditions in both service and music. Cecil Williams and Thomas A. Dorsey, born a generation apart, both seeking to bring the reality of the streets into the church. When Muhammad's son, Warith Deen, assumes leadership after his father's death, he transforms the organization to follow the practice of orthodox Islam (Louis X. Farrakhan resurrected the ideology of the old Nation of Islam in 1978). Thomas Andrew Dorsey, singer, composer, born Villa Rica Georgia 1 July 1899, died Chicago 23 January 1993. . Amazon.com: Say Amen, Somebody : Thomas A. Dorsey, Mother Willie Mae Dorsey returned to Chicago in 1921, and his uncle encouraged him to attend the National Baptist Convention. His sister-in-law convinced him to attend church, and, while at a service, he had a vision, after which he pledged to work for the Lord. I love this DVD it is full of history and over the top singing. Ive been trying to get this DVD for a while Thanks, Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2022. Furthermore, when Thomas' father traveled to preach at other churches, Thomas and his mother attended a church that practiced shape note singing; their harmonizing in particular making a deep impression on him. The Dorsey family relocated from rural Villa Rica, GA to Atlanta in 1908. He did not seek publicity, preferring to remain at his position as music director at the 3,000-seat Pilgrim Baptist Church and running his publishing company. This Far by Faith . Thomas Dorsey | PBS documentary "Say Amen, Somebody" (1982), where he is shown singing, remembering the past . It left me wanting more. His appearance with another great gospel singer, Willie Mae Ford Smith, in the documentary Say Amen Somebody also afforded him considerable exposure. Unable to add item to List. 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. Lornell, Kip, "Dorsey, Thomas (18991993) Blues and Gospel Musician and Composer". After the death of a close friend, Dorsey was inspired to write his first religious song with a blues influence, "If You See My Savior, Tell Him That You Saw Me".[10][c]. Education: Attended Morehouse College; attended Chicago School of Composition and Arranging. Dorsey co-founded the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses in 1933. 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. 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. hide caption. ", Pop craftsman Paul Simon talks about writing the now gospel standard Bridge Over Troubled Water. The whole phrase like a bridge over troubled water, I will lay me down, the words and the melody, all of that came [snaps fingers] like that., Hear more about "Take My Hand, Precious Lord". He visited a faith healer, Bishop H.H. I bet he and God are having a ball in Heaven! But in 1925, a second breakdown left Dorsey unable to play music. His "gospel music" met so much resistance from pastors who considered it "devil's music," that he found it easier to play the blues straight. But he lives on each Sunday as voices rise in praise, singing the gospel across the land. Thomas Andrew Dorsey, Thomas Andrew Dorsey (1900-1993), often called the Father of Gospel Music, migrated from Atlanta to Chicago as a young man, thus exemplifying the exp African Music, Gospel Music Gospel Music The African-American religious music known as gospel, originating in the field hollers, slave songs, spirituals, and Protes W C Handy, Handy, W. C. W. C. Handy Singer, composer . 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. His first gospel song, "If You See my Savior Tell Him That You Saw Me" was published in 1932. : "The Secularization of Black Gospel Music" by Heilbut, Anthony in, This page was last edited on 19 April 2023, at 17:18. In doing so, he became one of the first musicians to copyright blues music. We long for it, and when it comes to us it is directly from our heavenly Father. [26][27], Simultaneously, a shift in Chicago's black churches was taking place. Ma Rainey's Pianist Thomas Dorsey "Say Amen, Somebody" (1982) - YouTube 0:00 / 1:30 Ma Rainey's Pianist Thomas Dorsey "Say Amen, Somebody" (1982) 3,888 views Feb 1, 2021 Thomas A.. "And I think the real treasure for me is the legacy of the film and how it will carry forward gospel music and allow people for generations to experience this music: at this time and place and [with] those people that really created it. During the early 1930s, Thomas Dorsey created gospel music -- the African American religious music which married secular blues to a sacred text. [42] He insisted that songs be memorized rather than chorus members reading music or lyrics while performing. Throughout his early years he felt torn between the sacred and the secular. [25] Others took offense to such lively music overshadowing the minister's spoken word, or women delivering spiritual messages through song, taking the place of the preacher who was typically male. Sources. There were the olde hymns of the Church. By what name was Say Amen, Somebody (1982) officially released in Canada in English? It charts the devbelopment of underground churches, and attempts by slaves and free blacks to unify the black community. This freed the choir members' hands to clap, and he knew anyway that most of the chorus singers in the early 1930s were unable to read music. Their collaboration would continue over the years as his fame spread, Martin often accompanying him on his tours around the country. His story is the latest in "Honky Tonks, Hymns and the Blues," a special 11-part weekly series on the creation of American musical traditions. 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. Well known within the African-American community, Dorsey nonetheless remained relatively obscure outside of it--though people were singing his songs all over the world--until he became the subject of a BBC documentary in 1976. To learn more about Thomas Dorsey, watch the 1982 musical documentary Say Amen, Somebody, currently available on YouTube and DVD, check out his collection of papers archived at Fisk University, read 1994's The Rise of Gospel Blues: The Music of Thomas Andrew Dorsey in the Urban Church by Michael W. Harris, which you can borrow from the . One of the best documentaries going I reckon. Status is huge in this world. Thomas A. Dorsey was one of the gospel pioneers profiled in George Nierenberg's Say Amen, Somebody. 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 . The documentary was originally released in 1982, and has been remastered and re-released. Report this film, "You mean to tell me you don't know 'bout this good news? And a good Christmas gift. Patty Thomas was an American dancer, USO entertainer and actress. Thomas Dorsey. [8], Dorsey worked with Rainey and her band for two years, wherein he composed and arranged her music in the blues style he was accustomed to, as well as vaudeville and jazz to please audiences' tastes. Was so happy to see it available on DVD at a price I could afford. The pilgrims took a physical and spiritual voyage, walking from Massachusetts to New Orleans, through the Caribbean, and ultimately, to Goree Island in Senegal. Doing the Lord's work, absolutely. He left school early and was soon hanging around theaters and dance halls. It is very moving and heart lifting documentary, Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2022. Upon hearing Nix sing, Dorsey was overcome, later recalling that his "heart was inspired to become a great singer and worker in the Kingdom of the Lordand impress people just as this great singer did that Sunday morning". The Duchess of Sussex's father, 78, claimed in the Australian news programme 7News Spotlight that his daughter had not called him in four years.. ), McLin became a composer, singer, and voice coach for, Numerous sources state Dorsey coined the term "gospel" to refer to sacred music, but W. M. Nix, the singer who inspired Dorsey at the 1921 National Baptist Convention, compiled a songbook titled, NCGCC annual meetings were also attended by members of the, Dorsey later stated that all the praise he received for this song never eclipsed his grief, saying, "None of it's ever been soothing to me, from that day to this day." The documentary shows the joy of gospel music in an age of cynicism. Anthony Heilbut writes that "the few days following his death, 'Precious Lord' seemed the truest song in America, the last poignant cry of nonviolence before a night of storm that shows no sign of ending". "[2], Aside from his prodigious songwriting, Dorsey's influence in the gospel blues movement brought about change both for individuals in the black community and communities as a whole. "You have this kind of new tradition of people singing and re-invigorating gospel music in a different sort of way," she says. It only made sense to watch George Nierenberg's celebrated 1982 documentary on gospel music Say Amen, Somebody before that, as of course this genre was crucial to her upbringing, family, and culture, singing gospel in her father's church as a child and finding her voice in this medium long before she was "The Queen of Soul. Gospel music did not start with Dorsey. We see the lives and performances of two gospel greats, Willie May Ford Smith and Thomas Dorsey. Made by fans in Aotearoa New Zealand. ", Combs is curator of photography and film at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, which helped fund the restoration of Say Amen, Somebody. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we dont use a simple average. The record sold more than seven million copies. The documentary was originally released in 1982, and has been remastered and re-released.. SAY AMEN, SOMEBODY is without question one of the greatest documentaries that you're going to see when it comes to gospel music. "And ladies and gentlemen, believe it or not, I started singing right then and there: 'Precious Lord, take my hand,' " Dorsey continues, launching into song at the end of his story. In Chicago, Dorsey found success almost immediately.

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