Thomas Andrew Dorsey

Thomas Andrew Dorsey (1899–1993) was a pioneering American gospel songwriter, pianist, singer, and evangelist widely known as the father of gospel music, a title he earned for combining blues and jazz elements with Christian themes in a new musical form that profoundly shaped twentieth‑century worship. He was born on July 1, 1899, in Villa Rica, Georgia and moved to Chicago in 1919, where his early experience as a blues musician earned him the nickname Georgia Tom before his transition into sacred music. 

Dorsey began his career in secular blues and jazz, performing, composing, and arranging songs, but a spiritual calling in the early 1920s led him to devote his musical gifts to Christian music. He wrote and published many gospel songs that became standards, and he fused secular rhythms with spiritual lyrics in a way that resonated deeply with churchgoers. As a leader in the gospel movement, Dorsey helped establish the first gospel choir at Ebenezer Baptist Church and later directed the choir at Pilgrim Baptist Church in Chicago for decades. He also co‑founded the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses in 1933 to teach and promote gospel music across the United States. 

Among his most famous compositions is “Take My Hand, Precious Lord,” a hymn written in 1932 following the deaths of his wife and infant son, expressing comfort and trust in Christ amid suffering. This song has been recorded and performed by countless artists and was a favorite of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Other enduring works include “Peace in the Valley,” which became a hit in both gospel and popular music circles.

Dorsey’s influence extended well beyond his own compositions. His approach helped shape modern gospel music and launch the careers of many gospel performers, notably Mahalia Jackson. He published his own music through independent gospel publishing, trained choirs and singers nationwide, and saw his songs embraced in churches of various traditions. Thomas A. Dorsey died on January 23, 1993, in Chicago, leaving a legacy as one of the most important figures in American sacred music history.