Thomas Andrew Dorsey (July 1, 1899, Villa Rica, Georgia – January 23, 1993, Chicago). He is known as “the father of gospel music” and was at one time so closely associated with the field that songs written in the new style were sometimes known as “dorseys.” Earlier in his life he was a leading blues pianist known as Georgia Tom.

Dorsey’s father was a minister and his mother a piano teacher. He learned to play blues piano as a young man. After studying music formally in Chicago, he became an agent for Paramount Records. He put together a band for Ma Rainey called the “Wild Cats Jazz Band” in 1924.

He started out playing at rent parties with the names Barrelhouse Tom and Texas Tommy, but he was most famous as Georgia Tom. As Georgia Tom, he teamed up with Tampa Red (Hudson Whittaker) with whom he recorded the raunchy 1928 hit record “Tight Like That”, a sensation, selling seven million copies. In all, he is credited with more than 400 blues and jazz songs.

Dorsey began recording gospel music alongside blues in the mid 1920s. This led to his performing at the National Baptist Convention in 1930, and becoming the bandleader of two churches in the early 1930s.

His first wife, Nettie, who had been Rainey’s wardrobe mistress, died in childbirth in 1932 along with his first son. In his grief, he wrote his most famous song, one of the most famous of all gospel songs, “Take My Hand, Precious Lord“.

Unhappy with the treatment received at the hands of established publishers, Dorsey opened the first black gospel music publishing company, Dorsey House of Music. He also founded his own gospel choir and was a founder and first president of the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses.

His influence was not limited to African American music, as white musicians also followed his lead. “Precious Lord” has been recorded by Albertina Walker, Elvis Presley, Mahalia Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Clara Ward, Dorothy Norwood,Jim Reeves, Roy Rogers, and Tennessee Ernie Ford, among hundreds of others. It was a favorite gospel song of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and was sung at the rally the night before his assassination, and at his funeral by Mahalia Jackson, per his request. It was also a favorite of President Lyndon B. Johnson, who requested it to be sung at his funeral. Dorsey was also a great influence on other Chicago based gospel artists such as “Queen of Gospel” Albertina Walker and The Caravans.

Dorsey wrote “Peace in the Valley” for Mahalia Jackson in 1937, which also became a gospel standard. He was the first African American elected to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and also the first in the Gospel Music Association’s Living Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Gennett Records Walk of Fame in 2007. His papers are preserved at Fisk University, along with those of W.C. Handy, George Gershwin, and the Fisk Jubilee Singers.

The works of Thomas A. Dorsey have proliferated beyond performance, into the hymnals of virtually all American churches and of English-speaking churches worldwide.

Thomas was a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated.

He died in Chicago, Illinois and was interred there in the Oak Woods Cemetery.

In 2007, he was inducted as a charter member of the Gennett Records Walk of Fame in Richmond, Indiana.

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NAME: Mahalia Jackson

DATE OF BIRTH: October 26, 1911

PLACE OF BIRTH: New Orleans, Louisiana

FAMILY BACKGROUND: Mahalia was the third child to John A. Jackson, a barber and preacher, and Charity Clark, who died at the age of 25 when Mahalia was four years old. In 1916, her father sent her to live with her aunt Mahalia “Duke” Paul. Aunt Duke didn’t allow secular music in her house, but Mahalia’s cousin would sneak in records. Even at a very young age, Mahalia had a booming voice and she would sing hymns and old-time gospel tunes around the house.

EDUCATION: Mahalia attended the McDonough School No. 24 in New Orleans through the eighth grade.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Mahalia Jackson is viewed by many as the pinnacle of gospel music. Her singing began at the age of four in her church, the Plymouth Rock Baptist Church in New Orleans. Her early style blended the freedom and power of gospel with the stricter style of the Baptist Church. As a teenager, through her cousin’s aid, she was influenced by such famous singers as Bessie Smith, Ida Cox, Enrico Caruso and Ma Rainey, and her own style began to emerge into a more soulful expression.

In 1927, at the age of 16, she moved to Chicago and found work as a domestic. But soon after, she found plenty of work as a soloist at churches and funerals after joining the Greater Salem Baptist Church choir. Her unique contralto voice caught the attention of many small churches from coast to coast. Larger, more formal churches frowned upon her energetic renditions of songs. After performing with the Prince Johnson Singers, she began recording for Decca Records in 1937. When the records did not sell as well as expected, she became a beautician. However, after five years of touring with composer Thomas A. Dorsey at gospel tents and churches, Mahalia’s popularity and success garnered her another record contract, this time with Apollo Records, from 1946 to 1954. She then switched to Columbia Records, from 1954 to 1967, where she attained broad recognition as a spiritual singer.

Throughout the 1950s, Mahalia’s voice was heard on radio, television and concert halls around the world. Her shows were packed in Europe, and her audience very enthusiastic at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival, at a special all-gospel program she requested. In 1954, she began hosting her own Sunday night radio show for CBS. She performed on the Ed Sullivan show in 1956 where she catapulted gospel music into America’s mainstream. She sang for President Dwight Eisenhower and at John F. Kennedy’s inaugural ball in 1960.

From the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott until her death, Mahalia was very prominent in the Civil Rights Movement. Very close with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., she often performed at his rallies–even singing an old slave spiritual before his famous “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington in 1963. She also sang at his funeral five years later.

Despite her doctors ordering her to slow down, Mahalia refused and collapsed while on tour in Munich in 1971. She died of heart failure on January 27, 1972, at her home in Evergreen Park, Illinois.

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The Fisk Jubilee Singers are an American a cappella ensemble that performs Negro spirituals originally sung by slaves prior to the Civil War. The first group of Singers arranged the music and took it on the road beginning in 1871 introducing the public to a new genre that remains a vibrant musical tradition today.

Fisk University opened in Nashville in 1866 as the first American university to offer a liberal arts education to “young men and women irrespective of color.” Five years later the school was in dire financial straits.

George L. White, Fisk treasurer and music professor then, created a nine-member choral ensemble of students and took it on tour to earn money for the University. The group left campus on October 6, 1871. Jubilee Day is celebrated annually on October 6 to commemorate this historic day.

The first concerts were in small towns. Surprise, curiosity and some hostility were the early audience response to these young black singers who did not perform in the traditional “minstrel fashion.”

One early concert in Cincinnati brought in $50, which was promptly donated to victims of the notorious 1871 fire in Chicago. When they reached Columbus, the next city on tour, the students were physically and emotionally drained. Mr.. White, in a gesture of hope and encouragement named them “The Jubilee Singers,” a Biblical reference to the year of Jubilee in the Book of Leviticus, Chapter 25.

Continued perseverance and beautiful voices began to change attitudes among the predominantly white audiences. Eventually skepticism was replaced by standing ovations and critical praise in reviews. Gradually they earned enough money to cover expenses and send back to Fisk.

In 1872 they sang at the World Peace Festival in Boston and at the end of the year President Ulysses S. Grant invited them to perform at the White House.

In 1873 the group grew to eleven members and toured Europe for the first time. Funds raised that year were used to construct the school’s first permanent building, Jubilee Hall. Today Jubilee Hall, designated a National Historic Landmark by the US Department of Interior in 1975, is one of the oldest structures on campus. The beautiful Victorian Gothic building houses a floor-to-ceiling portrait of the original Jubilee Singers, commissioned by Queen Victoria in during the 1873 tour as a gift from England to Fisk.

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test post for black history month

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It's raining and windy in New York City, Joseph Burney, Sen. Director of A&R was nearly blown away this morning on his way to work. His umbrella took a beating!

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“The Dream Giver” by Bruce Wilkinson

“I highly reccommend ‘The Dream Giver’ especially for creative people who need a nudge to birth their dreams.  You too can move beyond the familiar and take hold of your destiny” – Jackie Patillo

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Calvin Rogers BIO

Drummer/Producer from Chicago, Calvin Rodgers has worked with some of the most elite musicians and singers in gospel, jazz and RnB music.

Born from a family of musicians and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Calvin Rodgers took an early liking to the drums, as a kid growing up in church. His father, a well-known songwriter and musician, encouraged his son’s gift and immediately began to pour into him by cultivating his gift. Willie Rodgers frequently took young Calvin to late night rehearsals and studio sessions. Calvin would use these opportunities as time to learn and study many of the musicians he admired. As Calvin grew, he continued to play in church and with local community choirs throughout city of Chicago. At 15, when most were still learning their craft, Calvin recorded the live CD/Video recording “Hallelujah”, with the Grammy nominated choir Ricky Dillard & New G. Shortly thereafter, Calvin caught the attention of Ramsey Lewis, who was spearheading a jazz program throughout Chicago area high schools. Lewis sent Calvin to study under the tutelage of the drummer for that program, Ernie Adams. Upon graduating, Lewis invited Calvin to join and record with his award-winning group Urban Knights. Simultaneously, Calvin began touring with the very in demand gospel artist, John P.Keee. Calvin was also becoming a regular first call studio session drummer in Chicago, for everything from smooth jazz to radio and television jingles. It was while working as a studio player that Calvin landed the coveted gig as lead drummer for R&B Powerhouse, R.Kelly. This was a valuable experience, but after two years, Calvin had to respond to a higher calling, and return to his gospel roots. Calvin went on to record and tour with gospel giants like Donald Lawrence and Martha Munizzi. Today, his resume boasts most of gospel’s elite, spanning from Fred Hammond, Tommy Simms and Marvin Sapp to Israel Houghton, Yolanda Adams and even the legendary gospel group the Clark Sisters.

Calvin’s hard work, innate talent, and gifted ability has been recognized by artists, producers and musicians around the world, enabling him to also maintain a consistent schedule as a clinician.

Calvin currently serves as Music Director for Verity recording artist, and Grammy Award-winner Fred Hammond. He also served as co-producer on Hammond’s latest release, “Love Unstoppable”. Broadening the scope of his creativity beyond drumming, Calvin co-wrote eight of the fifteen tracks, including the single “They That Wait, featuring Pastor John P. Kee and “Lost In You Again”. Calvin has recorded and toured with a number of Verity artist, including Marvin Sapp, Donald Lawrence, Dewayne Woods and Sharri Addison. In one his most exciting current projects, Calvin is developing a solo CD and an instructional DVD which will tentatively be released in 2010. At the age of 30, Calvin continues to grow professionally and spiritually. He is an inspiration to many and a legend to some.

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B. Jeffrey Grant-Clark

Vice President of Radio Promotions & Artist Relations

B. Jeffrey Grant-Clark is truly a music man. From his personal life to his career choices, music has been an integral part of his life.

 An accomplished keyboardist, Grant grew up playing in the church which in fact set up a foundation for his life and musical career. His anointing and talent led him to play for the legendary and late Dr. Mattie Moss Clark for several years.   During his time with Dr. Clark, Grant was bitten by the ‘radio’ bug, and Grant spent 16 years as Program Director and top Morning Announcer at several stations in the Northeast/Ohio Valley region.

 Throughout his career in radio, Grant also evolved into quite a proficient music producer and songwriter.  Among his credits include producing for the Gospel group, Charisma and writing for several artists including Hezekiah Walker.

 Grant’s knowledge and expertise of all things music led him to the next phase in his career which led to where he went on to become the Northeast Promotions manager at Warner Bros. Records in New York City.  There he was largely responsible for the promotions of superstar artists like Prince, Tevin Campbell, Chaka Khan, Karyn White, Maze, George Duke and Joe Sample, the late Ray Charles, The Time, Al B Sure and others. This also includes a brief stint at GRP Records, working with artists like Chick Corea, George Benson, Dave Benoit and Dave Grusin.

 In 1997, Grant turned to his gospel roots and joined the then new Gospel label Verity Records.  For the past 12 years, Grant has contributed to the extraordinary growth the label has seen becoming the number one purveyor of recorded Gospel music in the country. Currently, he serves as the Vice President of Radio Promotions & Artist Relations for the label and is instrumental in guiding the successful careers of top Gospel artists like Donnie McClurkin, Fred Hammond, Hezekiah Walker, Marvin Sapp, Byron Cage, Donald Lawrence, Richard Smallwood, Deitrick Haddon, John P. Kee, Dorinda Clark-Cole and many more.

 2008 proved to be a banner year for Grant and his staff with the unprecedented success of Marvin Sapp’s hit single “Never Would Have Made It”.  Grant along with his staff championed the phenomenal song and Marvin Sapp’s “Never Would Have Made It” maintained the #1 spot at Gospel radio for six consecutive months – making it the longest #1 song in the history of the Nielsen Gospel chart.  This year is closing with Grant’s artists holding 5 of the top 10 radio spots, with Fred Hammond firmly at #1.

 Grant is a member of the Strait Gate Church in Mamaroneck, New York under the leadership of Bishop Wayne L. Powell. He serves as an Associate Pastor and Minister of Music and is happily married to a wonderful woman Annette, and father to his 3 “kid-ults” Dawn, Damone and Melanie and grand father to 3 beautiful little ladies, Madison, Morgan and Mia. 

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Today the staff at Verity joined to say farewell to our beloved Jackie Patillo who is leaving our NY offices and is en route to Nashville!  We will miss Jackie’s presence here in NY but we know she will still continue to provide us with her A&R prowess while holding us down in Nashville!

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Through gifting and years of teaching, Lindsey has become a well sought after Musician, Producer, and Clinician in Gospel and Christian music today.  With a relentless desire to excel and through God’s timing and favor; Aaron has become one of the Gospel Music Industry’s top-selling producers.  Writing and producing for Artists such as Marvin Sapp, Israel Houghton, Byron Cage, Alvin Slaughter, RIZEN, Dayna Caddell, CeCe Winans, Yolanda Adams, Martha Munizzi, Bishop TD Jakes, Disney’s Allyson Stoner, Mary Alessi, Micah Stampley, Lakewood Church (featuring the Houston Symphony Orchestra), Joann Rosario, Karen Clark-Sheard and Dewayne Woods (to name a few) Lindsey continues to deposit his expertise and production prowess in Gospel and Christian music. His most notable work to date is the RIAA Gold certified “Thirsty” which he produced for Pastor Marvin Sapp.  After an unprecedented 105 weeks in the Billboard top ten, this project has broken numerous #1 billboard gospel and #1 radio marks.  The hit song “Never Would Have Made It” set a new record for the longest running single in the history of the R&R charts, and sold over 1,000,000 ringtones.  As a multiple Stellar, Dove and Grammy winner and recipient of the 2005 Soul Train Gospel Album of the year award; Lindsey’s accomplishments have been acknowledged and respected among his peers and avid music lovers internationally. He just wrapped up production on a live recording for Byron Cage entitled “Faithful To Believe”, and a studio project with Rizen called “Free”, which he wrote and the title cuts for both records. Lindsey is at the production helm of the upcoming Marvin Sapp Live recording the much anticipated follow- up to “Thirsty”.  With a group of highly skilled players and singers; along with a strong sequence of heart felt songs; Marvin Sapp is in good hands with Aaron Lindsey leading the creative team.

www.AaronLindsey.com

Aaron Lindsey, Byron Cage, Marvin Sapp, musician, Producer, Rizen, songwriter Hide