Thomas Andrew Dorsey
Thomas Andrew Dorsey was born July 1, 1899, in Villa Rica. He learned to play the piano as a young man. His blues style combined with southern Christian praise songs earned him the title “The Father of Gospel Music.”
His best known compositions were ” Take My Hand, Precious Lord” and ” Piece in the Valley,” though he is credited with over 400 blues and jazz songs.
In 2002, the Library of Congress honored his album, Precious Lord: New Recordings of the Great Songs of Thomas A Dorsey, by adding it to the United States National Recording Registry.
Plaque courtesy Lat34North.com.
Original page, with additional info, here.
Photo credit: David Seibert.