Thomas A. Dorsey

Thomas A. Dorsey (HM6GV)

Location: Villa Rica, GA 30180 Carroll County
Buy Georgia State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 33° 43.947', W 84° 55.569'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 436 views
Inscription

Father of Gospel

Thomas Andrew Dorsey, composer of over 400 blues and gospel songs, lived here following his birth in Villa Rica on July 1, 1899. At Mt. Prospect Baptist Church he was exposed to shape-note singing and at home learned to play a used pump organ, experiences he said "sprang" his career. The young blues pianist moved to Chicago in 1919 in the Great Migration.

Dorsey wrote the world's most popular gospel-blues song after his wife and newborn son died unexpectedly on August 26 and 27, 1932. That song, Take My Hand, Precious Lord has been translated into 32 languages. Aretha Franklin recorded Take My Hand, Precious Lord in 1956, the same year Tennessee Governor Frank Clement recited it. It became the anthem of Fannie Lou Hamer's Mississippi Summer. Dorsey's friend, Mahalia Jackson, sang it at Martin Luther King, Jr's funeral. Elvis Presley's recording of Dorsey's second-most-popular gospel song, Peace in the Valley, sold millions of copies.

For a while, any new gospel-blues song, regardless of who wrote it, was called a "Dorsey" until Dorsey himself coined the name "gospel". Dorsey died in Chicago on January 23, 1993.
Details
HM NumberHM6GV
Series This marker is part of the Georgia: Georgia Historical Society/Commission series
Tags
, , ,
Marker Number022-8
Year Placed1994
Placed ByGeorgia Department of Natural Resources
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Monday, October 20th, 2014 at 4:43am PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)16S E 692130 N 3734422
Decimal Degrees33.73245000, -84.92615000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 33° 43.947', W 84° 55.569'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds33° 43' 56.82" N, 84° 55' 34.14" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)770, 678
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 404 US-78, Villa Rica GA 30180, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Nearby Markersshow on map
Bank of Villa Rica
0.36 miles
Villa Rica Explosion
0.38 miles
Villa Rica's Textile Industry
0.39 miles
Freedom Riders
0.42 miles
The Mill
0.48 miles
Thomas Andrew Dorsey
0.48 miles
Fullerville Jail
0.83 miles
The Grove
3.61 miles
Vansant Brothers
10.15 miles
Douglas County
10.16 miles
Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. What historical period does the marker represent?
  2. What historical place does the marker represent?
  3. What type of marker is it?
  4. What class is the marker?
  5. What style is the marker?
  6. This marker needs at least one picture.
  7. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  8. Is the marker in the median?
© 2024  Historical Marker Project.  All Rights Reserved.
All registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
HMP is owned and operated by 3RiverDev (Fort Wayne, Indiana).
Terms and Conditions   |   Privacy Policy   |   Disclaimers   |   About   |   Contact Us