preview

Gospel Music Research Paper

Decent Essays

Gospel music has been around for many decades, each gospel song changing with the times. Throughout the years, Christians of every denomination have loved, sang, wrote, and produced gospel songs. Some Gospel songs have touched the hearts, minds, and souls of listeners around the globe in special ways. The Genre (Gospel) has attracted many famous well-known singers like Mahalia Jackson, who preferred to sing Gospel music over the Blues. Famous Gospel singer James Cleveland (known as the King of Gospel music) wrote, sang, and composed Gospel songs. Andrae Crouch (referred to as the father of Modern Gospel music) also produced, wrote, and composed Gospel songs. These famous Gospel music artists could not have achieved the success that …show more content…

This man changed the way songs are sang in a Christian Church, and the way men and women worship in a Christian Church. He is called by the name Thomas A. Dorsey, and he is known as “the father of Gospel music.” Thomas A. Dorsey was born in Villa Rica, Georgia in July 1, 1899, and his parents moved to Atlanta, Georgia little after he was born. He was the oldest son of a Baptist preacher. His mother was a musician, and she was also quite skilled on the organ at their church. Thomas A. Dorsey’s earliest training in music came from going to a local movie theater in Atlanta, Georgia, where he sold soda pop. At age eleven, in the theater, he would watch and listen to Eddie Hayward and his father play. Dorsey would ultimately learn music and play instruments in the theater. When Dorsey was 17 years of age, he traveled from Atlanta to Chicago (part of the Great Migration that happened from 1915 to 1970). He began his studies at the Chicago School of Composition and Arranging. In Chicago, he took up the profession of a Blues …show more content…

Dorsey wrote and composed more than 200 gospel songs after that. Dorsey’s music (first referred to as gospel blues) has become widely accepted today. Dorsey drew from his experience in playing the blues, and accompanied that with the good news of the Bible. The emotional tone of the blues, and hope of the good news of the Bible; produced a sound that radiated through America’s churches in the 1900’s. Dorsey stated “I took the Word up and put it to gospel songs and said gospel song.” (Taylor 2014:196). Before Dorsey it was only popular to preach the Word, but Dorsey made it popular to sing the Word of God. This style of singing the Word of God has become very popular in the Christian community around the world. Dorsey influenced many well-known gospel singers like Mahalia Jackson. Dorsey once stated about Jackson that “Mahalia traveled with me three or four years. I put her on the map.” (Taylor 2014:219). He also influenced James Cleveland, stating that “he (James Cleveland) was around pickin’ up the crumbs getting’ them together.” (Taylor

Get Access