| Little nine year old Tommie and his
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| | nervous breakdown and had to stop singing
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| family moved to Atlanta, Georgia from the
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| | in the the bars of Chicago.He soon
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| small town of Villa Rica, Georgia in
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| | determined to devote his music totally to
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| 1908. Tommy was demoted a grade in school
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| | the Lord. He began composing and singing
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| and teased by the other children. He felt
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| | gospel music using the blues style of
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| alienated from his school and also the
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| | music.To his disappointment, many of the
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| black Baptist church where his daddy was
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| | main stream churches refused to allow him
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| the pastor and mamma was the pianist.He
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| | to return because his music sounded too
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| spent the afternoons and evenings
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| | much like the world's music. So he
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| watching the vaudeville performances
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| | returned to the Chicago bars to earn
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| where he saw such well known blues
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| | enough money to survive.Tom married and
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| artists as Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith. At
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| | was expecting his first child within a
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| age eleven he dropped out of school and
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| | year. He continued to play both in
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| took a job at the theater selling soda
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| | churches and bars. It was while he was in
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| pop.He was determined to become famous
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| | St. Louis preparing for a concert in a
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| like Ma Rainey so he learned to play the
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| | church that he received a telegram
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| piano and teaching himself to read
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| | informing him that his wife had died
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| music.At age seventeen Tom moved to
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| | during childbirth. He returned to Chicago
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| Chicago and became quite successful as a
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| | in time to hold his newborn son but the
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| blues piano player and singer in the
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| | child died within a few hours.It was at
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| backroom bars during the prohibition era.
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| | that moment that he took the vow to
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| He took the professional name of Georgia
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| | devote his music totally to the Lord
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| Tom.Tom struggled with his conscience
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| | seriously. It was also during his grief
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| over playing the "world's music." His
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| | that he composed these words:Precious
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| mother was always admonishing him that he
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| | Lord, take my hand,
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| should devote himself to composing and
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| | Lead me on, help me stand,
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| playing for the Lord. His struggle became
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| | I am tired, I am weak, I am worn.
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| so intense that he had a nervous
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| | Thru the storm, thru the night,
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| breakdown and had to take two years off
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| | Lead me on to the light,
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| and move back to Atlanta to
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| | Take my hand, precious Lord, Lead me
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| recover.Sufficiently rested and
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| | home.Thomas Dorsey went on to compose
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| recovered, Georgia Tom returned to
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| | nearly 1000 songs, all gospel with a
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| Chicago and began to play for Ma Rainey
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| | blues style. He died in 1993 at the age
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| and her jazz band. However, it was only a
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| | of 96. He had earned the title of "The
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| matter of time before he once again had a
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| | Father of Gospel Blues.
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