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