LG079 Interviews: Hannah Robinson; Cecile Taylor; Thomas A. Dorsey (LG079Goreau_Side2)
Description
Side 1: Interview with Hannah Robinson in Chicago, Illinois on 1973-04-05, conducted by telephone. Interview with Cecile Taylor on 1973-04-06, conducted by telephone. Side 2: Interview with Thomas A. Dorsey in Chicago, Illinois on 1973-04-07, conducted by telephone. Abstract for Dorsey: [00:00 – 57:12] The LG079Goreau_Side2 recording features an April 7, 1973, phone interview with Thomas A. Dorsey. He discusses how he initially met Mahalia Jackson around 1928 or 1929 when she was with her first professional group, the Johnson Gospel Singers – 01:30. He talks about selling his own sheet music, mentioning "I started that business. All of 'em copied that," referring to the fact that he founded the first Black-owned publishing company for spirituals and gospel music – 07:20. He continues to speak about his relationship with and respect of Jackson, as well as his business acumen in music publishing and arranging, which began with him working in the blues genre with Ma Rainey. He talks more about the music business and how, early in his gospel career, there wasn't much money to be made and that when traveling to perform at churches, "you got what you could" money-wise – 28:40. He discusses singer Sallie Martin, mentioning that he "started (Martin) out" – 33:20. He also declares that he "coined the word 'gospel songs,'" since the music previously was referred to as spirituals or evangelistic songs – 35:55. He recalls winding down his career working with blues singers in 1925, remembering that there was no real market for spiritual music, but "wanted to make a market for gospel songs" and described his process – 38:45.