Thomas A. Dorsey

Not to be confused with Tommy Dorsey, big band leader, this Dorsey started out in music playing blues piano under the name "Georgia Tom", and writing blues songs - some number of which were considered very racy at the time they were written. Dorsey later became known as "the father of black gospel music" and wrote several well known gospel standards. He served as music director from 1932 into the late-1970s for Chicago's Pilgrim Baptist Church.