Biography singer willa dorsey

Yet the churches remain — sometimes vibrant islands in a shifting swirl of contemporary thought — and we often feel them more than we understand. The power of gospel remains formidable — perhaps because it makes no compromises to the musical marketplace, certainly because it is rooted in the soul. And the church, an ark of safety in a dangerous sea, has been the center of both the culture and the music.

Now, the center is wobbling. As economic and social opportunities have expanded for many and as many others have succumbed to the hopelessness of life in the permanent underclass, churchgoing has faded among blacks — but not as much as it has among whites. In the church you can feel like yourself.

Biography singer willa dorsey

The related country-gospel sound often can be heard in white churches, too — especially Pentecostal and fundamentalist congregations. You also can hear gospel or its influence from a host of local performers in clubs, concerts or special church appearances, among them bluesman J. Another hot young gospel talent is singer Goldie Irby. With its five separate choirs the main one sometimes swells to as many as voices and large, demonstrative congregation, Mt.

Olivet puts a great deal of importance on music. On a recent Sunday morning, local singer Jeanette Brown sang a soul-sounding Can You Reach My Friend, Joanne Adolpheus delivered a hard-soaring solo on Magnify the Lord while a voice choir rocked slowly and steadily behind her, and the hall filled with the sounds of drums, guitars, piano and organ.

For David Hart, Mt. Yet gospel music always has had a popular side — partly, in the old days, because it offered African-Americans their own heroes who were largely unknown to whites. Cab Calloway was a one-man recruiting army, scouring the churches and gospel circuit for potential jazz and club stars. I read about a TV interview when she spoke about living next door to Dr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Do you have any videos of Willa Dorsey? We are collecting them for her son, Billy, who has no videos of his mom. Thank you and God Bless You. This is a great place for you to share your memories of Willa Dorsey. I am thinking of the first time I met her. I was so touched by how much she loved Jesus and how she was not afraid to express her love for Him!

Her voice was so tender and loving. She truly wanted everyone to know and love her Jesus as much as she did, to rely on Him for everything. Blog at WordPress. Home About the author. Leave a comment. Free Birthday Download! August 1, This post is a profile of Willa; the one below is its companion story about gospel music, and it includes more information about her.

Goodbye, Willa. As you would have said, God bless. It might have been , she thinks. No wonder: It just sounded too good. But a couple of quick demonstrations convinced Mr. Soon she was singing on stages in her home town of Atlanta, Ga. Church music: the sounds of gospel and spirituals and the South. Get all 6 CDs for a special price donation!

Willa Dorsey was an American gospel singer with an operatic delivery and great vocal range. Born in Atlanta, Georgia on July 2, , she started singing gospel in the 50s, switched to studying opera and then returned to gospel in the s. She recorded five albums and three audio tapes, each one glorifying God and her Jesus.