We have more recently received this email:
Precious
Lord
By Thomas A. Dorsey
The LORD is close to the
brokenhearted and
saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18
Credited with over 1,000 songs. See link below to hear his story in his own words.
One hot August afternoon I had to go to St. Louis, where I was to be the featured soloist at a large revival meeting. I didn't want to go. Nettie was in the last month of pregnancy with our first child. But a lot of people were expecting me in St. Louis. I kissed Nettie good-bye, clattered downstairs to our Model A and, in a fresh Lake Michigan breeze, chugged out of Chicago on Route 66.
However, outside the city, I discovered that in my anxiety at leaving, I had forgotten my music case. I wheeled around and headed back. I found Nettie sleeping peacefully. I hesitated by her bed; something was strongly telling me to stay. But eager to get on my way, and not wanting to disturb Nettie, I shrugged off the feeling and quietly slipped out of the room with my music.
The next night, in the steaming St. Louis heat, the crowd called on me to sing again and again. When I finally sat down, a messenger boy ran up with a Western Union telegram. I ripped open the envelope. Pasted on the yellow sheet were the words: YOUR WIFE JUST DIED.
People were happily singing and clapping around me, but I could hardly keep from crying out. I rushed to a phone and called home. All I could hear on the other end was "Nettie is dead. Nettie is dead."
When I got back, I learned that Nettie had given birth to a boy. I swung between grief and joy.
Yet that night, the baby died. I buried Nettie and our little boy together, in the same casket. Then I fell apart. For days I closeted myself. I felt that God had done me an injustice. I didn't want to serve Him any more or write gospel songs. I just wanted to go back to that jazz world I once knew so well.
But then, as I hunched alone in that dark apartment those first sad days, I thought back to the afternoon I went to St. Louis. Something kept telling me to stay with Nettie. Was that something God? Oh, if I had paid more attention to Him that day, I would have stayed and been with Nettie when she died. From that moment on I vowed to listen more closely to Him. But still I was lost in grief.
Everyone was kind to
me, especially
a friend, Professor Fry, who seemed to know what I needed. On the
following
Saturday evening he took me up to Malone's Poro College, a neighborhood
music school. It was quiet; the late evening sun crept through the
curtained
windows. I sat down at the piano, and my hands began to browse over the
keys. Something happened to me then. I felt at peace. I felt as though
I could reach out and touch God. I found myself playing a melody,
into my head - they just seemed to fall into place:
As the Lord gave me
these
words and melody, He also healed my spirit. I learned that when we are
in our deepest grief, when we feel farthest from God, this is when He
is
closest, and when we are most open to His restoring Power. And so I go
on living for God willingly and joyfully, until that Day comes when He
will take me and gently lead me home.
I think it would be important to your web-visitors that you make it clear that this song was NOT written by the famous musician/Big Band-leader Tommy Dorsey, but by a respected african american gospel musician, Thomas A. Dorsey.
Thank you.
John Leslie
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