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The Birth of Gospel
This episode of Chicago Stories traces the birth and growth of gospel music in Chicago in the 1930s. The story follows “The Father of Gospel”, Thomas A. Dorsey, who wrote one of gospel’s early hits while coping with his grief over the death of his wife and child. It explores the roots of gospel from southern spirituals during slavery, through gospel’s early years, using rare historic recordings and contemporary performances from the choirs of Trinity United Church of Christ and Greater Harvest Baptist Church.
