Thomas Andrew Dorsey was born July 1, 1899, in Villa Rica. He learned to play the piano as a young man. His blues style combined with southern Christian praise songs earned him the title “The Father of Gospel Music.” His best known compositions were “Take My Hand, Precious Lord” and “Peace In The Valley,” although he is credited with over 400 blues and jazz songs. In 2002, the Library of Congress honored his album, Precious Lord: New Recordings of the Great Songs of Thomas A. Dorsey, by adding it to the United States National Recording Registry.