Q 01/05

Which soul star became pastor of his own Memphis church in 1976 and later sang only gospel for years?

A) Marvin Gaye

B) Isaac Hayes

C) Al Green

D) Curtis Mayfield

Answer · why

C) Al Green

Al Green fell from a stage in Cincinnati in 1979 and took it as God telling him to hurry up. He left soul hits behind for the pulpit of his Full Gospe...

Q 02/05

Thomas A. Dorsey wrote 'Take My Hand, Precious Lord' after which personal tragedy?

A) He lost his eyesight to illness

B) His church burned to the ground

C) His publishing company failed

D) His wife and infant son died

Answer · why

D) His wife and infant son died

His wife and infant son died within days of each other, Nettie in childbirth. The loss closed his blues career: his hokum recordings stopped that year...

Q 03/05

Before turning to gospel, Thomas A. Dorsey toured as pianist for which blues singer?

A) Bessie Smith

B) Mamie Smith

C) Ma Rainey

D) Ethel Waters

Answer · why

C) Ma Rainey

Ma Rainey made him leader of her Wild Cats Jazz Band. As 'Georgia Tom' he then cut racy hokum blues such as 'It's Tight Like That' with Tampa Red, yea...

Q 04/05

Thomas A. Dorsey led the music at Pilgrim Baptist Church for half a century in which city?

A) Chicago

B) Atlanta

C) New York

D) St. Louis

Answer · why

A) Chicago

Chicago was his base, and his songs travelled far beyond it. They spread through Black churches so quickly that people took to calling any gospel song...

Q 05/05

Mahalia Jackson sang 'Take My Hand, Precious Lord' at whose funeral in 1968?

A) Robert F. Kennedy

B) Ralph Abernathy

C) Martin Luther King Jr.

D) Medgar Wiley Evers

Answer · why

C) Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. had made the song his last request. Moments before he was shot, he asked bandleader Ben Branch to play it at that night's meeti...