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Jul 12, 2005 · Lillie Mae Tomlin, 91, nee Ford, passed away peacefully in her Nashville home surrounded by her family, friends and her loyal dog, Max, on July 12, 2005. Mrs. Tomlin spent her final days with grace, courage, dignity and her always-present good humor.
Lily Tomlin. Actress: Nashville. Lily Tomlin was born September 1, 1939 in Detroit, Michigan, to Lillie Mae (Ford) and Guy Tomlin, who moved to Michigan from Paducah, Kentucky, during the Great Depression. Her mother was a nurse's aide and her father was a factory worker.
- January 1, 1
- 1.73 m
- Detroit, Michigan, USA
Actress: Nashville. Lily Tomlin was born September 1, 1939 in Detroit, Michigan, to Lillie Mae (Ford) and Guy Tomlin, who moved to Michigan from Paducah, Kentucky, during the Great Depression. Her mother was a nurse's aide and her father was a factory worker.
- September 1, 1939
- Early Life
- Introduction to Gospel Blues
- Touring Evangelist
- Later Life
- Legacy
- Honors
- Discography
- References
- Further Reading
Born in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, Willie Mae was the seventh of fourteen children of Clarence Ford, a railroad brakeman, and Mary Williams. Soon after she was born, her family relocated to Memphis, Tennesseefor her father's work. Willie Mae became familiar with blues from hearing it coming from a disreputable clubhouse adjacent to her family's Mem...
As her sisters grew, married, and had families, Willie Mae continued as a soloist, even after her 1924 marriage to James Smith, a man 19 years her senior who owned a general hauling business. James encouraged her to accept requests to sing in church, and expressed pride in her voice. Willie Mae was a talented soprano who seriously considered a care...
In 1931, Smith began to accept invitations to sing in other cities, turning into a 20-year run of touring churches and revivals throughout the U.S. Initially these engagements were meant to augment her husband's income, though it turned into a personal crusade. Smith's voice had developed into a booming contraltoby this time. Accompanying her was a...
Gospel music enjoyed its "golden age" between 1945 and 1960, but Smith's travels slowed and she became more settled when her husband James died in 1950, and her accompanist and daughter Bertha was unable to travel as frequently. Many gospel singing groups and soloists that Smith had trained pursued recording careers, some seeing considerable succes...
Labeled "one of the most important gospel singers of the century" by The New York Times, Smith is considered a pioneer in the same vein as Thomas A. Dorsey, the "Father of Gospel Music". While Dorsey wrote 1,000 gospel songs and set standards for gospel choirs, Smith created the "openly emotional and spiritually exuberant performance style" so char...
National Endowment of the Arts National Heritage Fellowship, awarded 1988Singles 1. "Call Him" / "Jesus Is the Name" Gotham G667, ca. 1950 2. "Goin' On With the Spirit" / "Pilot, Take My Hand" Sacred 6015, ca. 1950 3. "Give Me Wings" / "What Manner of Man" ca. 1950 Albums 1. I Believe I'll Run On, Nashboro 7124, 1973 2. Going On With the Spirit, Nashboro 7148, 1975 3. I Am Bound For Canaan Land, Savoy Records 14739, 198...
Sources
1. Broughton, Viv, Black Gospel: An Illustrated History of the Gospel Sound, Blanford Press, (1985). ISBN 0-7137-1540-5 2. Harris, Michael W. The Rise of Gospel Blues: The Music of Thomas Andrew Dorsey in the Urban Church, Oxford University Press (1992) ISBN 0-19-506376-7 3. Heilbut, Anthony, The Gospel Sound: Good News and Bad Times, Proscenium Publishers, (1997). ISBN 0-87910-034-6 4. Marovich, Robert M., A City Called Heaven: Chicago and the Birth of Gospel Music, University of Illinois Pr...
Boyer, Horace, How Sweet the Sound: The Golden Age of Gospel (1995). Elliott and Clark. ISBN 0-252-06877-7Lanker, Brian, I Dream a World: Portraits of Black Women Who Changed America, Stewart, Tabori, & Chang (1989) ISBN 1-55670-063-6Lillie Mae Tomlin (Ford) Birthdate: January 14, 1914: Death: July 12, 2005 (91) Immediate Family: Daughter of William Thomas “Willie” Ford and Mary Celia Ford Wife of Guy Tomlin Mother of Lily Tomlin and Private . Managed by: Alex Bickle: Last Updated: February 10, 2017
- January 14, 1914
- February 10, 2017
- July 12, 2005 (91)
- Alex Bickle
Early life and education. Tomlin was born in Detroit, Michigan, the daughter of Lillie Mae ( née Ford; January 14, 1914 – July 12, 2005), [5] [6] [7] a housewife and nurse's aide, and Guy Tomlin (March 3, 1913 – October 24, 1970), a factory worker. She has a younger brother named Richard Tomlin.
Jul 14, 2005 · Clipping found in The Desert Sun published in Palm Springs, California on 7/14/2005. Obituary for Lillie Mae Tomlin, 1914-2005 (Aged 91)
