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As the blues grew in popularity in the 1920s, black churches condemned it widely for being associated with [[sin]] and hedonism. Music performed in established black churches in Chicago and throughout the U.S. came from [[hymnal]]s and was performed as written, usually as a way to showcase the musical abilities of the choirs rather than as a vehicle to deliver a specific spiritual message. Many churches sought prestige in their musical offerings, which were often ornate and sophisticated liturgical compositions by [[Classical period (music)|classical European composers]], such as [[George Frideric Handel|Handel]]'s ''[[Messiah (Handel)|Messiah]]'' (1742) and [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]]'s ''[[Exsultate, jubilate|Alleluia]]'' (1773). Personal expressions such as clapping, stomping, and improvising with lyrics, rhythm, and melody were actively discouraged as being unrefined and degrading to the music and the singer.<ref name="harris 91-116"/><ref>Marovich, pp. 17–20.</ref>
Dorsey tried to market his new sacred music by printing thousands of copies of his songs to sell directly to churches and publishers, even going door to door, but he was ultimately unsuccessful. He returned to blues, recording "[[It's Tight Like That]]" with guitarist [[Tampa Red|Hudson "Tampa Red" Whittaker]] despite his misgivings over the suggestive lyrics. The record sold more than seven million copies.<ref name="wapo obit"/> Billed as "Tampa Red and Georgia Tom" and "The [[Famous Hokum Boys]]", the duo found great success together, eventually collaborating on 60 songs between 1928 and 1932, and coining the term "[[Hokum]]" to describe their guitar/piano combination with simple, racy lyrics.<ref name="harris 117-150">Harris, pp. 117–150.</ref><ref>Moore p. 32.</ref>{{efn|Dorsey also recorded under the names George Ramsey, Memphis Jim, Memphis Mose, Railroad Bill, Smokehouse Charley, Texas Tommy, and others. (Staig, Laurence, "Obituary: Thomas Dorsey", ''The Independent'', January 25, 1993, p. 12.)}}
Unsure if gospel music could sustain him, Dorsey was nonetheless pleased to discover that he made an impression at the National Baptist Convention in 1930 when, unknown to him, [[Willie Mae Ford Smith]] sang "If You See My Savior" during a morning meeting. She was asked to sing it twice more; the response was so enthusiastic that Dorsey sold 4,000 print copies of his song.<ref name="haris151-179">Harris pp. 151–179.</ref> In between recording sessions with Tampa Red, and inspired by the compliments he received, he formed a choir at [[Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church (Chicago)|Ebenezer Baptist Church]] at the request of the pastor, Reverend James Smith, who had an affinity for Negro spirituals and indigenous singing styles. Dorsey and Ebenezer's music director [[Theodore Frye]] trained the new chorus to deliver his songs with a gospel blues sound: lively, joyous theatrical performances with embellished and elongated notes accentuated with rhythmic clapping and shouts. At their debut, Frye strutted up and down the aisles and sang back and forth with the chorus, and at one point Dorsey jumped up from the piano stool in excitement and stood as he played. When the pastor at [[Pilgrim Baptist Church|Pilgrim Baptist]], Chicago's second largest black church, saw the way it moved the congregation, he hired Dorsey as music director, allowing him to dedicate all his time to gospel music.<ref name="harris180-208">Harris, pp. 180–208.</ref>
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