Hometown Rankin - October & November 2016

The Rhythm
of Home
Olivia Halverson
A bluesy bravado echoes
throughout Jackson, Mississippi.
The smooth sound reminisces of days when a young
girl belted out gospel hymns and blues hits to the
delight of local ears. For this little girl, learning a
melody came as easily as breathing.
Musical legend and Jackson native, Dorothy Moore,
made her humble debut singing in the choir at New
Strangers’ Home Baptist Church. She was raised by her
great-grandmother, or “Mama” as Dorothy called her.
Mama supported Dorothy’s singing from the very
beginning, encouraging her to join the church choir and
sing in talent shows at the Alamo Theatre.
Barely tall enough to reach the microphone, Dorothy
Moore was the youngest competitor in the Alamo talent
shows. Her small stature inspired the nickname “Little
Dorothy,” but there was nothing little about the song
Dorothy had in her heart. At just 11 years old, Dorothy
roused the crowds with her powerful voice and natural
talent of singing the blues.
Mama sat in the front row watching her great-granddaughter
blossom into the singer she was destined to be.
Dorothy did not know it at the time, but she was well on
her way to stardom. Soon, Dorothy would graduate from
the Alamo stage to Madison Square Garden and stages
across the globe.
Late one evening, Dorothy was nearly asleep in the
front room of Mama’s home when a man knocked on
the front door. Mama answered the door, and Dorothy
listened to the conversation. The man was a record
producer looking for the girl who could sing. “When
I heard that, I stood up and walked out of that bed.”
Dorothy knew that she wanted to be a singer, and her
opportunity was standing right in front of her that night.
Only 17-years-old at the time, Dorothy accepted an
opportunity that literally came knocking at her door.
Hometown Rankin • 9