Mahalia Jackson, the daughter of a Baptist preacher, was born in 1911 in New Orleans, LA. Like Thomas Dorsey and thousands of other African-Americans, she and her family were part of the Great Migration, moving north to Chicago in 1927. She was heavily influenced by the more expressive singing styles of the sanctified church and by blues singers Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith. In 1935, Jackson became Thomas Dorsey' song demonstrator. She toured and recorded with the "Father of Gospel," promoting gospel music. Her enormous talents earned her worldwide success. During the Civil Rights Movement, Jackson lent her support at countless fund-raising rallies. When Martin Luther King was assassinated in 1968, Jackson sang "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" at his funeral. She died of heart failure on January 27, 1972.