Who wrote the song "Precious Lord"?

Who  wrote the song "Precious Lord"? I was very surprised to find out who it  was. THE BIRTH OF THE HYMN "PRECIOUS LORD"    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xn8RpQyX4M Back in  1932, I was a fairly new husband. My wife, Nettie and I were living in a  little apartment on Chicago 's south side. One hot August afternoon I had  to go to St. Louis where I was to be the featured soloist at a large  revival meeting. I didn't want to go; Nettie was in the last month of  pregnancy with our first child, but a lot of people were expecting me in  St. Louis . I kissed Nettie goodbye, clattered downstairs to our Model A  and, in a fresh Lake Michigan breeze, chugged out of Chicago on Route  66. However, outside the city, I discovered that in my anxiety  at leaving, I had forgotten my music case. I wheeled around and headed  back.. I found Nettie sleeping peacefully. I hesitated by her  bed; something was strongly telling me to stay But eager to get on my  way, and not wanting to disturb Nettie, I shrugged off the feeling and  quietly slipped out of the room with my music. The next night,  in the steaming St. Louis heat, the crowd called on me to sing again and  again. When I finally sat down, a messenger boy ran up with a Western  Union telegram. I ripped open the envelope.... Pasted on the  yellow sheet were the words: YOUR WIFE JUST  DIED. People were happily singing and clapping around me, but I  could hardly keep from crying out. I rushed to a phone and called home.  All I could hear on the other end was "Nettie is dead. Nettie is  dead.'" When I got back, I learned that Nettie had given birth  to a boy. I swung between grief and joy. Yet that same night, the baby  died. I buried Nettie and our little boy together, in the same casket.  Then I fell apart. For days I closeted myself. I felt that God had done me  an injustice. I didn't want to serve Him anymore or write gospel songs I  just wanted to go back to that jazz world I once knew so well.. But  then, as I hunched alone in that dark apartment those first sad days, I  thought back to the afternoon I went to St. Louis .. Something  kept telling me to stay with Nettie. Was that something God? Oh, if  I had paid more attention to Him that day, I would have stayed and been  with Nettie when she died. >From that moment on I vowed to  listen more closely to Him. But still I was lost in grief. Everyone was  kind to me, especially one friend. The following Saturday evening he took  me up to Maloney's Poro College , a neighborhood music school. It was  quiet; the late evening sun crept through the curtained  windows. I sat down at the piano, and my hands began to browse  over the keys. Something happened to me then. I felt at peace. I felt  as though I could reach out and touch God. I found myself playing a  melody. Once in my head they just seemed to fall into place: 'Precious  Lord, take my hand, lead me on, let me stand, I am tired, I am weak, I am  worn, through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light, take  my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.' The Lord gave me these  words and melody, He also healed my spirit. I learned that when we are in  our deepest grief, when we feel farthest from God, this is when He is  closest, and when we are most open to His restoring power. And  so I go on living for God willingly and joyfully, until that day comes  when He will take me and gently lead me home. - - - -Tommy  Dorsey For those too young to know who he is, Tommy Dorsey was  a well-known band leader in the 1930's and 40's. Did you know  that Tommy Dorsey wrote this song? I surely didn't. What a wonderful story  of how God CAN heal the brokenhearted! Beautiful, isn't  it? Worth the reading, wasn't it? Think on the message for a  while. Thought you might like to share this, I just  did!