Dorothy C. ‘Dottie’ Timberlake, jazz organist from a bygone era, dies

Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun
·4 min read

Dorothy C. “Dottie” Timberlake, a jazz organist whose musical journey took her from The Block to the Baltimore Museum of Art, died of an aneurysm Jan. 12 at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital. The Northeast Baltimore resident was 92.

“When I saw her play the [Hammond] B-3 organ the first time, I was amazed, She was a natural. She worked that keyboard and bass and had a standing ovation after each song,” said Rosa Pryor, an entertainment columnist for the Baltimore Times. “I will never forget her. The B-3 is like a dying instrument and I would put her at the top of my list. She was an organist, a B-3 organist, who did jazz, a little bit of blues, classical and some R&B.”

Born Mary Theresa Munier in Dorchester, Massachusetts, she was the daughter of Helen Munier and Francis Xavier Sharp. She grew up in St. Mary’s School and Asylum in Dedham, Massachusetts, a Catholic orphanage, and was eventually placed in the care of the Oblate Sisters of Providence, a religious order based in Baltimore. She lived in St. Elizabeth’s Home on Maryland Avenue as a child.

Adopted by Victoria Stearns, who ran a group home for children on McCulloh Street, she was renamed Dorothy Cecilia Stearns. Her adoptive mother recognized her musical talent and wrote, unsuccessfully, to the Juilliard School in New York City seeking admission for her child.

When there was an opening at the old Knotty Pines Tavern on West Biddle Street, Ms. Timberlake took the job. She later played at the Avenue Bar on Pennsylvania Avenue and became known as Dottie.

She left Baltimore for a period in the 1950s and joined Steve Gibson and the Red Caps in Wildwood, New Jersey. She spent six years playing at the Hotel Theresa in Harlem.

“After six years, Dottie was tired of playing till 4 in the morning, sleeping till noon, trying to find a restaurant that would serve a Black woman, then going to the movies, then going to dinner, and then playing clubs all
night,” said a biography prepared by the Children’s Guild, where she later worked.

She played clubs on The Block, at Bill Pellington’s Iron Horse, the Wishing Well and the Phil-Mar Inn on Route 40 East. She played with Teddy Bell and the Bell Tones and Al Rossi’s Joy.

She began teaching at the Children’s Guild, a special education day school and also toured throughout the state with Young Audiences of Maryland, a nonprofit that brings musicians into schools.

Andrew L. Ross, retired president and CEO of the Children’s Guild, said, “Dottie taught with her musical partner Al Saunders. Her classroom was set up like a nightclub with special lighting, a stage, a sound system and instruments used throughout the world.”

“She had a map she used to teach geography and where the sounds came from and how they were mixed to create different music,” said Mr. Ross.

“Dottie was more than a teacher,” he said. “She helped the Children’s Guild grow by telling its story. The promotion of our work during those 25 years helped The Children’s Guild grow from a local charity, serving 134 children a year to having a charity with national influence serving over six thousand children a year with a thousand employees.”

Nearly 25 years ago she and wind instrument player Al Saunders began weekend appearances at Gertrude’s Restaurant at the Baltimore Museum of Art and established a loyal following.

“Dottie was actually an unassuming person. She never dropped names and over her career, she played alongside some jazz greats,” said Mr. Saunders. “She had a brief session with Billie Holiday.”

In a 2002 Sun article, Ms. Timberlake said, “[I] shared a dressing room with her. But we didn’t hit it off right away, ’cause Billie’s Chihuahua bit me in the ankle, so I kicked its a – -. We all got along after that.”

“Dottie had a strong, warm personality and she was always punctual,” said Mr. Saunders.

John Shields, owner of Gertrude’s, said, “Dottie would light up a room with her electric personality. She was quick witted. Everyone gravitated toward her. They became her daughter, granddaughter or confidant. She loved to hang out in the kitchen with the staff.”

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She also put on a show in the auditorium playing the Hammond B-3. “She was musical royalty,” said Mr. Shields. “She had perfect pitch. She was phenomenal.”

Survivors include her husband, Philip Timberlake Jr., a Social Security Administration worker; a son, Leroy Stearns; and a grandson, Leroy “Duffy” Stearns Jr., both of Baltimore.