Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton was a blues singer and songwriter whose recordings of “Hound Dog” and “Ball ‘n’ Chain” later were transformed into huge hits by Elvis Presley and Janis Joplin.

Thornton’s version of “Hound Dog” topped the R&B charts for seven weeks and sold over two million copies nationwide. 

Willie Mae Thornton was born on December 11, 1926 outside of Montgomery in rural Ariton, Alabama. Her father was a Baptist minister and her mother was a church singer in his congregation. Thornton’s mother died when the singer was 14, and she left home to pursue a career as an entertainer.

Big Mama Thornton. Biography by Bill Dahl. + Follow Artist. Powerhouse blues and R&B singer, the original “Hound Dog …
Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton (1926-1984) • – Blackpastwww.blackpast.org › african-american-history › thornton-…Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton was a blues singer and songwriter whose recordings of “Hound Dog” and “Ball ‘n …Mar 28, 2011 – Uploaded by Duncan Automatic Stop

July 25, 1956

Songwriter Mike Stoller, the co-writer of “Hound Dog”, survives the sinking of the ship Andrea Doria after it collided with the MV Stockholm, near Nantucket, Massachusetts. Fifty-one others died.

1984

Willie Mae ‘Big Mama’ Thornton died at the age of 58 died in Los Angeles of heart and liver complications. She had a No.1 R&B hit in 1953 with ‘Hound Dog’ (later covered by Elvis Presley). She also wrote and recorded ‘Ball ‘n’ Chain,’ which Janis Joplin recorded.

The Thinning of Big Mama – Oxford Americanwww.oxfordamerican.org › magazine › item › 1098-th…

Feb 15, 2017 – Willie Mae Thornton was one of the crucial donors in the transfusion of black Southern blues into two separate veins of white rock & roll in …
Big Mama Thornton | American singer-songwriter | Britannicawww.britannica.com › … › Soul/R&B Music

Big Mama Thornton, American singer and songwriter who performed in the tradition of classic blues singers such as Bessie Smith and Memphis Minnie.
Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton | Encyclopedia of Alabamawww.encyclopediaofalabama.org › article

Jun 13, 2008 – Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton Willie Mae Thornton (1926-1984) was an influential African American blues singer and songwriter whose career extended from the 1940s to the early 1980s. She was called “Big Mama” for both her size and her robust, powerful voice.
Big Mama Thornton | Discography | Discogswww.discogs.com › artist › 283284-Big-Mama-Thornton

Explore releases from Big Mama Thornton at Discogs. Shop for Vinyl, CDs and more from Big Mama Thornton at the Discogs Marketplace.
Big Mama Thornton | Biography & History | AllMusicwww.allmusic.com › artist › biography

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LGBT HISTORY ARCHIVES IG:@lgbt_history — Willie Mae …lgbt-history-archive.tumblr.com › post › willie-mae-big…

Dec 11, 2016 – Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton (December 11, 1926 – July 25, 1984), c. 1950. Big Mama Thornton, who was born ninety years ago today, was a … on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation, the …
Big Mama Thornton FAQs 2020- Facts, Rumors and the latest …www.vipfaq.com › Big Mama Thornton

We don’t know for a fact whether Big Mama Thornton was gay, bisexual or straight. However, feel free to tell us what you think! Vote by clicking below. Gay. Straight.
Bulldykers and lady lovers: the rumors about lesbian blues …timeline.com › …

Jul 1, 2016 – Center: Big Mama Thornton, 1981 (Los Angeles Public Library) Right: … in the Renaissance were reportedly gay, lesbian or bisexual,” writes …
“I Am Just So Glad You Are Alive”: New Perspectives on … – jstorwww.jstor.org › stableJun 7, 2008 – civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and intersex. (LGBTQQI) … Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton, best k.by L Phillips – ‎2008 – ‎Cited by 25 – ‎Related articles
Blues Music’s Hidden Queer History | Ravishlywww.ravishly.com › 2015/02/19 › blues-music-secret-q…

Feb 19, 2015 – The history of pop music, and of black pop music in particular, has always … she was infamous for her bisexual exploits, including one notorious 1925 … Performers like Big Mama Thornton and Little Richard were central to …
Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton – onepluslove/blogwww.onepluslove.com › willie-mae-big-mama-thornton

Jul 24, 2014 – Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton recorded “Hound Dog” before Elvis Presley and “Ball ‘n’ Chain” before Janis Joplin. She was the big black …
Ottawa readies for Big Mama! | Xtra Magazinewww.dailyxtra.com › ottawa-readies-for-big-mama-490…

Apr 23, 2013 – Thornton’s bisexuality is touched on in the acclaimed musical Big Mama! The Willie Mae Thornton Story, which stars Canada’s foremost singer …