Big Mama Thornton
Also known as Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton
American rhythm and blues singer and songwriter
Person · Open Library
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- Big Mama Thornton and the Chicago Blues Band
- Hound dog
via Open Library + Wikidata
Film & TV
Acting · Montgomery, Alabama, USA
Willie Mae 'Big Mama' Thornton (December 11, 1926 – July 25, 1984) was an American rhythm-and-blues singer and songwriter. She was the first to record Leiber and Stoller's "Hound Dog", in 1952, which became her biggest hit, staying seven weeks at number one on the Billboard R&B chart in 1953 and selling almost two million copies. Thornton's other recordings included the original version of "Ball…
Known for
- Elvis: A Life in Music — Self (archive footage)2026
- The American Folk Blues Festival 1962-1969, Vol. 3 — Self2004
- Gunsmoke Blues — Self2004
- The American Folk Blues Festival 1962-1966, Vol. 2 — Herself2003
- The Dick Cavett Show — Self - Guest1968
via TMDB
Music · MusicBrainz
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Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton (December 11, 1926 – July 25, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter of blues and R&B.
The Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock and Soul described Thornton by saying: "Her booming voice, sometimes 200-pound frame, and exuberant stage manner had audiences stomping their feet and shouting encouragement in R&B theaters from coast to coast from the early 1950s on". Thornton's strong and important vocal style and her confidence on stage made her a huge influence on early blues and rock and roll, even though she rarely received proper credit and compensation for her work.
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1926 births1984 deaths20th-century African-American women singers20th-century American drummers20th-century American singers20th-century American women singersAce Records (United Kingdom) artistsAlcohol-related deaths in CaliforniaAmerican blues drummersAmerican blues harmonica playersAmerican blues singersAmerican rhythm and blues singers