She began career in the 1940s, became well known and as the opening act the New York Apollo in 1952, was nicknamed Big Mama for her vocal tension and coarseness. I'm All Fed Up - Big Mama Thornton, 6. Musician. Thornton is a mellow mountain of a woman, almost six feet tall and topping two hundred pounds. On 13 August 1952, Willie Mae Thornton, now better known as Big Mama Thornton, recorded, with Johnny Otis and his orchestra a song that would become her signature forever: “Hound Dog.” And it was just a few days after that that she had become “Big Mama Thornton.” She was called "Big Mama" for both her size and her robust, powerful voice. According to the Encyclopedia of Alabama, in 1948 Thornton left the Revue and settled in Houston, where she would contribute to the development of the “Texas blues” style.During this period, she signed a five-year contract with Peacock Records. Born in Montgomery, Alabama, she was a blues singer and songwriter. Alas, Elvis Presley 's rocking 1956 cover was even bigger, effectively obscuring Thornton 's chief claim to immortality. Artist Biography by Bill Dahl Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton only notched one national hit in her lifetime, but it was a true monster. 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. Willie Mae Thornton was born on December 11, 1926 outside of Montgomery in rural Ariton, Alabama. They Call Me Big Mama - Johnny Otis Band, Big Mama Thornton, 11. Big Mama Thornton, byname of Willie Mae Thornton, (born Dec. 11, 1926, Montgomery, Ala., U.S.—died July 25, 1984, Los Angeles, Calif.), American singer and songwriter who performed in the tradition of classic blues singers such as Bessie Smith and Memphis Minnie. This song was written by the team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, and first recorded by Big Mama Thornton in 1952. Walking Blues - Johnny Otis Band, Big Mama Thornton, 12. She was the first to record Leiber and Stoller's "Hound Dog" in 1952, which became her biggest hit. "Hound Dog" held down the top slot on Billboard's R&B charts for seven long weeks in 1953. No Jody for Me - Big Mama Thornton, 9. 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 dwarfs the men in the band, but they seem to respect her for her size, her dignity, her burden. Everytime I Think of You - Big Mama Thornton, 8. She was a big woman with a big voice, a big harmonica sound, a big stage presence and a big hit record. As she sings, they keep a soulful Southern church cadence with … In an interview, Leiber explained: “Hound Dog” took like twelve minutes. BIG MAMA THORNTON Everything about Willie Mae 'Big Mama' Thornton was Big. 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