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Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton Biography
Blues Singer
Willie Mae Thornton toured the south as a blues singer in the 1940s, then settled in Texas. She wrote and sang blues songs, played the harmonica and taught herself to play the drums. In 1953 she had a hit with "Hound Dog", the song later made even more famous by Elvis. In the 1960s "Big Mama" Thornton moved to California and continued to tour throughout America and Europe. In 1984 she was inducted into the Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame.
Other women in blues and jazz include Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith and Ella Fitzgerald.
Four Good Links
Big Mama Thornton
Good biographical entry from The Handbook of Texas
The Blue Highway
A big tribute to the blues in general: essays, history and radio links
Big Mama Thornton
Her story from the proud state of Alabama
The Peacock Recordings
Commercial site with audio samples of some famous tunes
Vital Stats
Birth
Birthplace
Death
25 July 1984
(heart failure, age 57)
Best Known As
Blues legend and original singer of "Hound Dog"