Artist
Big Mama Thornton
Big Mama Thornton is a r&b artist from Ariton, USA. 6 releases are catalogued on Riffiter.
R&B · Ariton, USA · Best r&b albums
- 6
- Releases
- 1953–1994
- Active years
Artist
Big Mama Thornton is a r&b artist from Ariton, USA. 6 releases are catalogued on Riffiter.
R&B · Ariton, USA · Best r&b albums
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 the hit song "Hound Dog" in 1952. The record was #1 on the Billboard R&B charts for seven weeks in 1953; the single sold almost two million copies. Its B-side was "Night Mare." Three years later, Elvis Presley recorded his even more broadly successful rendition of "Hound Dog," based on a version performed by Freddie Bell and the Bellboys. Similarly, Thornton wrote and recorded "Ball 'n' Chain", which became a hit for her, yet Janis Joplin's later recording of it made a bigger impact in the late 1960s.
