Big Mama - a Korean female pop/rnb group 2. Blues singer/songwriter Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton. Thornton was a tough cookie. Nightmare was on the first Hound Dog. During a recording session, tensions rise between Ma Rainey, her ambitious horn player and the white management determined to control the uncontrollable "Mother of the Blues". About American blues singer most widely remembered for her 1952 hit "Hound Dog," which became a huge hit for Elvis Presley three years later. The hefty belter first opened her pipes in church but soon embraced the blues. That's a damned shame, because Thornton's menacing growl was indeed something special. Wille Mae “Big Mama” Thornton recorded “Hound Dog,” a song written for her, in 1952. Lee Ji Young. But it was her third Peacock date with Johnny Otis' band that proved the winner. Blues singer Big Mama Thornton performs at the Newport Folk Festival in July 1969 in Newport, Rhode Island. Big Mama ( Korean : 빅마마) was a South Korean female vocal group that debuted in 2003. The first version of “Hound Dog” was released in March 1953 by Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton, an African-American Rhythm and Blues singer from Alabama. Johnny Ace an up and coming rhythm and blues singer had it all going his way until he shot himself on Christmas of 1954. 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. Big Mama ( … The original song was actually sung by a group called Big Mama. Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton only notched one national hit in her lifetime, but it was a true monster. Alas, Elvis Presley's rocking 1956 cover was even bigger, effectively obscuring Thornton's chief claim to immortality. Some user-contributed text on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. I am sucker for sad songs and thus after reading the english translation I ultimately fell for the song. She performs with grandeur! Big Mama Thornton. She debuted on Peacock with "Partnership Blues" that year, backed by trumpeter Joe Scott's band. Tensions and temperatures rise at a Chicago music studio in 1927 when fiery, fearless blues singer Ma Rainey joins her band for a recording session. 3 more photos, Javascript is required to view shouts on this page. The group disbanded in … Artist Biography by Bill Dahl. With Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, Glynn Turman, Colman Domingo. Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, they wrote those two numbers there. (Photo permission under Fair Use) Born: Dec. 11, 1926, Montgomery or Ariton, Ala. Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton was a blues singer and songwriter who also played the drums and harmonica. Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton only notched one national hit in her lifetime, but it was a true monster. "Hound Dog" held down the top slot on Billboard's R&B charts for seven long weeks in 1953. For some reason Russian roulette is identified ,as the cause of his death. Along with her imposing vocals, Thornton began to emphasize her harmonica skills during the 1960s. Thornton's musical aspirations led her to leave home in 1941 at age 14 and join the Georgia-based Hot Harlem Revue. She also suffered injuries in a … Her father was a Baptist minister and her mother was a church singer in his congregation. People: Big Mama Thornton and Elvis Presley. Big Mama - a French ska/reggae/punk/rock band 3. (Getty) Blues found its footing during the Harlem Renaissance, a … "Hound Dog" held down the top slot on Billboard's R&B charts for seven long weeks in 1953. African American singer Aretha Franklin and Big Mama Thornton perform together onstage on Omnibus, December 28, 1980. Gravel throated voice screeching about love and other things. On August 12, 1952, R&B bandleader Johnny Otis asked 19-year-old songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller to his home to meet blues singer Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton. Her musical education began in a Baptist church near Montgomery, Alabama where her mother was a singer and her father a minister. Willie Mae Thornton was raised in a religious setting in Montgomery, AL. Thornton was ensconced on the Houston circuit when Peacock Records boss Don Robey signed her in 1951. She toured with Sammy Green's Hot Harlem Revue during the 1940s. In 1965, she formed The Mamas and the Papas, becoming an overnight success. Her father was a minister and her mother sang in the choir. The Directed by George C. Wolfe. She blows singers like Barbra Streisand out the window. Big Mama Thornton records “Hound Dog” Stoller and Leiber wrote this track specifically for an R&B singer by the name of Big Mama Thornton (1926-1984). She is bold, confident in her gift to express herself vocally. Discography Studio albums In fact the lyrics themselves were based on the way they perceived her appearance and personality. Willie Mae Thornton (1926-1984), best known as Big Mama Thornton, was a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who provided original recordings of some of popular music’s biggest all-time hits. Willie Mae Thornton was born on December 11, 1926 outside of Montgomery in rural Ariton, Alabama. Powerhouse blues and R&B singer, the original "Hound Dog" belter, and one of the most important female architects of rock & roll. Big Mama Thornton & Muddy Waters Blues Band - Everything Gonna Be Alright 2021 Oscar Nominee Big Mama Thornton was born on this date in 1926. Kim Hyeon-jeong (Hangul: 김현정, born September 30, 1973), professionally known as BMK or Big Mama King, is a South Korean singer known for her powerful voice. Shin Yeon Ah. On this day in 1952, Big Mama Thornton and the Johnny Otis Band recorded “Hound Dog” and turned it into a smash hit on the R&B charts, where it stayed at #1 for seven weeks. Big Mama - a Albanian pop-folk singer from Macedonia 1. Big Mama Thornton : Jerry Lieber, he wrote Hound Dog and I Smell A Rat. However two eyewitnesses tell a different story. 25 July 1984, Los Angeles, CA, United States. Cass Elliot, better known as "Mama Cass," became a folk singer in 1963. Thornton had been signed by "Diamond" Don Robey's Houston-based Peacock Records the year before, and after two failed singles, Robey had enlisted Otis to reverse her fortunes. Unlike most Kpop girl idol groups, this girls were a little voluptuous but they can belt a song. Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton wrote Ball and Chain and Watermelon Man. Born. Moreover they were able to scribe the song, according to Leiber, “in about 12 minutes”. Photo of Big Mama Thornton Photo by Tom Copi/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images. Go directly to shout page. Early-'60s 45s for Irma, Bay-Tone, Kent, and Sotoplay did little to revive her sagging fortunes, but a series of dates for Arhoolie that included her first vinyl rendition of "Ball and Chain" in 1968 and two albums for Mercury in 1969-1970 put her back in circulation (Janis Joplin's overwrought but well-intentioned cover of "Ball and Chain" didn't hurt either). Big Mama Thornton at Old Town School, 1985. She was a formative figure in the genre of rhythm and blues. She was nominated for six Blues Music Awards during her career and was inducted into both the Blues Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Title: Big Mama Sings Size: 12 x 24 Medium: Giclee on canvas Artist: Gail Penrice Rogers This lovely voluptuous woman loves to sing her heart out! Her … We don’t have any upcoming events for this artist right now. Though Thornton cut some fine Peacock follow-ups -- "I Smell a Rat," "Stop Hoppin' on Me," "The Fish," "Just like a Dog" -- through 1957, she never again reached the hit parade. It climbed to Number 1 on the Billboard rhythm and blues music charts. But it was an isolated incident. With Pete Lewis laying down some truly nasty guitar behind her, Big Mama shouted "Hound Dog," a tune whose authorship remains a bone of contention to this day (both Otis and the team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller claim responsibility), and soon hit the road a star. Center: Big Mama Thornton, 1981 (Los Angeles Public Library) Right: Bessie Smith, 1936. They wrote both sides of that record if I’m not mistaken. Scrobbling is when Last.fm tracks the music you listen to and automatically adds it to your music profile. The group was known for focusing on its members' singing abilities rather than their looks. Big Mama - a Albanian pop-folk singer from Macedonia 1. Big Mama … Park Min Hye. She can sing almost any type of music requested of her. American blues musician Big Mama … Powerhouse blues and R&B singer, the original "Hound Dog" belter, and one of the most important female architects of rock & roll. Born December 11, 1926, died July 25, 1984 Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton was born … Big Mama (, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. 11 December 1926, Montgomery, AL, United States. That's a damned shame, because Thornton 's menacing growl was indeed … Died. A new version of Last.fm is available, to keep everything running smoothly, please reload the site. Big Mama Thornton continued performing through the 1970s, but years of heavy drinking were began to take their toll. Read Full Biography. Big Mama Thornton is a true blues classic. Big Mama - a Catalan blues singer 4. Starring: Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, Glynn Turman Watch all you want. Blues singer Big Mama Thornton performs at the Newport Folk Festival in July 1969 in Newport, Rhode Island. She dressed like a man and took no guff from anyone, even as the pounds fell off her once-ample frame and she became downright scrawny during the last years of her life. Add image https://www.sunsigns.org/famousbirthdays/d/profile/big-mama-thornton 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. Even Elvis was apparently unaware of her; he was handed "Hound Dog" by Freddie Bell, a Vegas lounge rocker. She was an African American blues singer, songwriter, drummer and harmonica player. Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton originally did Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, Ain't Nothin' You Can Do, Me and My Chauffeur, I Smell a Rat and other songs. There are two groups and two singers called Big Mama: 1. Her work inspired imitation by Elvis Presley and Janis Joplin, who recorded popular cover versions of Thornton’s “Hound Dog” and “Ball … Medical personnel found her lifeless body in an L.A. rooming house in 1984. Connect your Spotify account to your Last.fm account and scrobble everything you listen to, from any Spotify app on any device or platform. Lee Young Hyun. Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton covered He's Got the Whole World in His Hands, Me and My Chauffeur, Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, Ain't Nothin' You Can Do and other songs. Alas, Elvis Presley 's rocking 1956 cover was even bigger, effectively obscuring Thornton 's chief claim to immortality. Also … Hound Dog / Night Mare. When Elvis …