582:". The song relates the feelings of a woman who has been mistreated by her partner. Thornton assigned the song's copyright to Bay-Tone Records, a small, independent San Francisco record company in 1961. Bay-Tone released three of Thornton's singles, including "You Did Me Wrong / Big Mama's Blues". However the label chose not to release her "Ball And Chain" recording and instead held on to the copyright. This caused Thornton to once again miss out on the publishing royalties when her song was recorded by another artist and became a hit. During her later efforts to secure the royalties from the song, Thornton described how she had written the song 9 years before she recorded it, saying "I was singing that way before I recorded it".
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said, 'Oh, little 'ole girl, you can't sing'. I said, 'Will you give me a try?' He said, 'Yeah, well, when the show start, say we gonna give a little audition for singers, 'cause I'm looking for a singer'. And so he give auditions. So I was there, he wrote my name down, and several people they sung, and then he said, 'Well, I, I want to see what you can do'. So I got up there, I had an old pair of jeans, one leg rolled up, I got up and I started singing one of Louis Jordan's song called "G.I. Jive", and I sung that song, and I sang this blues by Big Maceo, "Worried Life Blues" and he hired me. Out of 25 people, I was the 26th but then he hired me".
459:". The audience went wild for Thornton and would not stop until the stage manager brought the curtain down in order to move the show on. Thornton said "...that's where they made their mistake. They put me on first. I wasn't out there to put no one off stage. I was out there to get known and I did!... They had to put the curtain down. That's when they put my name in lights. Mr. Frank Shiffman, the manager came back stage hollerin' to Johnny Otis... 'You said you had a star and you got a star. You got to put her on to close the show!" The next night, the Apollo marquee read "Big Mama Thornton".
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record in so long. So when we get to the theater they was blasting it. You could hear it from the theater, from the loudspeaker. They were just playing "Hound Dog" all over the theater. So I goes up in the operating room, I say, 'Do you mind playing that again?'... 'Cause I hadn't heard the record in so long I forgot the words myself. So I stood there while he was playing it, listening to it. So that evening I sang it on the show, and everybody went for it".
486:"Hound Dog" was Thornton's only hit record, selling over 500,000 copies, spending 14 weeks in the R&B charts, including seven weeks at number one. Although the record made Thornton a star, she reportedly saw little of the profits. Thornton never received full credit for recording the original version of the song. She claimed she received just one royalty check for $ 500 from her version that spent seven weeks as number one on the 1953
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beginning on March 2, took
Thornton to Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Sweden, where it ended on March 27 in Stockholm. With her on the bill were Eddie Boyd, Big Joe Williams, Robert Pete Williams, T- Bone Walker, Paul Lenart, Hartley Severns, Edward Taylor and Vinton Johnson. As in 1965, they garnered recognition and respect from other musicians who wanted to see them.
867:, sporting a man's three-piece suit, straw hat, and gold watch. She sat at center stage and played pieces she wanted to play, which were not on the program. Thornton took part in the Tribal Stomp at Monterey Fairgrounds, the Third Annual Sacramento Blues Festival, and the Los Angeles Bicentennial Blues with B. B. King and Muddy Waters. She was a guest on an ABC-TV special hosted by actor Hal Holbrook and was joined by
298:. Though later recordings of her songs by other artists sold millions of copies, she was denied royalties by not holding the publishing copyrights to her creativity. Thornton died of a heart attack and liver disorders, penniless in a boarding-house in Los Angeles, California and was buried in a shared pauper's grave. In 2024, Thornton was posthumously inducted into the
475:. The pair were present at the recording, with Leiber demonstrating the song in the vocal style they had envisioned; Stoller said "We wanted her to growl it." Thornton said "Don't tell me how to sing no song", but relented. Otis played drums, after the original drummer was unable to play an adequate part. Thornton's song is credited as helping to usher in the dawn of
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show you that it won't shoot'. He held the pistol up and looked at it first and then put it to his head. I started toward the door and I heard the pistol go off. I turned around and saw Johnny falling to the floor. I saw that he was shot and I run on stage and told the people in the band about it. I stayed there until the officers arrived".
924:: "when I was comin' up, listening to Bessie Smith and all, they sung from their heart and soul and expressed themselves. That's why when I do a song by Jimmy Reed or somebody, I have my own way of singing it. Because I don't want to be Jimmy Reed, I want to be me. I like to put myself into whatever I'm doin' so I can feel it".
443:, allowing Peacock Records artists who had not broken through to national success to travel with Otis' California Rhythm and Blues Caravan to gain experience and exposure. The deal included recording the artists in Los Angeles and giving the recordings to Robey for distribution. Thornton was one of the artists Otis selected.
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362:, whom she deeply admired, helped develop her singing talent. "I just started hearing the blues of Bessie Smith, well I was a kid myself, you know. I was a young type of youngster always running around the house humming the blues and my daddy wanted to get me with the razor strop, but I hit the door".
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Thornton subsequently received greater recognition for her popular songs, but she is still under appreciated for her influence on the blues, rock and roll and soul music. Thornton's music was also influential in shaping
American popular music. The lack of appreciation she received for "Hound Dog" and
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Thornton was found dead at age 57 by medical personnel in a Los
Angeles boarding house on July 25, 1984. She died of heart and liver disorders due to her longstanding alcohol abuse. She had lost 355 pounds (161 kg) in a short time as a result of illness, her weight dropping from 450 to 95 pounds
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In a 1972 interview, Thornton acknowledged receiving royalty payments after having given Joplin permission to record her song, saying "I gave her the right and the permission to make 'Ball 'n' Chain' . . . It's all right, it made me money. At least I got paid for it, and I'm still drawing royalties".
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14 year-old
Thornton left home, traveling with the show between different cities in Alabama and Georgia. Thornton described the revue as "a stage show, like, playing in theaters... dancers, chorus girls, comedians, singers". Originally hired as a dancer, singer and comedienne, Thornton quickly became
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radio interview, saying "Show came through in the first of the '40s and called it 'Sammy Green's Hot Harlem Revue' as I mentioned earlier. They didn't have a singer, and so I asked him, I said, 'Give me an audition, let me sing'. I said, 'I've been singing all the little talent shows around here'. He
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Thornton's mother fell gravely ill from tuberculosis. Only 13, Thornton cared for her mother until her death in the
Montgomery Tuberculosis Sanatorium in 1939. At the time Thornton was still in the third grade. After losing her mother, she was unable to continue to attend school. Thornton left school
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Scholars such as
Maureen Mahon have praised Thornton for subverting traditional roles of Black or African-American women. She added a black woman's voice to a field that was dominated by white males, and her strong personality transgressed stereotypes of what a Black or African-American woman should
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Thornton realized her record was being broadcast while traveling to a Dayton, Ohio performance. "I was going to the theater and I just turned the radio on in the car and the man said, 'Here's a record that's going nationwide: "Hound Dog" by Willie Mae
Thornton'. I said, That's me! I hadn't heard the
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Thornton left Green's show in 1948 over a money dispute, saying "I traveled with them for quite a few years, and I went to
Houston, Texas in ’48. We played there and then we left. As a matter of fact, I quit the show in ’48... They owed me a little, quite a bit of money and they wouldn’t pay it, and
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list of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll". It was not until Janis Joplin covered
Thornton's "Ball 'n' Chain" that it became a hit. Though Thornton did not receive financial compensation for her song, Joplin arranged for Thornton to open shows for her. Joplin found her singing voice through
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By then, the
American blues revival had come to an end. While the original blues acts like Thornton mostly played smaller venues, younger people played their versions of blues in massive arenas for big money. Since the blues had seeped into other genres of music, the blues musician no longer needed
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In an official deposition taken at 12:40 am the next morning, Thornton said "I looked over at Johnny and noticed he had a pistol in his hand. It was a pistol that he bought somewhere in Florida. It was a .22 cal. revolver. Johnny was pointing this pistol at Mary Carter and Joe Hamilton. He was kind
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Thornton's talent was self taught. She said "My singing comes from my experience... My own experience. I never had no one teach me nothin'. I never went to school for music or nothin'. I taught myself to sing and to blow harmonica and even to play drums by watchin’ other people! I can't read music,
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Ace did not heed Thornton's advice. "After he got the pistol back, Johnny pointed the pistol at Mary Carter and pulled the trigger. It snapped... I told Johnny again not to snap the pistol at anybody. Johnny then put the pistol to Olivia’s head and pulled the trigger. It snapped. Johnny said 'I’ll
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As her career began to fade in the late 1950s and early 1960s, she left Houston and relocated to the San Francisco Bay area, playing clubs in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Her performances were infrequent so she could not retain a steady group of musicians to back her. Chris Strachwitz said when
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Thornton explained her early love of the blues, saying "My father was a minister. He's a Baptist preacher, and my mother she was very religious. And me, I don't know what I am, I'm -- well, was just born with the blues... I really got the blues, you know, in '39 when I lost my mother, and then I
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While at home the offers became fewer and smaller, things changed for good in 1972, when Thornton was asked to rejoin the American Folk Blues Festival tour. She thought of Europe as a good place for herself, and, with the lack of engagements in the United States, she agreed happily. The tour,
852:, Bee Houston and Steve Wachsman, the drummer Todd Nelson, saxophonist Bill Potter, bassist Bruce Sieverson, and pianist J. D. Nicholson. She toured extensively through the United States and Canada, played at the Juneteenth Blues Fest in Houston, sharing the bill with John Lee Hooker.
517:. Bell had removed Thornton's growling declaration of leaving a cheating partner. Bell changed the song, the new lyrics were sung to a literal dog. Presley's version sold ten million copies, so today few fans know that "Hound Dog" began as Thornton's "anthem of black Women's power".
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where she was "celebrated by adoring fans". Reviews of the tour said "Thornton dazzles European audiences who are experiencing her live for the first time". Her success was notable "because very few female blues singers at that time had ever enjoyed success across the Atlantic".
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of waving it around. I asked Johnny to let me see the gun. He gave it to me and when I turned the chamber a .22 cal. bullet fell out in my hand. Johnny told me to put it back in where it wouldn’t fall out. I put it back and gave it to him. I told him not to snap it at nobody".
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for fifty dollars a night. In 1950, Thornton recorded her first record, "All Right Baby" and "Bad Luck Got My Man", released on Houston's E&W Recording Studio record label and credited to the "Harlem All Stars". Thornton was credited as songwriter on both songs.
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Thornton was booked to perform in a good venue like the Fillmore, her manager at the time, Jim Moore, would hire "lounge musicians. He called them 'jazz musicians' or whatever... they had no clue what the blues was all about. They were mediocre at the best".
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about Elvis Presley. In the movie, Thornton (played by Shonka Dukureh in her only film role, as she died shortly after the film's release) is shown as the original singer of the song "Hound Dog" and appears in the movie singing the song. Presley (played by
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record chart. Next, Thornton signed a contract with Pentagram Records and finally fulfilled one of her biggest dreams. A blues woman and the daughter of a preacher, Thornton loved the blues and what she called the "good singing" of gospel artists like the
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Thornton continued with Johnny Otis's band between 1951 and 1954. The 30 recordings she made for the Peacock label during that time are considered "remarkable for the vocal presence and total cohesiveness". Thornton performed in R&B package tours with
975:"Ball 'n' Chain" as they became popular hits is representative of the lack of recognition she received during her career as a whole. Many critics argue that Thornton's lack of recognition in the music industry is a reflection of an era of
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Summing up her life, Thornton said "I’ve been happy. There have been dull moments, but you have to take as worse as you going to get it or else you are never going to see it. And I’ve been happy and I’d like to stay that way".
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described Thornton 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".
431:. Her first Peacock record "No Jody For Me / Let Your Tears Fall Baby" was a local hit in the Houston area, but did not catch on nationally. Thornton needed additional income to live, so she started shining shoes to get by.
979:, both physically and in the music industry. Scholars suggest that Thornton's lack of access to broader audiences (both white and black), may have been a barrier to her commercial success as both a vocalist and a composer.
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and guitarist James Gurley approached her and asked permission to cover "Ball And Chain". Thornton agreed. Gurley slowed the blues song, using a minor key. The band performed their version of "Ball And Chain" at the 1967
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She was introduced to music in a Baptist church, where her father was a minister and her mother a singer. Thornton said "I used to go to church a lot, but I didn’t do too much singing in church".
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Her style was heavily influenced by gospel music that she listened to growing up in the home of a preacher, though her genre could be described as blues. Thornton was quoted in a 1980 article in
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in August 1968. The album remained at the top spot of the Billboard Hot 200 charts for two months. Joplin's interpretation of the song renewed interest in Thornton, boosting her career.
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In 2004, the nonprofit Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls, named for Thornton, was founded to offer a musical education to girls from ages eight to 18. The first biography of Thornton,
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Thornton's performances were characterized by her deep, powerful voice and strong sense of self. She was given her nickname, "Big Mama," by Frank Schiffman, the manager of Harlem's
602:. The crowd was stunned. Band guitarist Sam Andrew joked "This was no ‘wear flowers in your hair’ song". Subsequently, the band released their version of the song on their album
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Thornton was born on December 11, 1926, the sixth of George and Mattie (née Haynes) Thornton's seven children. While Thornton's birth certificate states that she was born in
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911:, because of her strong voice, size, and personality. Thornton stated that she was louder than any microphone and did not want a microphone to ever be as loud as she was.
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In the 1970s, the damage from years of heavy drinking began to visibly affect Thornton's health. She was in a serious auto accident but recovered to perform at the 1973
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captured her performances during mid-1970s concerts at two prisons in the northwestern United States. Other songs from this recording session were released in 2000 on
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1004:) hears Thornton sing "Hound Dog" at a concert and decides to record a cover of the song. Dukureh's performance of "Hound Dog" was included in full on the movie
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During the revue's appearance at Harlem's Apollo Theatre in December, 1952, Thornton did not have a hit single of her own to sing. She sang a version of the
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music professor Maureen Mahon, "the song is seen as an important beginning of rock-and-roll, especially in its use of the guitar as the key instrument".
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While performing Christmas Day 1954 at the City Auditorium in Houston, Texas, Thornton tried to intervene as fellow Duke and Peacock record performer
276:", in 1952, which was written for her. It became Thornton's biggest hit, selling over 500,000 copies and staying seven weeks at number one on the
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said "Willie Mae ‘Big Mama’ Thornton is in my opinion the greatest female blues singer of this and any other decade" in the album's liner notes.
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When Thornton was 8 years old, she taught herself to play the harmonica by watching her older brother, Calliope "Harp" Thornton. Observing the
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While living in the Bay Area, Thorton recorded for a succession of labels, including Bay-Tone, Irma, Kent, Sotoplay and the Berkeley-based
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895:. Her pauper's grave features a small granite marker with two additional names, indicating her body was buried along with two strangers.
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said, 'Well, I don't know what to do'. I said, 'Well, I think I want to sing the blues'. So I said, well, that time, I was listening to
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In addition to "Ball 'n' Chain" and "They Call Me Big Mama," Thornton wrote 20 blues songs. Her "Ball 'n' Chain" is included in the
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album, Arhoolie Records released Thornton's recording of "Ball And Chain" as a way to capitalize on the success of Joplin's cover.
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3500:"The Music of 'Elvis': A Complete Guide to Who Sings What on Soundtrack, from Jack White to Jazmine Sullivan to Stevie Nicks"
3106:"American Folk Blues Festival 1962–1965, Vol. 2 | Free Trailers, Plot Synopsis, Photos, Cast and Crew | MTV Movies"
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quoted her as having said, "Didn’t get no money from them at all. Everybody livin’ in a house but me. I'm just livin".
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2816:"Listening for Willie Mae 'Big Mama' Thornton's Voice: The Sound of Race and Gender Transgressions in Rock and Roll"
915:, the author of a biography of Janis Joplin, said that Thornton could sing in a "pretty voice" but did not want to.
370:, his "Worried Life Blues" and I said 'I think I want to sing that', and I did. That was a beautiful number. Yeah."
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Fay, Robert (1999). "Thornton, Willie Mae ('Big Mama')". In Appiah, Kwame Anthony; Gates, Henry Louis Jr. (eds.).
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1008:. The movie and soundtrack were both critical and commercial hits, giving greater public attention to Thornton.
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helped to establish rock 'n' roll as a rebellious form of music. She says that Thornton should be understood as
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recorded a hit version of the song. Presley had heard a sanitized version of “Hound Dog” performed by
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Jones, Dalton Anthony (January 2015). "Death Sentences: From Genesis to Genre (Big Mama's Parole)".
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was playing with a new .22 cal. revolver in the backstage dressing room during that evening's show.
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3545:"Cher, Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Matthews Band, Mary J. Blige Lead Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2024 Class"
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Thornton moved to the Bronze Peacock Dinner Club which was owned by impresario and record producer
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Thornton, who praised Joplin's version of "Ball 'n' Chain", saying, "That girl feels like I do".
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and toured through the club scene. She was also part of the award-winning PBS television special
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Johnson, Maria (2010). "You Just Can't Keep a Good Woman Down: Alice Walker Sings the Blues".
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and continued to record for Peacock until 1957. Thornton did not have another hit record.
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3415:"Billie Eilish, Reneé Rapp, Phoebe Bridgers: Queer women finally get their due in music"
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in 1980. Thornton also performed in the "Blues Is a Woman" concert that year, alongside
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Blues singer 'Big Mama' Thornton had a hit with 'Hound Dog.' Then Elvis came along
2079:"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
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be. This transgression was an integral part of her performance and stage persona.
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2662:"The Struggles and Triumphs of Bessie Jones, Big Mama Thornton, and Ethel Waters"
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249:(December 11, 1926 – July 25, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter of
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Blues Singers: Biographies of 50 Legendary Artists of the Early 20th Century
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Thornton's success with "Hound Dog" was overshadowed three years later when
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2729:"Show 7, The All American Boy: Enter Elvis and the Rock-a-Billies. Part 1"
2472:"Six definitive songs: The ultimate beginner's guide to Big Mama Thornton"
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While in London on October 20, she recorded her first album for Arhoolie,
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Thornton's talent was discovered in 1940 when she was fourteen years old.
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3367:"Big Mama Thornton, Little Richard, and the Queer Roots of Rock 'n' Roll"
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Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience
2133:(illustrated ed.). University of North Carolina Press. p. 370.
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impoverishment or geography for substantiation; the style was enough.
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2017: Inductee, National Recording Registry, "Hound Dog" (Single),
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She was backed by a blues ensemble that featured sustained jams by
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but I know what I'm singing! I don't sing like nobody but myself".
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427:. In 1950 she signed a five-year recording contract with Robey's
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After hearing Thornton perform the song at the Both/And Club on
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Between Midnight and Day: The Last Unpublished Blues Archive
2284:"Willie N Thornton in the 1930 United States Federal Census"
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In 1966, Thornton recorded her second album for Arhoolie,
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Big Mama Thornton with the Muddy Waters Blues Band – 1966
2945:. Fayetteville, Arkansas: University of Arkansas Press.
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of the blues with Sippie Wallace and Jeannie Cheatham.
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Pioneers of the Blues Revival - Music in American Life
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She's a Rebel: The History of Women in Rock & Roll
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In 2024, Thornton was selected for induction into the
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known as the "New Bessie Smith" for her vocal talent.
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Women & Performance: A Journal of Feminist Theory
2994:. Champaign, Illinois: University of Illinois Press.
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List of studio albums, with selected chart positions
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Thornton moved to Houston and started singing at the
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752:(PE 10005). The album includes the gospel classics "
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3077:. University of Texas Press - Austin. p. 370.
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1355:List of compilation albums, with selected details
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2130:The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture, Vol. 12
989:In 2022, Thornton was featured as a character in
439:In 1952, Don Robey struck a deal with impresario
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2820:Women and Music: A Journal of Gender and Culture
2127:Malone, Bill C.; Wilson, Charles Reagan (2009).
578:In 1961 Thornton wrote another signature song, "
3047:"The Summer of Love ... and music at Monterey!"
2755:Hound Dog: The Leiber and Stoller Autobiography
2637:"Willie Mae Thornton, Influential Blues Singer"
1786:List of singles, with selected chart positions
707:in 1966 and 1968. Her last album for Arhoolie,
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1927:"Just Like a Dog (Barking Up the Wrong Tree)"
959:During her career, Thornton was nominated for
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389:Thornton described the audition during a 1970
290:Thornton's other recordings include her song "
3684:
3442:"The Many Musical Influences of Janis Joplin"
2416:(1st ed.). Basic Civitas Books. p.
2262:"'Big Mama' Thornton to be honored in Ariton"
2191:The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray
1821:
1095:, Musical influence category, Cleveland, Ohio
573:
446:
373:
3108:. Mtv.com. December 19, 2014. Archived from
2126:
2014:
1158:Big Mama Thornton and the Chicago Blues Band
986:, by Michael Spörke, was published in 2014.
949:not publicly identifying themselves as queer
731:, which released her most successful album,
467:While working with Otis, Thornton recorded "
382:, the half-sister of one of her early idols
4012:20th-century African-American women singers
3518:"2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees"
3013:
3011:
2780:
2768:Lyrics: Writing Better Words for Your Songs
2511:. Seattle, Washington: Seal Press. p.
2376:
2374:
1255:List of live albums, with selected details
1066:Hall Of Fame Award, "Hound Dog" (Single),
3691:
3677:
3292:
3264:"Big Mama Thornton: Biography | Billboard"
2165:. New York, New York: St. Martin's Press.
31:
3536:
3382:
2917:"No.31 - "Hound Dog" - Big Mama Thornton"
2723:
2536:
2534:
2532:
2439:
2437:
2259:
2184:
2182:
1678:Rock-A-Bye-Baby: The 1950–1961 Recordings
624:In 1965, Thornton toured Europe with the
3827:, George Brown, Robert "Spike" Mickens,
3335:
3329:
3180:
3133:"Big Mama Thornton – The Life and Music"
3130:
3008:
2940:
2809:
2807:
2805:
2803:
2801:
2799:
2797:
2795:
2656:
2654:
2652:
2650:
2469:
2371:
2348:
2346:
2344:
2342:
2340:
2338:
2336:
2160:
2031:"Their Ain't Nothing You Can Do Part I"
641:. It featured backing by blues veterans
462:
3510:
3364:
3227:
3153:
3147:
3017:
2987:
2586:"Big Mama Thornton: The Life and Music"
2498:
2496:
2494:
2492:
2446:"The Untold Truth of Big Mama Thornton"
2188:
2154:
1763:The Best of Big Mama Thornton 1951–1958
977:racial segregation in the United States
783:
3994:
3632:Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland.
3630:Big Mama Thornton: The Life and Music.
3542:
3293:Neff, Robert; Connor, Anthony (1975).
3201:
3070:
3018:Shearer, Cynthia (February 15, 2017).
2943:Encyclopedia of the Blues, 2nd Edition
2719:
2717:
2685:
2634:
2630:
2628:
2600:
2529:
2470:Dasgupta, Pubali (December 11, 2020).
2463:
2434:
2380:
2352:
2321:from the original on December 21, 2014
2179:
1059:, Blues Foundation, Memphis, Tennessee
1048:, Blues Foundation, Memphis, Tennessee
632:
619:
3672:
3463:
3459:
3457:
3455:
3131:Thompson, Mark (September 12, 2014).
2915:Hill, Charles A. (January 11, 2024).
2851:
2849:
2813:
2792:
2647:
2355:Big Mama Thornton: The Life and Music
2333:
2260:Treadwell, Jaine (October 12, 2022).
2193:. Dubai: Carlton Books. p. 177.
1799:
1796:
1793:
1790:
1349:
1120:
1117:
1114:
984:Big Mama Thornton: The Life and Music
943:remarked "If you go back and look at
762:He's Got the Whole World in His Hands
719:, provided backup for the two songs.
537:
4037:Alcohol-related deaths in California
4032:Ace Records (United Kingdom) artists
3439:
3045:Gaar, Gillian G. (August 17, 2017).
3044:
2914:
2888:
2502:
2489:
2443:
411:Start of recording career in Houston
398:Left home to perform at 14 years old
294:", made famous in the late 1960s by
4027:20th-century American women singers
2921:Songsthatsavedyourlife.substack.com
2889:Hill, Charles A. (April 12, 2016).
2857:The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits
2742:University of North Texas Libraries
2714:
2625:
2407:
2264:. Troy, Alabama: The Troy Messenger
1553:Hound Dog: The Essential Collection
1015:in the musical influence category.
878:
722:
591:Big Brother and the Holding Company
333:and got a job washing and cleaning
302:in the musical influence category.
13:
4082:Musicians from Montgomery, Alabama
4072:Burials at Inglewood Park Cemetery
3452:
3440:Suer, Kinsley (January 30, 2019).
3433:
2846:
2583:
2163:Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock and Soul
1729:The Very Best of Big Mama Thornton
735:, which reached number 198 in the
727:By 1969, Thornton had signed with
612:With the success of Big Brother's
509:while attending their show at the
262:Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock and Soul
14:
4118:
4057:American rhythm and blues singers
3644:
2941:Herzhaft, Gerard (July 1, 1997).
2789:March 2019. "Smithsonian", of. 42
2308:
1915:"Tarzan and the Dignified Monkey"
1519:Hound Dog: The Peacock Recordings
811:The Blues — A Real Summit Meeting
268:Thornton was the first to record
16:American blues singer (1926–1984)
4087:People from Dale County, Alabama
4047:American blues harmonica players
3204:"Willie Mae 'Big Mama' Thornton"
2969:. ScottyMoore.net. July 26, 2012
2608:"Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton"
2092:
1982:"Before Day (Big Mama's Blues)"
1746:The Singles Collection 1950–1961
1570:The Complete Vanguard Recordings
1104:
947:, Big Mama Thornton — they were
839:The Complete Vanguard Recordings
3622:
3598:"Billboard Top R&B Records"
3590:
3562:
3543:Greene, Andy (April 22, 2024).
3492:
3407:
3358:
3286:
3256:
3221:
3195:
3124:
3098:
3074:Why Willie Mae Thornton Matters
3064:
3038:
2981:
2967:"City Auditorium - Houston, TX"
2959:
2934:
2908:
2882:
2869:
2760:
2748:
2679:
2444:Zabo, Marta (October 3, 2022).
2401:
2215:"Big Mama Thornton – Biography"
817:). Thornton's last albums were
760:", "Glory, Glory Hallelujah", "
557:
520:
346:Self-taught singer and musician
4017:20th-century American drummers
2302:
2276:
2253:
2237:
2207:
2120:
1249:
1099:
1028:, Best Rhythm and Blues song,
893:Los Angeles County, California
792:
247:Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton
1:
4022:20th-century American singers
3344:. New York: Thunder's Mouth.
2635:Holden, Stephen (July 1984).
2383:"Big Mama Thornton Interview"
2113:
639:Big Mama Thornton – In Europe
507:Freddie Bell and the Bellboys
473:Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
305:
38:
3898:Award for Musical Excellence
3522:Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
3478:10.1080/0740770X.2014.994840
2315:Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
1835:"Every Time I Think of You"
1039:San Francisco Blues Festival
1024:1953: "Hound Dog" (Single),
1018:
857:San Francisco Blues Festival
848:and included the guitarists
626:American Folk Blues Festival
7:
3958:Award for Musical Influence
2250:; accessed October 12, 2021
2085:
1428:Quit Snoopin' Round My Door
453:Billy Ward and his Dominoes
435:Joined Johnny Otis' Caravan
10:
4123:
4102:West Coast blues musicians
3700:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
3020:"The Thinning of Big Mama"
2895:Charlesd A. Hill Mediation
2770:. Backbeat Books. p. 171;
2548:. WFMT Radio Network. 1970
2078:
1780:
1242:
1093:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
1086:Alabama Music Hall of Fame
1013:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
968:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
703:Thornton performed at the
374:Hired after first audition
300:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
3957:
3897:
3877:
3710:
2389:. The Arhoolie Foundation
2357:. McFarland. p. 70.
2058:
2038:
2030:
2022:
2019:
2008:
1995:
1992:
1981:
1970:
1959:
1948:
1937:
1926:
1914:
1906:
1903:
1895:
1887:
1879:
1876:
1869:"I Ain't No Fool Either"
1868:
1860:
1852:
1845:
1834:
1826:
1815:
1812:
1804:
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1744:
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1534:
1517:
1497:
1480:
1463:
1446:
1426:
1409:
1392:
1367:
1362:
1359:
1332:The Rising Sun Collection
1330:
1301:
1284:
1267:
1262:
1259:
1219:
1199:
1176:
1156:
1133:
1125:
954:
358:singers Bessie Smith and
340:
181:
171:
154:
137:
111:
94:
83:
63:
53:
48:
30:
23:
4097:Vanguard Records artists
4067:Arhoolie Records artists
3628:Spörke, Michael (2014).
3135:. Bluesblastmagazine.com
2353:Spörke, Michael (2014).
2161:Stambler, Irwin (1974).
1861:"They Call Me Big Mama"
1701:Released: March 31, 2017
1695:The Essential Recordings
1576:Released: April 18, 2000
902:
846:George "Harmonica" Smith
807:Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson
766:Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
4077:Mercury Records artists
4062:American women drummers
4042:American blues drummers
3837:Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas
3365:Steptoe, Tyina (2018).
3336:Waterman, Dick (2003).
3230:African American Review
3154:Dicaire, David (1999).
3071:Denise, Lynnée (2023).
2988:Cushing, Steve (2014).
2891:"Who Owns "Hound Dog"?"
2814:Mahon, Maureen (2011).
2108:List of blues musicians
2020:"Don't Do Me This Way"
1769:Released: July 14, 2023
1752:Released: June 19, 2020
1718:Released: July 12, 2019
1275:Released: December 1969
889:Inglewood Park Cemetery
887:Thornton was buried in
314:, in an interview with
4052:American blues singers
2686:Oakley, Giles (1997).
2503:Gaar, Gillian (1992).
2189:Russell, Tony (1997).
1735:Released: October 2019
1658:The Complete 1950–1961
1482:The Original Hound Dog
705:Monterey Jazz Festival
659:Walter "Shakey" Horton
283:in 1953. According to
49:Background information
4092:Texas blues musicians
3880:(Ahmet Ertegun Award)
3829:Claydes Charles Smith
3446:Portland Center Stage
2877:The Big Book of Blues
2832:10.1353/wam.2011.0005
2766:Rooks, Rikky (2006).
2041:Ball and Chain Part 1
1888:"Stop Hoppin' on Me"
1797:Peak chart positions
1712:The Story of My Blues
1604:They Call Me Big Mama
1562:Label: Spectrum Music
1499:They Call Me Big Mama
1184:Released: August 1969
1121:Peak chart positions
884:(204 to 43 kg).
861:Newport Jazz Festival
855:She performed at the
799:Newport Jazz Festival
758:Down By The Riverside
600:Monterey Pop Festival
3856:Ali Shaheed Muhammad
3851:A Tribe Called Quest
3384:10.1353/aq.2018.0003
3208:The Blues Foundation
2588:. Mcfarlandbooks.com
2546:StudsTerkel.wfmt.com
2476:Faroutmagazine.co.uk
2009:"Because It's Love"
1813:"Partnership Blues"
1738:Label: Not Now Music
1641:Vanguard Visionaries
1341:Label: Just a Memory
1088:, Tuscumbia, Alabama
933:gender nonconformity
784:Second European tour
764:", "Lord Save Me", "
717:Edward "Bee" Houston
3833:James "J.T." Taylor
3816:Kool & the Gang
3578:. September 6, 1969
3570:"Billboard Top LPs"
3112:on January 16, 2005
2859:. Billboard Books;
2381:Strachwitz, Chris.
2061:Let's Go Get Stoned
1993:"Swing It on Home"
1949:"You Did Me Wrong"
1787:
1377:and Larry Williams)
1356:
1256:
1141:Released: June 1966
1111:
1079:Library of Congress
837:(the third disc in
801:with Muddy Waters,
696:(bass guitar), and
633:Arhoolie recordings
620:First European tour
407:I just got tired".
337:in a local tavern.
324:Montgomery, Alabama
285:New York University
88:Oakland, California
59:Willie Mae Thornton
4107:Androgynous people
3926:Fred "Sonic" Smith
3839:, Ricky Westfield)
3821:Robert "Kool" Bell
3733:Dave Matthews Band
3371:American Quarterly
3323:The New York Times
2875:Santelli, Robert.
2641:The New York Times
2612:Spontaneous Lunacy
2248:Washingtonpost.com
2073:Stronger Than Dirt
2015:Non-album singles
1938:"Don't Talk Back"
1918:(with Elroy Peace)
1896:"Rock a Bye Baby"
1822:Non-album singles
1785:
1354:
1350:Compilation albums
1254:
1178:Stronger Than Dirt
1164:Released: May 1967
1109:
1057:Blues Hall of Fame
1046:Blues Hall of Fame
961:Blues Music Awards
939:. Music historian
921:The New York Times
742:Dixie Hummingbirds
733:Stronger Than Dirt
655:Jimmy Lee Robinson
589:in San Francisco,
538:Johnny Ace's death
380:Diamond Teeth Mary
270:Leiber and Stoller
107:, California, U.S.
3989:
3988:
3980:Big Mama Thornton
3660:Big Mama Thornton
3651:Big Mama Thornton
3638:978-0-7864-7759-3
3268:www.billboard.com
3084:978-1-4773-2118-8
2707:978-0-306-80743-5
2689:The Devil's Music
2584:Spörke, Michael.
2427:978-0-465-00071-5
2364:978-0-7864-7759-3
2200:978-1-85868-255-6
2083:
2082:
1827:"No Jody for Me"
1778:
1777:
1669:Le Chant du Monde
1465:You Ole Houn' Dog
1375:Lightnin' Hopkins
1347:
1346:
1324:Label: Intermedia
1247:
1246:
873:Three Generations
737:Billboard Top 200
713:Wade in the Water
587:Divisadero Street
417:Eldorado Ballroom
318:Records producer
241:
240:
74:December 11, 1926
25:Big Mama Thornton
4114:
3948:Norman Whitfield
3888:Suzanne de Passe
3693:
3686:
3679:
3670:
3669:
3616:
3615:
3613:
3611:
3594:
3588:
3587:
3585:
3583:
3566:
3560:
3559:
3557:
3555:
3540:
3534:
3533:
3531:
3529:
3524:. April 22, 2024
3514:
3508:
3507:
3506:. June 18, 2022.
3496:
3490:
3489:
3461:
3450:
3449:
3437:
3431:
3430:
3428:
3426:
3421:. April 24, 2024
3411:
3405:
3404:
3386:
3362:
3356:
3355:
3343:
3333:
3327:
3326:
3315:
3309:
3308:
3297:. D. R. Godine.
3290:
3284:
3283:
3281:
3279:
3270:. Archived from
3260:
3254:
3253:
3225:
3219:
3218:
3216:
3214:
3199:
3193:
3187:In Europe review
3184:
3178:
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2746:
2745:
2733:
2721:
2712:
2711:
2683:
2677:
2676:
2674:
2672:
2666:library.yale.edu
2658:
2645:
2644:
2632:
2623:
2622:
2620:
2618:
2604:
2598:
2597:
2595:
2593:
2581:
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2399:
2398:
2396:
2394:
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2369:
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2350:
2331:
2330:
2328:
2326:
2309:Mahon, Maureen.
2306:
2300:
2299:
2297:
2295:
2280:
2274:
2273:
2271:
2269:
2257:
2251:
2241:
2235:
2234:
2232:
2230:
2221:. Archived from
2211:
2205:
2204:
2186:
2177:
2176:
2158:
2152:
2151:
2149:
2147:
2124:
2102:
2100:Biography portal
2097:
2096:
2095:
1919:
1877:"I Smell a Rat"
1788:
1784:
1403:Label: Back Beat
1378:
1357:
1353:
1316:
1257:
1253:
1210:Label: Pentagram
1112:
1108:
1091:2024: Inductee,
1084:2020: Inductee,
1081:, Washington, DC
1044:1984: Inductee,
941:Evelyn McDonnell
879:Death and burial
859:in 1979 and the
827:Vanguard Records
723:Later recordings
667:Chris Strachwitz
574:"Ball And Chain"
568:Arhoolie Records
447:Named "Big Mama"
356:rhythm-and-blues
320:Chris Strachwitz
174:
124:rhythm and blues
101:
73:
71:
56:
43:
42: 1955–1960
40:
35:
21:
20:
4122:
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4117:
4116:
4115:
4113:
4112:
4111:
3992:
3991:
3990:
3985:
3953:
3930:Dennis Thompson
3893:
3879:
3873:
3738:Carter Beauford
3706:
3697:
3647:
3625:
3620:
3619:
3609:
3607:
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3497:
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3438:
3434:
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3413:
3412:
3408:
3363:
3359:
3352:
3334:
3330:
3325:. July 4, 1980.
3317:
3316:
3312:
3305:
3291:
3287:
3277:
3275:
3274:on June 3, 2016
3262:
3261:
3257:
3242:10.2307/3042356
3226:
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3085:
3069:
3065:
3055:
3053:
3051:goldminemag.com
3043:
3039:
3029:
3027:
3024:Oxford American
3016:
3009:
3002:
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2972:
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2899:
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2883:
2874:
2870:
2855:Bronson, Fred.
2854:
2847:
2812:
2793:
2788:
2781:
2765:
2761:
2753:
2749:
2731:
2725:Gilliland, John
2722:
2715:
2708:
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2668:
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2291:
2290:. United States
2282:
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2267:
2265:
2258:
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2238:
2228:
2226:
2225:on June 3, 2016
2213:
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2098:
2093:
2091:
2088:
1917:
1916:
1808:
1783:
1650:Label: Vanguard
1596:Label: Classics
1579:Label: Vanguard
1457:Label: Arhoolie
1420:Label: Vanguard
1386:Label: Arhoolie
1372:
1371:
1352:
1306:
1305:
1303:Live at Newport
1295:Label: Vanguard
1252:
1167:Label: Arhoolie
1129:
1107:
1102:
1075:Peacock Records
1068:Peacock Records
1053:Peacock Records
1026:Peacock Records
1021:
957:
905:
881:
869:Aretha Franklin
835:Big Mama Swings
795:
786:
746:Mahalia Jackson
729:Mercury Records
725:
635:
622:
576:
560:
540:
532:Esther Phillips
523:
492:R&B chart.
465:
457:Have Mercy Baby
449:
437:
429:Peacock Records
413:
400:
376:
348:
343:
312:Ariton, Alabama
308:
244:
237:
172:
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77:Ariton, Alabama
75:
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54:
44:
41:
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12:
11:
5:
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3941:Dionne Warwick
3937:
3909:
3901:
3899:
3895:
3894:
3892:
3891:
3883:
3881:
3878:Non-performers
3875:
3874:
3872:
3871:
3847:
3840:
3812:
3809:Peter Frampton
3805:
3778:Dennis Elliott
3769:
3746:Stefan Lessard
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3708:
3707:
3696:
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3645:External links
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3617:
3606:. May 16, 1953
3589:
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3351:978-1933784458
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3236:(2): 221–236.
3220:
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3173:978-0786406067
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2737:Pop Chronicles
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2522:978-1580050784
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2311:"Mama's Voice"
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2053:Ball and Chain
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1755:Label: Acrobat
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1684:Released: 2014
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1560:
1559:Released: 1999
1555:
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1543:
1542:Released: 1996
1538:
1536:The Big Change
1532:
1531:
1530:
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1526:
1525:Released: 1992
1521:
1515:
1514:
1513:
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1506:
1505:Released: 1991
1501:
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1488:Released: 1990
1484:
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1471:Released: 1989
1467:
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1454:Released: 1989
1450:
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1435:
1434:Released: 1986
1430:
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1417:Released: 1978
1413:
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1400:Released: 1970
1396:
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1383:Released: 1968
1379:
1369:Ball and Chain
1365:
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1343:
1342:
1339:
1338:Released: 1994
1334:
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1322:
1321:Released: 1982
1317:
1299:
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1292:Released: 1975
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1278:Label: Mercury
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1228:
1227:Released: 1975
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1207:Released: 1971
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956:
953:
909:Apollo Theater
904:
901:
880:
877:
865:Sippie Wallace
815:Buddha Records
794:
791:
785:
782:
770:One More River
724:
721:
694:Luther Johnson
634:
631:
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580:Ball And Chain
575:
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559:
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522:
519:
464:
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360:Memphis Minnie
347:
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322:, she claimed
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292:Ball and Chain
243:Musical artist
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102:(aged 57)
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36:
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3966:Alexis Korner
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3704:Class of 2024
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3202:O'Neal, Jim.
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2025:
2018:
2011:
2007:
2004:
2001:
1998:
1991:
1987:
1984:
1980:
1976:
1973:
1969:
1965:
1962:
1958:
1954:
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1687:Label: Hoodoo
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1545:Label: Altaya
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1448:Ball n' Chain
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1300:
1294:
1291:
1290:
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1283:
1277:
1274:
1273:
1272:
1270:
1269:The Way It Is
1266:
1258:
1241:
1237:
1233:
1229:
1226:
1225:
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1222:
1218:
1214:
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1128:
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1113:
1105:Studio albums
1094:
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1080:
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1016:
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1009:
1007:
1003:
1002:Austin Butler
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985:
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978:
972:
969:
964:
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946:
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824:
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808:
804:
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790:
781:
777:
775:
774:Go Down Moses
771:
767:
763:
759:
755:
754:Oh, Happy Day
751:
747:
743:
738:
734:
730:
720:
718:
714:
710:
709:Ball n' Chain
706:
701:
699:
695:
691:
688:(harmonica),
687:
683:
682:Sammy Lawhorn
679:
675:
670:
668:
664:
663:Fred McDowell
660:
656:
653:(keyboards),
652:
648:
644:
640:
630:
627:
617:
615:
614:Cheap Thrills
609:
607:
606:
605:Cheap Thrills
601:
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592:
588:
583:
581:
571:
569:
564:
555:
551:
547:
545:
535:
533:
529:
528:Junior Parker
518:
516:
512:
508:
504:
503:Elvis Presley
499:
497:
496:
495:Rolling Stone
491:
490:
484:
480:
478:
477:rock and roll
474:
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317:
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301:
297:
293:
288:
286:
282:
281:R&B chart
280:
275:
271:
266:
263:
258:
256:
252:
248:
234:
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228:
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221:
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106:
98:July 25, 1984
97:
93:
89:
86:
82:
78:
66:
62:
58:
52:
47:
34:
29:
22:
19:
3979:
3978:
3971:
3964:
3946:
3939:
3922:Wayne Kramer
3911:
3904:
3886:
3868:Jarobi White
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3782:Ed Gagliardi
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3762:Rashawn Ross
3758:Tim Reynolds
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3664:Find a Grave
3629:
3623:Bibliography
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2387:Arhoolie.org
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2288:ancestry.com
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2144:. Retrieved
2129:
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2002:
1762:
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1721:Label: Primo
1711:
1704:Label: Primo
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1633:Label: Disky
1623:
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1411:Mama's Pride
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1309:Muddy Waters
1302:
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850:Doug MacLeod
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698:Francis Clay
686:James Cotton
678:Muddy Waters
673:
671:
657:(bass), and
638:
636:
623:
613:
610:
603:
595:Janis Joplin
593:'s vocalist
584:
577:
565:
561:
558:1960s career
552:
548:
541:
524:
521:1950s career
500:
493:
488:
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391:Studs Terkel
388:
384:Bessie Smith
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331:
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296:Janis Joplin
289:
278:
267:
261:
259:
246:
245:
173:Years active
100:(1984-07-25)
18:
4007:1984 deaths
4002:1926 births
3973:John Mayall
3825:Ronald Bell
3754:LeRoi Moore
3742:Jeff Coffin
3504:Variety.com
3213:January 16,
3139:January 28,
3090:January 27,
3056:January 28,
3030:January 14,
2973:January 27,
2926:January 26,
2900:January 16,
2757:. pp. 61–65
2671:January 22,
2617:January 22,
2552:January 28,
2481:January 22,
2455:January 22,
2393:January 22,
2294:January 22,
2268:January 20,
2229:October 12,
1904:"The Fish"
1250:Live albums
1221:Sassy Mama!
1100:Discography
963:six times.
793:Late career
511:Sands Hotel
463:"Hound Dog"
441:Johnny Otis
155:Instruments
138:Occupations
129:Texas blues
105:Los Angeles
3996:Categories
3860:Phife Dawg
3802:Rick Wills
3794:Mick Jones
3711:Performers
3116:October 7,
2952:1557284520
2696:. p.
2592:October 7,
2450:Grunge.com
2172:0312250258
2114:References
1971:"Tom Cat"
1806:US R&B
1528:Label: MCA
1491:Label: Ace
1474:Label: Ace
1394:She's Back
1313:B. B. King
1006:soundtrack
823:Sassy Mama
803:B. B. King
690:Otis Spann
684:(guitar),
680:(guitar),
651:Eddie Boyd
647:Fred Below
645:(guitar),
544:Johnny Ace
306:Early life
147:songwriter
70:1926-12-11
55:Birth name
3934:Rob Tyner
3786:Lou Gramm
3773:Foreigner
3603:Billboard
3575:Billboard
3554:April 22,
3528:April 22,
3486:142981288
3472:: 59–81.
3401:149727178
3393:1080-6490
2840:191365511
2219:Billboard
2003:In Europe
1848:Hound Dog
1587:1950–1953
1135:In Europe
1019:Accolades
829:in 1975.
700:(drums).
692:(piano),
649:(drums),
643:Buddy Guy
515:Las Vegas
489:Billboard
469:Hound Dog
425:Don Robey
368:Big Maceo
335:spittoons
279:Billboard
274:Hound Dog
229:Pentagram
199:Back Beat
177:1947–1984
164:harmonica
37:Thornton
3419:NBC News
3191:AllMusic
2879:. p. 464
2826:: 1–17.
2727:(1969).
2319:Archived
2086:See also
1960:"Mercy"
1363:Details
1263:Details
1232:Vanguard
1146:Arhoolie
1118:Details
1034:magazine
1031:Cash Box
772:", and "
316:Arhoolie
233:Vanguard
203:Bay-Tone
194:Arhoolie
3250:3042356
2732:(audio)
2325:June 2,
1781:Singles
1667:Label:
1613:Label:
1508:Label:
1437:Label:
1230:Label:
1189:Mercury
1187:Label:
1144:Label:
676:, with
255:R&B
225:Peacock
220:Mercury
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1800:Album
1791:Title
1615:Proper
1373:(with
1360:Title
1307:(with
1260:Title
1115:Title
1070:(1953)
1064:GRAMMY
1062:2013:
1037:1979:
997:biopic
955:Legacy
841:set).
805:, and
455:hit "
341:Career
212:Galaxy
182:Labels
161:Vocals
144:Singer
112:Genres
90:, U.S.
84:Origin
79:, U.S.
3864:Q-Tip
3482:S2CID
3397:S2CID
3295:Blues
3246:JSTOR
2836:S2CID
2066:1969
2046:1968
2023:1967
1996:1966
1985:1965
1974:1964
1963:1963
1952:1961
1941:1958
1930:1957
1907:1955
1880:1954
1853:1953
1838:1952
1816:1951
1794:Year
1624:Blues
1201:Saved
1041:Award
992:Elvis
937:queer
903:Style
750:Saved
251:blues
119:Blues
3726:Cher
3655:IMDb
3634:ISBN
3612:2024
3584:2024
3556:2024
3530:2024
3427:2024
3389:ISSN
3346:ISBN
3299:ISBN
3280:2015
3215:2024
3168:ISBN
3141:2024
3118:2015
3092:2024
3079:ISBN
3058:2024
3032:2024
2996:ISBN
2975:2024
2947:ISBN
2928:2024
2902:2024
2861:ISBN
2772:ISBN
2702:ISBN
2673:2024
2619:2024
2594:2015
2554:2024
2517:ISBN
2483:2024
2457:2024
2422:ISBN
2418:1845
2395:2024
2359:ISBN
2327:2014
2296:2024
2270:2024
2231:2015
2195:ISBN
2167:ISBN
2148:2018
2135:ISBN
1311:and
1286:Jail
1195:198
995:, a
831:Jail
825:for
821:and
819:Jail
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756:", "
744:and
530:and
272:'s "
260:The
253:and
216:Irma
207:Duke
95:Died
64:Born
3913:MC5
3662:at
3653:at
3474:doi
3379:doi
3238:doi
3189:at
3164:212
2828:doi
2698:214
1510:MCA
1439:Ace
891:in
776:".
513:in
189:Ace
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
