Big Mama Thornton
The mother of rock & roll.
About The artist
Big Mama Thornton (born Willie Mae Thornton) first took up singing in her father's Baptist church, but she got her education in secular music from listening to blues singers such as Memphis Minnie and Bessie Smith. Her mother died when Thornton was 14, and she soon left home to pursue a career as a singer. She joined the Hot Harlem Review and spent several years touring the southern United States.
She moved to Houston, Texas in 1948 and joined Don Robey’s Peacock Records in 1951. One of her earliest recorded tracks was "Hound Dog," written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Although the record went to number one on the R&B chart and sold over half a million copies, Big Mama Thornton only received $500 for her efforts.
Although she never achieved the commercial success or acclaim she deserved, Big Mama Thornton was one of the most influential people in 20th-century music. Her swagger and growly voice set the template as an R&B lead singer that rock & roll and soul music stars would follow for decades.
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Sittin' down by my window,
Honey, lookin' out at the rain.
Lord, Lord, Lord, sittin' down by my window,
Baby, lookin' out at the rain.
Somethin' came along, grabbed a hold of me,
And it felt just like a ball and chain.
Honey, that's exactly what it felt like,
Honey, just dragging me down.
From Ball 'n' Chain by Big Mama Thornton
