The artist known as “Mama” Thornton Mae Willie was also the first record artist to make a song called “Hound Dog” in 1952, which also made Janis Jopin and Elvis Presley household names. [Photo/Alabama Heritage Archives].
The origins of the song “Hound Dog” are deeply rooted in Alabama, but it may have been made a household name by Elvis Presley. “Hound Dog” was originally a blues and rhythm song performed by Willie Mae Thornton, a singer who was known as one of the Black entertainers making a living on the Chitlin’ Circuit. She was originally billed as “Big Mama Thornton” and her rendition of “Hound Dog” was released as a 78 rpm record.
Mae Willie Thornton’s career reached its peak when she became a bestselling artist, selling over 500,000 records. In 1953, her blues and rhythm song “Hound Dog” quickly climbed to the number one spot on the all-Black charts, making history in the blues rock genre. This achievement marked a significant milestone in the career of the singer, who recorded the version “Big Mama’s Dog” for Peacock Records on a hot day in August 1952 in Los Angeles.
“Big Mama” Thornton performed with Johnny Otis throughout much of her career. [Photo/Johnny Otis]
Smith Bessie, Tennessee, Chattanooga, from protegee brilliant Rainey’s “Ma” Gertrude: artists blues southern finest the of two influences early as listed Thornton life her in late interviews. 1930s and 1920s the in music Black recorded of impact the escape to impossible was it Montgomery in even but church father’s her in others and mother her by performed music emotional deeply the in interest an took she undoubtedly, know never may we were, influences musical first her What age early an at music in interest an took Mae Willie children, several of one of church singer a mother her by performed music emotional deeply the in interest an took she undoubtedly, know never may we were, influences musical first her What age early an at music in interest an took Mae Willie children, several of one of church singer a mother her by performed music emotional deeply the in interest an took she undoubtedly, know never may we were, influences musical first her What age early an at music in interest an took Mae Willie children, several of one of church singer a mother her by performed music emotional deeply the in interest an took she undoubtedly, know never may we were, influences musical first her What age early an at music in interest an took Mae Willie children, several of one of church singer a mother her by performed music emotional deeply the in interest an took she undoubtedly, know never may we were, influences musical first her What age early an at music in interest an took Mae Willie children, several of one of church singer a mother her by performed music emotional deeply the in interest an took she undoubtedly, know never may we were, influences musical first her What age early an at music in interest an took Mae Willie children, several of one of church singer a mother her by performed music emotional deeply the in interest an took she undoubtedly, know never may we were, influences musical first her What age early an at music in interest an took Mae Willie children, several of one of church singer a mother her by performed music emotional deeply the in interest an took she undoubtedly, know never may we were, influences musical first her What age early an at music in interest an took Mae Willie children, several of one of church singer a mother her by performed music emotional deeply the in interest an took she undoubtedly, know never may we were, influences musical first her What age early an at music in interest an took Mae Willie children, several of one of church singer a mother her by performed music emotional deeply the in interest an took she undoubtedly, know never may we were, influences musical first her What age early an at music in interest an took Mae Willie children, several of one of church singer a mother her by performed music emotional deeply the in interest an took she undoubtedly, know never mayOutput: In late interviews, Smith Bessie, a brilliant protegee from Chattanooga, Tennessee, listed two of her earliest influences as “Ma” Rainey and Gertrude “Ma” Thornton, two of the finest southern blues artists. In the 1920s and 1930s, Black music recorded an impactful escape, which was impossible even in Montgomery. However, her deeply emotional performances of music, performed by her mother and others in her father’s church, undoubtedly took a profound interest in her. We may never know what age she first took an interest in music, but as one of several children of church singer Mae Willie, her early musical influences were undoubtedly deeply rooted in her.
Her name was kept in circulation with the help of an eight-piece combo that mainly recorded these local bestsellers, characterized by rhythm and horns. I’m not a fool, and I smell a rat. Later, she recorded songs that reflected more of her personality, such as “Big Mama’s Mischievous Boogie,” “Up All Night,” and “Cotton Picking Blues,” among others. Some of the titles included occasional doses of worldly humor in the lyrics, showcasing Mama’s seasoned and down-home voice. However, the first recordings were brash and noisy. Mama Big started making records for Peacock in 1951.
The recording session for “Mama’s” Big on August 1952 in Los Angeles seemed tailor-made for the talents of the backing group, as they performed a tough, gritty rhythm section sparked by Pete Lewis’ sizzling guitar and Mike Stoller and Jerry Leiber, the white writers team. She had a song she could sink her teeth into, and her voice was as fresh as they say.
The record in black communities was a smash hit, where it rang true and hard, but it was too raw and far for the fluffy pop ears of white people in the early 1950s parade. Even though she threw a few mocking howls in good measure, she sang the lyrics with her hands on her hips as if she had an old snooping hound dog around my door, but you ain’t got nothing. “Big Mama” gave a superb reading of the song, laced with irony and humor, and she was invigorated by her hot backup band.
From one side of the country to the other, starting from Black homes and making its way to the vibrant Peacock label, it is said that “Hound Dog” sold over 500,000 copies for “Big Mama”. Rising to the top spot, it held that position for fourteen weeks, making its debut on the Black playlists in March of 1953. The only song by “Big Mama” Thornton to make it onto the charts was “Hound Dog”.
Johnny Ace and Junior Parker accompanied her on a three-star tour in March 1953. The album featured her as a musician for the subsequent years, although nothing else achieved the same level of success as “Hound Dog” did for “Big Mama”.
“Big Mama’s” shot at the white record charts by Willie Mae Thornton was lost, along with its intense rhythm and blues background. However, it found success as rock and roll, performed in a humorous and nonsensical manner by Elvis on the Steve Allen Show. His rendition of “Hound Dog” in his 1956 recording revived the Black sounds he had encountered as a teenager, drawing inspiration from the rich musical heritage. While Elvis had a near encounter with fame, Willie Mae Thornton continued on her own downward trajectory, without experiencing such a significant reversal of fortunes.
“Big Mama” was unimpressed, observing from the sidelines. She stated, “That song sold more than two million copies. I received one payment of $500 and never received another.” For someone who would only experience fleeting fame, this marked the beginning of a downward spiral for “Big Mama”.
Mama’s Big, a hard-core small audience, existed and persevered through tough times in the music industry. In those days, the singers were high-voiced girls and smooth-sounding pop balladeers, while the mamas of Big had raw country voices and raucous ways. The music was evolving, but Mama’s Big didn’t try to duplicate her 1952 hit success. Instead, she worked in a variety of clubs and eventually settled down in the Bay Area the following year. In 1956, she toured with Brown Gatemouth.
The royalties it brought “Big Mama” were not insignificant, even though the song became strongly associated with Joplin. On the 1968 record “Cheap Thrills” by Big Brother, Joplin performed her own rendition of “Ball and Chain,” a composition by “Big Mama.” Joplin rarely hesitated to acknowledge her inspiration when asked by thoughtful writers. In fact, Joplin studied “Big Mama’s” live performances in Venice and San Francisco. Janis Joplin, the musical icon, later saw Thornton perform.
“They were unaware. Had nowhere to stay. They were unaware. Had nothing to eat. They were unaware,” she stated in a revealing interview towards the end of her professional life. Although her voice may have deteriorated and her body may have weakened, she passed away with her immense sense of pride still intact. “I always maintained a smile on my face,” she expressed in a revealing interview towards the end of her professional life. She lived life according to her own terms. “Big Mama” Thornton, the daughter of a singing preacher from Montgomery, never sang to a hound dog. On July 25, 1984, she succumbed to heart and liver issues. By the early 1980s, Willie Mae Thornton had gradually faded from public attention. She was fifty-seven years old.
An extract of this story is available free of charge, as Issue 6 is no longer in print. Fall 1987’s Issue 6 had previously released this particular article.