Big Mama Thornton 1 Big Mama Thornton

Big Mama Thornton 1 Big Mama Thornton Big Mama Thornton Big Mama Thornton circa 1955-1960 Background information Birth name Willie Mae Thornton Born December 11, 1926 Origin Ariton, Alabama, United States Died July 25, 1984 (aged 57) Los Angeles, California, United States Genres Rhythm and blues, Texas blues Occupations Singer, songwriter Instruments Vocals, drums, harmonica Years active 1947–1984 Labels Peacock, Arhoolie, Mercury, Pentagram, Backbeat, Vanguard, Ace Records (UK) Associated acts Muddy Waters Blues Band, Lightnin' Hopkins, John Lee Hooker 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 Leiber and Stoller's "Hound Dog" in 1952, which became her biggest hit. It spent seven weeks at number one on the Billboard R&B charts in 1953[1] and sold almost two million copies.[2] However, her success was overshadowed three years later, when Elvis Presley recorded his more popular rendition of "Hound Dog". Similarly, Thornton's "Ball 'n' Chain" had a bigger impact when performed and recorded by Janis Joplin in the late 1960s. Style Thornton’s performances were characterized by her deep, powerful voice and strong sense of self. Many collaborators described her with words such as monstrous, intimidating, formidable, and menacing. Her nickname, “Big Mama Thornton,” was dubbed by Frank Schiffman, manager of Harlem’s Apollo Theater, due to her big voice, size, and personality. Thornton specialized in playing drums and harmonica as well as singing, and she taught herself how to play these instruments simply by watching other musicians perform. Her style was heavily influenced by the gospel music that she witnessed growing up in the home of a preacher, though her genre could be described as blues. Thornton was famous for her transgressive gender expression. She often dressed as a man in her performances, wearing items such as work shirts and slacks. This led to many rumors about her sexuality, though none confirmed. Her improvisation was a notable part of her performance. She often enters call-and-response exchanges with her band, inserting confident and notably subversive remarks. Her play with gender and sexuality set the stage for later rock ‘n’ roll artists’ own plays with sexuality. Feminist scholars such as Maureen Mahon often praise Thornton for subverting traditional roles of African American women. She added a female voice to a field that was dominated by white males, and her strong personality transgressed patriarchal and white supremacist stereotypes of what an African American woman should be. This transgression was an integral part of her performance and stage persona. Big Mama Thornton 2 Biography Early life Willie Mac Thornton's birth certificate states that she was born in Ariton, Alabama, but in an interview with Chris Strachwitz she claims Montgomery,Alabamaas her birthplace. Her introduction to music started in a Baptist church, where her father was a minister and her mother a church singer. She and her six siblings began to sing at very early ages. Thornton left Montgomery at age 14 in 1941, following her mother's death.[3]. In her early teens she moved to Atlanta, Georgia where she appeared as a dancer in a variety show; subsequently, in the early '40s, she became a member of Sammy Green's Hot Harlem Review. Although her introduction to music started within the church, Thornton's musical education came through pure observation of Rhythm and Blues artists, Bessie Smith and Memphis Minnie whom she admired deeply. In 1948, she settled in Houston, Texas, where she hoped to further her career as a singer. She was also a self-taught drummer and harmonica player, and frequently played each instrument onstage. Career Being a preacher’s daughter, Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton’s deep forceful voice had no trace of her roots in Alabama, where she wasn’t as accepted as she was in the blues community. With the change that Rhythm and Blues was experiencing in the late 1940’s, Thornton’s career began to take off when she arrived in Houston in 1948. “A new kind of popular blues was coming out of the clubs in Texas and Los Angeles, full of brass horns, jumpy rhythms, and wisecracking lyrics.” In 1957, Thornton had "moved to California..." and "was playing clubs in San Francisco and L.A.,[where Thornton] recorded for a succession of labels." Thornton originally recorded her hit song "Ball and Chain," but "the record label chose not to release it, although they did hold onto the copyright of the song. Thornton ultimately was robbed of her "publishing royalties," when "Janis Joplin covered this song." [4]. She signed a recording contract with Peacock Records in 1951 and performed at the Apollo Theater in 1952. Also in 1952, she recorded "Hound Dog" while working with another Peacock artist, Johnny Otis. Songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller were present at the recording, with Leiber demonstrating the song in the vocal style they had envisioned.[5][6] The record was produced by Otis, and went to number one on the R&B chart.[7] Although the record made her a star, she saw little of the profits.[8] She continued to record for Peacock until 1957 and performed in R&B package tours with Junior Parker and Esther Phillips. As her career began to fade in the late 1950s and early 1960s, she left Houston and relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area, where she mostly played local blues clubs and began an association with Berkeley-based Arhoolie Records. In 1965, she toured with the American Folk Blues Festival package in Europe.[9] Thornton’s success was due to her unprecedented sound that she brought overseas as well as her unforgettable performances. This international fame she enjoyed was special because very few female blues singers. While in England that year, she recorded her first album for Arhoolie, titled Big Mama Thornton—In Europe. It featured backing by blues veterans Buddy Guy (guitar), Fred Below (drums), Eddie Boyd (keyboards), Jimmy Lee Robinson (bass), and Walter "Shakey" Horton (harmonica), except for three songs on which Fred McDowell provided acoustic slide guitar. In 1966, Thornton recorded her second album for Arhoolie titled Big Mama Thornton with the Muddy Waters Blues Band – 1966, with Muddy Waters (guitar), Sammy Lawhorn (guitar), James Cotton (harmonica), Otis Spann (piano), Luther Johnson (bass guitar), and Francis Clay (drums). She performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1966 and 1968. Her last album for Arhoolie, Ball n' Chain, was released in 1968. It was made up of tracks from her two previous albums, plus her composition "Ball and Chain" and the standard "Wade in the Water". A small combo including her frequent guitarist Edward "Bee" Houston provided backup for the two songs. Janis Joplin and Big Brother and the Holding Company's performance of "Ball 'n' Chain" at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and release of the song on their number one album Cheap Thrills renewed interest in Thornton's career. Big Mama Thornton 3 By 1969, she signed with Mercury Records. Mercury released her most successful album, Stronger Than Dirt, which reached number 198 in the Billboard Top 200 record chart. In the 1970s, years of heavy drinking began to hurt Thornton's health. She was in a serious auto accident, but recovered to perform at the 1973 Newport Jazz Festival with Muddy Waters, B.B. King, and Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, a recording of which is called The Blues—A Real Summit Meeting released by Buddha Records. One of Thornton's last albums was Jail for Vanguard Records in 1975. It captured her performances during mid-1970s concerts at two Northwestern U.S. prisons. She was backed by a blues ensemble that featured sustained jams from George "Harmonica" Smith, as well as guitarists Doug Macleod, Bee Houston and Steve Wachsman, drummer Todd Nelson, saxophonist Bill Potter, bassist Bruce Sieverson, and pianist J. D. Nicholson. In 1979, she performed at the San Francisco Blues Festival and the Newport Jazz Festival in 1980. In the early 1970s, Thornton's sexual proclivities became a question among blues fans. Big Mama also performed in the Blues Is A Woman concert that year, alongside classic blues legend Sippie Wallace, sporting a man's 3-piece suit, straw hat, and gold watch. She sat at stage center and played the pieces she wanted to play that were not on the program. Willie Mae Thornton died at age 57 in Los Angeles July 25, 1984 of heart and liver complications due to her long-standing alcohol abuse. Thornton’s weight dropped from 350 to 95 pounds within a short period of time; that is a total of 255 pounds that she lost because of her critical condition. Recognition During her career, she was nominated for the Blues Music Awards six times. In 1984, she was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. In addition to "Ball 'n' Chain" and "They Call Me Big Mama," Thornton wrote twenty other blues songs.[10] Her "Ball 'n' Chain" is included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame list of the "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll". Her sensitive, down-to-earth voice was heard in a posthumous album, Quit Snoopin' 'round My Door (Ace Records, United Kingdom), released in 1986. The first biography about Big Mama Thornton will be published in 2014.[11] Discography Studio & live albums Year Title Label 1965 Big Mama Thornton—In Europe Arhoolie 1966 Big Mama Thornton with the Muddy Water Blues Band Arhoolie 1969 Stronger Than Dirt Mercury 1970 The Way It Is Mercury 1970 Maybe Roulette Records 1970 She's Back Backbeat 1973 Saved Backbeat 1975 Jail (Live) Vanguard 1975 Sassy Mama! (Live) Vanguard 1978 Mama's Pride Vanguard Big Mama Thornton 4 Compilation Year Title Label 1968 Ball N' Chain Arhoolie References [1] [ Billboard: History about the song Hound Dog] [2] University of Texas: Willa Mae Thornton (http:/ / www.

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