Dec 11, 1926 – BIG MAMA THORNTON (Willie Mae Thornton) was born in Montgomery, Alabama. She was and still is a great influence in the birth of rock’n’roll. Remember ‘Hound Dog?’ She was the first to record Leiber and Stoller’s “Hound Dog” in 1952 which became her greatest hit, of course Elvis Presley soared with that song, and her ‘Ball and Chain’ written in 1961 but not released until 1968) had a bigger impact when performed and recorded by Janis Joplin in the late 1960s.
During her career, Thornton 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. Her “Ball ‘n’ Chain” is included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame list of the “500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.” Bob Dylan’s Theme Time Radio Hour, Episode 16, ‘Dogs’, you can also hear Big Mama Thornton there. I will post this today!!! Bob Dylan recorded “I Shall be Released.” Here is Big Mama Thornton’s version of:
“I SHALL BE RELEASED”
Thanks to Pamela K. Melenchen
