#historia

yumihisu x klapouh’s lilith and eve art trend from 4 years ago. i had this wip on my procreate for 3 years before finishing it last year but oh boi how much i like it i love my girls

Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton was a blues singer and songwriter whose recordings of “Hound Dog” and “Ball ‘n’ Chain” later were transformed into huge hits by Elvis Presley and Janis Joplin.

She was born on December 11, 1926 outside of Montgomery in rural Ariton, Alabama. Her father was a Baptist minister and her mother was a church singer in his congregation. Thornton’s mother died when the singer was 14, and she left home to pursue a career as an entertainer. She joined the Georgia-based Hot Harlem Revue as an accomplished singer, drummer, and harmonica player and spent seven years as a regular performer throughout the South. Following her years as a traveling blues singer, Thornton moved to Houston in 1948 to begin her recording career.

In Houston, Thornton joined Don Robey’s Peacock Records in 1951, often working closely with fellow label artist Johnny Otis.

One of Thornton’s earliest and most popular recorded tracks was “Hound Dog,” initially released by Peacock in 1953. Thornton’s version of “Hound Dog” topped the R&B charts for seven weeks and sold over two million copies nationwide. Though the song brought acclaim to Thornton, it only yielded her about $500. The song became even more popular as Elvis Presley’s first hit record in 1956.

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Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton fue una cantante y compositora de blues cuyas grabaciones “Hound Dog” y “Ball ‘n’ Chain” luego fueron transformadas en grandes éxitos por Elvis Presley y Janis Joplin.

Nació el 11 de diciembre de 1926 en las afueras de Montgomery, en la zona rural de Ariton, Alabama. Su padre era pastor bautista y su madre, cantante en su congregación. La madre de Thornton falleció cuando la cantante tenía 14 años, y ella abandonó el hogar para dedicarse al arte. Se unió a la Hot Harlem Revue, con sede en Georgia, como una cantante, baterista y armonicista, y pasó siete años presentándose con regularidad por todo el sur. Tras sus años como cantante de blues, Thornton se mudó a Houston en 1948 para comenzar su carrera discográfica.

En Houston, Thornton se unió a Peacock Records de Don Robey en 1951, trabajando a menudo en estrecha colaboración con su colega y artista de sello, Johnny Otis.