Big Mama Thornton
#92,181
Most Influential Person Across History
American rhythm and blues singer and songwriter
Big Mama Thornton's AcademicInfluence.com Rankings
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Communications
Why Is Big Mama Thornton Influential?
(Suggest an Edit or Addition)According to Wikipedia, Willie Mae Thornton , better known as Big Mama Thornton because of her height and weight , was an American singer and songwriter of the blues and R&B. She was the first to record Leiber and Stoller's "Hound Dog", in 1952, which was written for her and became her biggest hit, staying seven weeks at number one on the Billboard R&B chart in 1953. According to Maureen Mahon, a music professor at New York University, "the song is seen as an important beginning of rock-and-roll, especially in its use of the guitar as the key instrument".
