Rebel Girls Rock: 25 Tales of Women in Music

Rebel Girls Rock: 25 Tales of Women in Music — page 5
6 On BIG MAMA THORNTON BLUES SINGER a chilly day in Alabama while families decorated Christmas trees and sang carols a big present to the world named Willie Mae was born As they grew up Willie and her brothers and sisters would sit in church pews every Sunday and listen to their father preach Willie's favorite part was the music Her mother's singing voice soothed her As she watched the choir ladies sway to the songs Willie tried to listen for only her mother's voice When Willie was just 14 her mother died But the inspiration Willie found in her sweet voice never left her Willie decided to chase her dream of becoming a blues singer She joined a music group in Georgia and traveled all around the South in the 1940s She met new people and saw how Black folks were treated in different towns some towns were welcoming and some were not No matter where she was and who was in the audience she felt larger than life So she renamed herself Big Mama Thornton After years on the road Willie moved to Houston Texas to record music she hoped would play on the radio Her first big break came in 1953. Willie's voice came through the speakers on radios everywhere You ain't nothin but a hound dog she sang loud and proud The record blew up Elvis Presley liked it so much that he rerecorded a rock version of the song But Willie would always be the first to have sung such an iconic hit Willie went on to make several albums including a gospel album inspired by her days listening to her dad preach and her mom sing in a small-town church DECEMBER 11 1926 JULY 25 1984 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA