Big Mama Thornton

Birth Name:

Willie Mae Thornton

Birth Date:

December 11, 1926

Birth Place:

Ariton, Alabama

Death Date:

July 25, 1985

Place of Death:

Los Angeles, California

Age:

Cause of Death:

Heart and liver disorders due to longstanding alcohol abuse

Cemetery Name:

Inglewood Memorial Park

Claim to Fame:

Music

Associates:

Janis Joplin called her one of her inspirations and Living Blues magazine described her as "two hundred pounds of boogaloo." Of course, fans and musicians alike just called her Big Mama Thornton. An aggressive blues shouter, who also played the drums and a biting country-style harmonica, Miss Thornton helped bring to rock-and-roll the legacy of such seminal blues singers as Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith and Memphis Minnie. A major influence on younger blues and soul singers, including Janis Joplin and Aretha Franklin, her growling, visceral rendition of the Jerry Leiber- Mike Stoller song ''Hound Dog'' directly influenced Presley's version, which became a No. 1 pop hit in 1956. Miss Thornton's own song ''Ball and Chain'' became a signature for Janis Joplin in 1968. A rhythm-and-blues singer and songwriter from Alabama, Thornton was the first to record Leiber and Stoller's "Hound Dog" in 1952, which became her biggest hit staying seven weeks at number one on the Billboard R&B chart and selling almost two million copies. Thornton's other recordings included the original version of "Ball and Chain", which she wrote. Stop me if you heard this story but this phenomenal blues artist died penniless in a small Los Angeles boarding house near the airport and now shares a grave with two other family members.

Not-so-fun-Fact

Big Mama Thornton was sitting backstage performing at the City Auditorium in Houston, Texas, on Christmas Day 1954. During a break between sets, Johnny Ace was playing with a .32 caliber revolver. Members of Ace’s band said he did this often, sometimes shooting at roadside signs from their car.

It was widely reported that Ace killed himself playing Russian roulette. However, Thornton’s bass player, Curtis Tillman, who witnessed the event, said, “I will tell you exactly what happened! Johnny Ace had been drinking and he had this little pistol he was waving around the table and someone said ‘Be careful with that thing…’ and he said ‘It’s okay! Gun’s not loaded… see?’ and pointed it at himself with a smile on his face and ‘Bang!’.

Right in front of Big Mama Thornton.

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

Inglewood Memorial Park

720 E Florence Avenue

Inglewood, California, 90301

USA

North America

Map:

Map of Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California

Grave Location:

Section M, Lot 2486

Grave Location Description

Parking at the intersection of Regent and Avenue of Champions, walk across the expansive lawn to the chain-link fence and turn right. Walking an additional 14 spaces along the fence line to find the shared grave of Big Mama Thornton. And that folks, is a damn shame.