“Big Mama Thornton” Screening
At the Laemmle Royal theater, a crowd gathered for the screening of the documentary film “Big Mama Thornton” on Thursday, May 14, in Los Angeles. The film celebrates the life and legacy of Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton, an accomplished Black blues singer and the original performer of the song “Hound Dog,” later popularized by Elvis Presley. According to the film, Presley covered the song without permission or credit to Thornton, effectively erasing her from the popular history of the song.
Director and producer Robert Clem felt the need to tell her story, as she would have turned 100 years old this December. Multiple members of Thornton’s family, including her nephew Lamont Fields, and Mike Stoller, co-writer of “Hound Dog,” attended the screening.
Clem’s telling of her story shows how Thornton, a commanding stage presence, gained prominence as a “blues woman” and sheds light on an otherwise forgotten figure in blues history.