A queer, Black “biography in essays” about the performer who gave us “Hound Dog,” “Ball and Chain,” and other songs that changed the course of American music.
Born in Alabama in 1926, raised in the church, appropriated by white performers, buried in an indigent’s grave—Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton's life events epitomize the blues—but Lynnée Denise pushes past the stereotypes to read Thornton’s life through a Black, queer, feminist lens and reveal an artist who was an innovator across her four-decade-long career.
Why Willie Mae Thornton Matters “samples” elements of Thornton’s art—and, occasionally, the author’s own story—to create “a biography in essays” that explores the life of its subject as a DJ might dig through a crate of records. Denise connects Thornton’s vaudevillesque performances in Sammy Green’s Hot Harlem Revue to the vocal improvisations that made “Hound Dog” a hit for Peacock Records (and later for Elvis Presley), injecting music criticism into what’s often framed as a cautionary tale of record-industry racism. She interprets Thornton’s performing in men’s suits as both a sly, Little Richard–like queering of the Chitlin Circuit and a simple preference for pants over dresses that didn’t have a pocket for her harmonica. Most radical of all, she refers to her subject by her given name rather than "Big Mama," a nickname bestowed upon her by a white man. It's a deliberate and crucial act of reclamation, because in the name of Willie Mae Thornton is the sound of Black musical resilience.
Please refer to the welcome email which you received when purchasing or renewing your membership. At the bottom of this email, you will find your online member discount code. BEFORE checking out, please click on 'view cart' and type in your member code to the 'discount code or gift card' box. Your member discount will then be applied to your order.
If you are unable to locate your welcome email, please contact membership@huntington.org for further assistance.
We endeavor to process your order within 3 days of receipt. Once your order has been processed, packed, and ready to be shipped, you will receive an email with your item's tracking number.
Our couriers are USPS or UPS ground, If you would like your parcel to be shipped via FedEx or other courier, please add a comment in the NOTES section on your order and we will contact you for further information.
If you have selected 'pick up in store' as your delivery method, please wait until you receive an email from us to let you know that your order is ready to be collected.
You do not need a ticket to visit our store or pick up your order.
We accept returns within 30 days of delivery. Please note that food, beverages, teas, coffee, calendars, seasonal items, gift cards, trunk show items, and sale items are final sale and are not refundable.
To initiate a return, please email us at thestore@huntington.org to let us know that you would like to return your order. Then, follow the instructions on the paperwork included in your parcel.
Please note that returns must be received back at our warehouse in original packaging, with tags, and in a clean, resalable condition.
Once we have received your return in good condition, we will process a refund minus your original shipping charge. Please note that funds may take 1-3 days to appear back in your account, depending on your bank's T's and C's or payment method.
