Why Willie Mae Thornton Matters

LynnÉe Denise is an artist, writer, and DJ. She was the Sterling Brown ’22 Distinguished Visiting Professor of Africana Studies at Williams College, and she is currently a doctoral student in the Department of Visual Culture at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Denise offers a desperately-needed corrective in this volume about the art, life, and legacy of Thornton, whose song “Hound Dog” (later recorded by Elvis) changed the course of American music. A standout installment in the University of Texas Press’s always great Music Matters series. (The Millions) The enigmatically intelligent and scholarly productive thinker, LynnÉe Denise, who has made strides in Black realms of music for well over a decade is now presenting a new book. Why Willie Mae Thornton Matters gives an honest and incredibly bright examination of the relevance of Big Mama Thornton. (The New York Amsterdam News) Denise uses shrewd music criticism and a Black, queer, feminist lens, to reintroduce Thornton as a performer who transcended gender norms . . . Denise’s thoughtful reimagination of Thornton’s career pays tribute to a woman that embodied Black creation and resilience. (Alternative Press) Impressive research and thoughtful commentary illuminate the life and career of Willie Mae 'Big Mama' Thornton (1926–84) in this eloquent volume...What emerges is a portrait of an extraordinary woman who influenced later blues, rock, and pop music performers such as Janis Joplin...An engaging and well-written must-read with generous resources for further study. (Library Journal, starred review) Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton was a Black, queer blues woman often recognized for her song, “Hound Dog,” but she was so much more. In the latest volume of the Music Matters series, LynnÉe Denise rediscovers and reclaims Thornton’s life and legacy, a gift to us all. (Ms. Magazine) Denise reintroduces Thornton as a performer who transcended genres and gender norms. (The 19th) Denise effectively delivers perhaps her most salient point: Who is authorized to convey the story of these Black musicians? (The Austin Chronicle) The enigmatically intelligent and scholarly productive thinker LynnÉe Denise, affectionately known as Big Mama Thornton, has made strides in Black realms of music for well over a decade, and is now presenting a new book. The exploration of the life and times of this enigmatic blues visionary gives the artist its due. Why Willie Mae Thornton Matters is a well-written examination of and homage to Black music enthusiasts should collect and enjoy. (The New York Amsterdam News) Anything but a boring book. (De Blueskrant) [This book] really gets into that idea of myth-making…[Denise] got to the heart of why we need to create these big ideas that often leave the real people behind. (No Fences Review)

• Introduction Mothering the Blues The Black South Matters Sisters of the Dirty Blues White Boy Magic and the Making of Genre Grown Little Girls, Tomboy Women, and Black Radio Don’t Ask Me No More about Elvis California Love / California Dreamin’ Willie Mae inna England Your Blues Ain’t Like Mine Mixtapes, White Biographers, and Black Blues People Saved by the Amazing Grace of Mahalia Jackson A Jailed Sassy Mama The ’80s Blackness of Willie Mae’s Blues Epilogue Acknowledgments Sources and References