Big Mama Thornton - Sassy Mama - Live at The Rising Sun Celebrity Jazz ClubWillie Mae 'Big Mama" Thornton, is an American Blues legend known as the amazing voice behind the original "Hound Dog" and "Ball & Chain". She sadly passed away in 1984 at the young age of 57 after a hard life in the music business, having added a female voice to a field that was dominated by white males, and her strong personality transgressed stereotypes of what an African American woman should be. This transgression was an integral part of her