Willie Mae Thornton (December 11, 1926 – July 25, 1984), better known as Big Mama Thornton because of her height (nearly 6 feet), and weight (200 pounds), was an American singer and songwriter of the blues and R&B. She was the first to record Leiber and Stoller's "Hound Dog", in 1952,^[2] which was written for her and became her biggest hit, staying seven weeks at number one on the Billboard R&B chart in 1953.^[3] According to Maureen Mahon, a music professor at New York University, "the song is seen as an important beginning of rock-and-roll, especially in its use of the guitar as the key instrument".^[4]

Thornton's other recordings include the original version of "Ball and Chain", which she wrote.