Willie "Mae" Big Mama Thornton recorded "Hound Dog" while signed to Don Robey's Peacock Records in Fifth Ward, an early influence of rock and roll.

Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction occurs as Black female artists in Music City are growing in influence.

That’s someone who is popularly, although not popularly enough, known as Big Mama Thornton – not famous enough for penning songs that white artists made a killing from, like Elvis’ version of Hound ...