Willie Mae ‘Big Mama’ Thornton 1926-1984
Cynthia Rose, NME, August 1984
One of the founding careers in rock and roll ended on Wednesday, July 25, when a heart attack took the life of Willie Mae Big Mama Thornton in a Los Angeles boarding-house.
Total word count of piece: 476
Best Databases: RBP is Runner-up in Best Niche category
Video: Johnny Marr talks about Rock's Backpages
RBP on Spotify: The Very Best of 40-year-old Virgin
RBP Album Club, June 13th: Miki Berenyi and Lucy O'Brien celebrate a Blondie classic
Essential Listening: Green Day grilled by Roy Trakin
RBP Album Club, July 11th: Nick Hornby and Nick Coleman celebrate Southside Johnny's debut
Essential Reading: Bud Scoppa's 1971 Byrds classic