Why Willie Mae Thornton Matters by Lynnée Denise
Estimated delivery 3-12 business days
Format Hardcover
Condition Brand New
Description A queer, Black "biography in essays" about the performer who gave us "Hound Dog," "Ball and Chain," and other songs that changed the course of American music.
Publisher Description
A queer, Black "biography in essays" about the performer who gave us "Hound Dog," "Ball and Chain," and other songs that changed the course of American music.Born in Alabama in 1926, raised in the church, appropriated by white performers, buried in an indigent's grave-Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton's life events epitomize the blues-but Lynnee Denise pushes past the stereotypes to read Thornton's life through a Black, queer, feminist lens and reveal an artist who was an innovator across her four-decade-long career. Why Willie Mae Thornton Matters "samples" elements of Thornton's art-and, occasionally, the author's own story-to create "a biography in essays" that explores the life of its subject as a DJ might dig through a crate of records. Denise connects Thornton's vaudevillesque performances in Sammy Green's Hot Harlem Revue to the vocal improvisations that made "Hound Dog" a hit for Peacock Records (and later for Elvis Presley), injecting music criticism into what's often framed as a cautionary tale of record-industry racism. She interprets Thornton's performing in men's suits as both a sly, Little Richard-like queering of the Chitlin Circuit and a simple preference for pants over dresses that didn't have a pocket for her harmonica. Most radical of all, she refers to her subject by her given name rather than "Big Mama," a nickname bestowed upon her by a white man. It's a deliberate and crucial act of reclamation, because in the name of Willie Mae Thornton is the sound of Black musical resilience.
Author Biography
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.
Details ISBN 1477321187 ISBN-13 9781477321188 Title Why Willie Mae Thornton Matters Author Lynnée Denise Format Hardcover Year 2023 Pages 240 Publisher University of Texas Press GE_Item_ID:158615616; About Us
Grand Eagle Retail is the ideal place for all your shopping needs! With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and over 1,000,000 in stock items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love!
Shipping & Delivery Times
Shipping is FREE to any address in USA.
Please view eBay estimated delivery times at the top of the listing. Deliveries are made by either USPS or Courier. We are unable to deliver faster than stated.
International deliveries will take 1-6 weeks.
NOTE: We are unable to offer combined shipping for multiple items purchased. This is because our items are shipped from different locations.
Returns
If you wish to return an item, please consult our Returns Policy as below:
Please contact Customer Services and request "Return Authorisation" before you send your item back to us. Unauthorised returns will not be accepted.
Returns must be postmarked within 4 business days of authorisation and must be in resellable condition.
Returns are shipped at the customer's risk. We cannot take responsibility for items which are lost or damaged in transit.
For purchases where a shipping charge was paid, there will be no refund of the original shipping charge.
Additional Questions
If you have any questions please feel free to Contact Us.
Categories Baby Books Electronics Fashion Games Health & Beauty Home, Garden & Pets Movies Music Sports & Outdoors Toys
Your request is processing... Please Wait