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88m
REV25: BIG MAMA THORNTON: I CAN'T BE ANYONE BUT ME
Book Tickets
Synopsis
Robert Clem returns with this fascinating documentary about blues singer Willie Mae ‘Big Mama’ Thornton.
Those who are regular Rev attendees will remember Clem’s How They Got Over: Gospel Quartets and the Road to Rock and Roll from 2018.
Big Mama Thornton: I Can't Be Anyone But Me is the story of the singer who sang Hound Dog before Elvis Presley and who wrote Ball and Chain, made famous by Joplin.
What emerges from the archive footage and talking head interviews is a portrait of an incredible singer, with an equally fascinating life, who refused to sing anything unless it "sang to her soul" and who defied the gender norms of her era.
This documentary makes for essential viewing.
Feature Documentary | 2025 | USA
Rating
CTC
Length
88m
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