August 13
HOUND DOG DAY
On this day in 1952, the original version of Hound Dog was recorded by Willie Mae (Big Mama) Thornton. It was the first hit for the song-writing team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. (Among their other famous hits: Kansas City [Wilbert Harrison], On Broadway [The Drifters], and Stand By Me [Ben E. King].
Four years later, Hound Dog got the world’s attention when it was recorded by Elvis Presley.
Musician-composer Johnny Otis (Willie and the Hand Jive) said he helped Leiber and Stoller with the writing of Hound Dog. All was fine as long as Big Mama Thornton was doin’ the singing (Otis was her producer); but as soon as the Elvis version started bringing in the bucks, Otis was cut out of the picture. Otis went to court but lost the suit.
We think the judge said, “You ain’t nothing but a hound dog, a-cryin’ all the time.” And Leiber and Stoller chimed in, “You ain’t no friend of mine.”
Those Were the Days, the Today in History service from 440 International
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