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Big Mama Thornton standing at the center of Arhoolie's Publicity Photo with Muddy Waters and the Chicago Blues Band.
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Ethel Waters talks about inspiring Carol Channing. Channing admitted to imitating Waters style in order to get her start in show business.
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Ethel Waters recounting how she started her singing career after being scouted by Braxton & Nugent at a saloon where she performed the “St. Louis Blues” during her interview with Willie Ruff.
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Ethel Waters speaking to Willie Ruff about acting in Cabin in the Sky (musical version). Waters discusses turning the role down until changes were made to the musical's script.
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Portrait of Ethel Waters sitting in front of floral background. Ethel Waters as Petunia Jackson in Cabin in the Sky, musical with music by Vernon Duke, book by Lynn Root, lyrics by John La Touche, and vocal arrangements by Hugh Martin
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Studio portrait of Ethel Waters sitting in front of leafy background. Photograph by Carl Van Vechten. / 146 Central Park West / Reproduced with permission.
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YouTube Video that features still image of Ethel Waters looking up while playing. The video features audio of Ethel Waters singing "Down Home Blues" plays.
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Ethel Waters speaking to Willie Ruff about how she drew on personal experiences with lynching when performing "Supper Time" in the musical As Thousands Cheer
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Ethel Waters speaking to Willie Ruff about her performance of "Supper Time" in the Broadway Musical As Thousands Cheer. She talks about how she was chosen for the musical and states that she does not act, but rather re-lives experiences.
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Video of a live performance of Ethel Waters singing "Supper Time" on The Hollywood Palace (March 8, 1969). Waters is introduced by Diana Ross.
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Ethel Waters singing Where Jesus Is, 'Tis Heaven at a Billy Graham Crusade Event in 1969
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Willie Ruff speaking to Jones about his goals for the Ellington Fellowship. Jones expresses that the event was a part of God's Plan (1972)
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Willie Ruff and Bessie Jones speaking about their experience at the Ellington Fellowship event. Jones expresses how glad she was to be there (1972)
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Bessie Jones singing "Sink 'Em Low" to Willie Ruff during their interview (1972)
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Bessie Jones discussing seeing prisoners being forced to sing on command and the cruel treatment the men dealt with while working on the chain gang with Willie Ruff (1972)
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Bessie Jones talking to Willie Ruff - Gives back story to chain gang song "Sink 'Em Low"
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YouTube Video that features a still image of Bessie Jones with the Georgia Sea Island Singers as the audio of Jones and the choral group performing the song "Sometime" plays.
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Moby's Music Video for his song "Honey," which samples Bessie Jones's "Sometime"
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Big Mama Thornton's last performance. Performing the song Ball and Chain April 14, 1984.
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Janis Joplin performing a cover of Big Mama Thornton's song Ball and Chain at Monterey Pop Festival in 1967
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Big Mama Thornton performs Ball and Chain with Buddy Guy's Blues Band.
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YouTube video that features Presley's version of Hound Dog
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Video of Big Mama Thornton performing her songs live.
In the 1st part, Big Mama Thornton is singing Hound Dog.
Starting at 2:35 In the 2nd part, Big Mama Thornton, John Lee Hooker, Big Walter Horton & Dr Ross are playing on the harmonica Down Home Shakedown.