Who recorded Hound Dog first?

“Hound Dog” was recorded for the first time by Big Mama Thornton. Big Mama Thornton was born in Montgomery, Alabama. She began her professional career at the age of 14 in 1941.

She signed her first record contract with Peacock Records in 1951 and was soon paired with another of its artists, bandleader Johnny Otis, who brought Thornton out to California to join his band.

In late 1952, Otis approached two young songwriters on the Los Angeles music scene and asked them to write something specifically for Thornton.

Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller were those songwriters. Big Mama Thornton and the Johnny Otis Band recorded “Hound Dog” on this day in 1952.

The record sold almost two million copies and reached number one on the R&B chart, ushering in the dawn of rock ‘n’ roll. Although the song made Thornton famous, she reportedly received little of the profits.

Three years after Thornton’s success with “Hound Dog,” Elvis Presley recorded his hit version of the song.  Elvis’ version sold ten million copies.