6 On BIG MAMA THORNTON BLUES SINGER a chilly day in Alabama while families decorated Christmas trees and sang carols a big present to the world named Willie Mae was born As they grew up Willie and her brothers and sisters would sit in church pews every Sunday and listen to their father preach Willie's favorite part was the music Her mother's singing voice soothed her As she watched the choir ladies sway to the songs Willie tried to listen for only her mother's voice When Willie was just 14 her mother died But the inspiration Willie found in her sweet voice never left her Willie decided to chase her dream of becoming a blues singer She joined a music group in Georgia and traveled all around the South in the 1940s She met new people and saw how Black folks were treated in different towns some towns were welcoming and some were not No matter where she was and who was in the audience she felt larger than life So she renamed herself Big Mama Thornton After years on the road Willie moved to Houston Texas to record music she hoped would play on the radio Her first big break came in 1953. Willie's voice came through the speakers on radios everywhere You ain't nothin but a hound dog she sang loud and proud The record blew up Elvis Presley liked it so much that he rerecorded a rock version of the song But Willie would always be the first to have sung such an iconic hit Willie went on to make several albums including a gospel album inspired by her days listening to her dad preach and her mom sing in a small-town church DECEMBER 11 1926 JULY 25 1984 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
ILLUSTRATION BY RAFAELA RIJO NÚÑEZ HOUND DOG JUST TOOK OFF LIKE A JET BIG MAMA THORNTON
BJÖRK ALTERNATIVE SINGER AND SONGWRITER Once there was a girl who grew up exploring the winding trails and rushing rivers of her home in Iceland She found beautiful melodies in the sounds of nature Her name was Björk which in Icelandic means birch like the tree At her music school she sang and studied piano and flute When she was 12 Björk released her first album The record company asked her for a similar sounding follow up but Björk refused She had more to discover and like a waterfall tumbling over a rocky cliff she wouldn't let anyone hold her back As a teenager Björk formed bands with friends She tried out styles from jazz to punk and put her own spin on them Then Björk and a group of other musicians were invited to perform on a live radio show She sang in her high haunting voice and experimented with howls and shrieks The music world took notice Fans gravitated toward her unique sound and Björk's career began to take off She worked with choirs harpists and orchestras to create melodies as rich and distinct as her voice The music videos she made captured the untamed natural landscape of her home in Iceland Outside of music Björk loved fashion She sought out pieces that were one of a kind In 2001 she posed on the Oscars red carpet wearing a dress in the shape of a swan complete with a feathered skirt As her success continues Björk makes herself heard in other ways too raising awareness for issues like protecting the environment and women's reproductive rights Through it all Björk remains as free as the wind blowing across the fields of Iceland She dances to her own beat and encourages others to find their rhythm and move to it too BORN NOVEMBER 21 1965 ICELAND 8
ILLUSTRATION BY JULIETTE TOMA NATURE HAS ALWAYS ΒΕΕΝ ΙΜΡORTANT ΤΟ ΜΕ IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN MY MUSIC BJÖRK
