American blues singer most widely remembered for her 1952 hit "Hound Dog," which became a huge hit for Elvis Presley three years later. She was nominated for six Blues Music Awards during her career and was inducted into both the Blues Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She quit school following the death of her mother and began working at a local tavern. She left home in 1940 and joined the Sammy Greens Hot Harlem Revue.
