Hound Dog | Elvis Presley Cover

Elvis didn’t write “Hound Dog.” He didn’t even record it first. He just turned it into rock and roll history. Originally recorded by blues and R&B singer Big Mama Thornton in 1952, “Hound Dog” was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and became a major R&B hit before Elvis Presley ever touched it. Presley’s 1956 version transformed the song into a faster, harder-driving piece of early American rock and roll, complete with his unmistakable vocal style and a performance that helped define the sound of 1950s music. The record became one of Elvis Presley’s biggest early hits, spending 11 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard pop chart and becoming a landmark of classic rock and roll. It also shows exactly how American music evolved during the 1950s, as rhythm and blues, country, gospel, and rockabilly collided to create the new rock and roll sound. For Richie and the High Street Rockers, “Hound Dog” belongs squarely in the repertoire, bringing that vintage American rock and roll energy back to life as a live cover song. Was Elvis’s version the first “Hound Dog” you ever heard, or did you know Big Mama Thornton’s original? Tell us below and share this with another oldies fan. #ElvisPresley #1950smusic #50smusic #doowop #songcover