Irma Thomas
(b. February 18, 1941, Ponchatoula, Louisiana) is a Grammy Award winning soul and rhythm and blues singer from New Orleans. She is known as the "Soul Queen of New Orleans."
Thomas is a contemporary of Aretha Franklin and Etta James, but never experienced their level of commercial success; still, she has a large cult following among soul aficionados. In 2007, she won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album for After the Rain
, her first Grammy in an acclaimed career spanning over 45 years.
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IRMA THOMAS TICKETS
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History
Born Irma Lee, as a teen she sang with a Baptist church choir, auditioning for
Specialty Records as a 13-year old. By the age of 19 she had been married twice and had four children. Keeping her second ex-husband's surname, she worked as a waitress in New Orleans, occasionally singing with bandleader
Tommy Ridgley, who helped her land a record deal with the local
Ron label. Her first single, "(You Can Have My Husband but) Don't Mess with My Man," was released in spring 1960, and reached number 22 on the
Billboard R&B chart.
She then began recording on the
Minit label, working with songwriter and producer
Allen Toussaint on songs including “It’s Raining” and “Ruler of my Heart”, which was later reinterpreted by
Otis Redding as "Pain In My Heart".
Imperial Records acquired Minit in 1963, and a string of successful releases followed. These included "I Wish Someone Would Care” (her biggest national hit), its B-side "
Break-a-Way” (later covered by
Tracey Ullman among others), "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is”, and "
Time Is on My Side" (a song previously recorded by
Kai Winding, and later by the
Rolling Stones).
Although her first four Imperial singles all charted on Billboard's pop chart, later releases were less successful, and, unlike her contemporaries Aretha Franklin,
Gladys Knight and
Dionne Warwick she never managed to cross over into mainstream commercial success.
She recorded for
Chess Records in 1967/68 with some success, the Otis Redding song "Good To Me" reaching the R&B chart. She then relocated to California, releasing records on various small labels, before returning to Louisiana, and in the early 1980s opened her own club, the Lion's Den.
After several years’ break from recording, she was signed by
Rounder Records, and in 1991 earned her first-ever
Grammy nomination for
Live! Simply the Best
, recorded in San Francisco. She subsequently released a number of traditional gospel albums, together with more secular recordings. The album
Sing It!
was nominated for a Grammy in 1999.
Thomas is still active as a performer, appearing annually at the
New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. She reigned as Queen of the
Krewe du Vieux for the 1998
New Orleans Mardi Gras season. She often headlined at her own club, which is now out of business due to the effects of
Hurricane Katrina. Thomas relocated to
Gonzales, Louisiana, from New Orleans, after Hurrican Katrina, but, according to her web site, she is now back in her home in New Orleans.
In April 2007,Irma Thomas was honored for her contributions to Louisiana music with induction into The
Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
Noteworthy Songs
- "(You Can Have My Husband But) Don't Mess with My Man" (#22 R&B, 1960)
- "Cry On" (1961)
- "I Done Got Over" (1962)
- "It's Raining" (1962)
- "Somebody Told You" b/w "Two Winters Long"(1962)
- "Ruler of My Heart" (1963)
- "Wish Someone Would Care" (#17 pop, 1964) b/w "Break-A-Way"
- "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)" (#52 pop, 1964) b/w "Time Is on My Side"
- "Times Have Changed" (#98 pop, 1964)
- "He's My Guy" (#63 pop, 1964)
- "You Don't Miss a Good Thing" (#109 pop, 1965)
- "I'm Gonna Cry Till My Tears Run Dry" (#130 pop, 1965)
- "Take a Look" (#118 pop, 1965)
- "It's a Man's-Woman's World" (#119 pop, 1966)
- "Good to Me" (#42 R&B, 1968)
Discography
- 1964 Wish Someone Would Care
(Imperial)
- 1966 Take a Look
(Imperial)
- 1973 In Between Tears
(Fungus)
- 1976 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
(Island)
- 1978 Soul Queen of New Orleans
(Maison De Soul)
- 1979 Safe with Me
(RCS)
- 1981 In Between Tears
(reissue) (Charly) Fungus
- 1981 Hip Shakin' Mama
(reissue of Island LP) (Charly) Island
- 1986 The New Rules
(Rounder)
- 1988 The Way I Feel
(Rounder)
- 1991 Live: Simply the Best
(Rounder)
- 1992 True Believer
(Rounder)
- 1993 Walk Around Heaven: New Orleans Gospel Soul
(Rounder)
- 1997 The Story of My Life
(Rounder)
- 1998 Sing It!
(Rounder) with Marcia Ball & Tracy Nelson
- 2000 My Heart's in Memphis: The Songs Of Dan Penn
(Rounder)
- 2006 After the Rain
(Rounder)
- 2008 Simply Grand
(Decca/Rounder)
Compilations
- 1980s Irma Thomas Sings
(Bandy) Bandy/Minit
- 1983 Time Is on My Side
(Kent) Minit/Imperial
- 1984 Down at Muscle Shoals
(Chess/P-Vine) Chess
- 1987 Breakaway
(Stateside) Minit/Imperial
- 1987 Breakaway
(abridged version of Stateside LP) (EMI-USA) Minit/Imperial
- 1990 Something Good: The Muscle Shoals Sessions
(MCA-Chess) Chess
- 1991 Safe with Me/Irma Thomas Live
(Paula)
- 1992 Time Is on My Side: The Best Of Irma Thomas Volume 1
(EMI-USA) Minit/Imperial
- 1996 Ruler of Hearts
(Charly) Minit/Bandy/Island
- 1996 Sweet Soul Queen of New Orleans: The Irma Thomas Collection
(Razor & Tie) Imperial/Minit
- 1996 Time Is on My Side
(expanded CD reissue of 1983 LP) (Kent) Minit/Imperial
- 2001 If You Want It, Come and Get It
(Rounder) Rounder
- 2005 Straight from the Soul
(Stateside) Imperial/Minit
- 2006 A Woman's Viewpoint
(Ace) Fungus/Canyon/RCS, etc.
- 2006 Wish Someone Would Care/Take A Look
(Collectables) Imperial
Guest appearances
- 1993 B. B. King, Blues Summit
(MCA) Duet on "We're Gonna Make It"
- 2005 Various Artists/I Believe To My Soul
(Rhino)
- 2005 Various Artists/Our New Orleans
(Elektra/Nonesuch)
- 2006 The New Orleans Social Club/Sing Me Back Home
(Burgundy)
Filmography
- 2006 New Orleans Music in Exile