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Biography
BLP sources|date=May 2010Infobox musical artist|name = Irma Thomas|image = IrmaThomas2006.jpg|caption = Irma Thomas (2006)|image_size =|background = solo_singer|birth_name = Irma Lee|alias = Soul Queen of New Orleans|birth_date = Birth date and age|1941|2|18|mf=y|Birth_place = Ponchatoula, Louisiana , United States |death_date =|death_place =|instrument = Human voice|Vocals |genre = Rhythm and blues , Blues music|blues , Gospel music|gospel |occupation = Musician , songwriter |years_active = 1960–present|label = Minit Records Imperial Records Chess Records Rounder Records |associated_acts =|website = http://www.irmathomas.com/ IrmaThomas.com Irma Thomas (born February 18, 1941,"I Hear You Knockin' ", Jeff Hannusch, 1985 "I was born in Ponchatoula, Louisiana, February 18, 1941 Ponchatoula, Louisiana|Ponchatoula , Louisiana , United States ) is an American singer from New Orleans .cite book | first= Paul | last= Du Noyer | year= 2003 | title= The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music | edition= 1st | publisher= Flame Tree Publishing | location= Fulham, London | isbn= 1-904041-96-5 | page= 181 She is known as the "Soul Queen of New Orleans".cite web|url=Allmusic|class=artist|id=p5638/biography|pure_url=yes|title=Biography: Irma Thomas|last=Ankeny|first=Jason|publisher= All Media Guide|AMG |accessdate=16 May 2010
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 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album|Best Contemporary Blues Album for After the Rain , her first Grammy in a career spanning over 50 years.
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 Ronn Records|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 Records|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 "Wish Someone Would Care” (her biggest national hit), its B-side " Breakaway (Irma Thomas song)|Break-a-Way " (later cover song|covered by Tracey Ullman among others), "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is" (co-written by the young Randy Newman and future country star Jeannie Seely , among others), 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.
Thomas was featured as a stellar singer from New Orleans, on the Southern Stars Poster|Southern Stars poster created by Dianna Chenevert to help promote Thomas and historically document her contribution to the music industry. On October 12, 1983 USA Today reporter Miles White's story highlighted the poster on the front page of the Life section, which provided more nationwide attention.
Down by Law (film)|Down By Law , the 1986 independent film by Jim Jarmusch features "It's Raining" in the soundtrack. The film's actors Roberto Benigni and Nicoletta Braschi , whose characters fall in love in the movie, dance to this song.
After several years’ break from recording, she was signed by Rounder Records , and in 1991 earned her first-ever Grammy Award|Grammy Award nomination for Live& #33; 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 , convert|60|mi|km from New Orleans, after Hurricane Katrinacite news|last=Simon|first=Scott|title=A Visit with the Soul Queen of New Orleans|newspaper=Weekend Edition Saturday (NPR)|date=July 01, 2006 . According to her web site she is now back in her home in New Orleans.
Thomas and her husband owned the Lion's Den Club near the French Quarter of New Orleanscite book|title=River of a Song|year=1999|publisher=St. Martin's Press|location=New York|pages=300-307|author=Elijah Wald|coauthors=John Junkerman.
In April 2007, Thomas was honored for her contributions to Louisiana music with induction into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame . Also in 2007, Thomas accepted an invitation to participate in '' Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino '' where, singing with Marcia Ball , she contributed " I Just Can't Get New Orleans Off My Mind ".
In August 2009, a compilation album with three new songs titled The Soul Queen of New Orleans: 50th Anniversary Celebration was released from Rounder Records to commemorate Thomas' 50th year as a recording artist.
Thomas was the subject of the 2008 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival poster. She was chosen as the subject before the painting was chosen for the poster. Artist Douglas Bourgeois painted the singer in 2006. In 2010, Thomas rode in the New Orleans parade "Grela". In April that year, Thomas performed at the Corner Hotel, Richmond .
During Easter 2011, Thomas performed twice at the Bluesfest music festival in Byron Bay , New South Wales , Australia . On April 24, she performed on the Crossroads stage, coming on after Mavis Staples ; then on April 25, she headlined the Crossroads stage, coming on after Jethro Tull (band)|Jethro Tull and Osibisa .
In December 2011, Thomas' track "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)" was featured in Charlie Brooker 's Black Mirror (TV series)|Black Mirror ; the second instalment entitled 15 Million Merits, portraying a not too distant dystopian future about the hopes and shattered dreams of the synthetically manufactured by-products of reality shows such as The X Factor , at which the episode is clearly a direct swipe.
Worked With
Tommy Ridgley
Eddie Bo
Edgar Blanchard
Bill Sinigal
Irving Banister
Patsy Valdalia
Dr. John
Skip Easterling
cite book|last=Hannusch|first=John|title=The Soul of New Orleans, a Legacy of Rhythm and Blues|year=2001|publisher=Swallow Publications
Influences
Mahalia Jackson
Pearl Bailey
Brooke Benton
John Lee Hooker
Percy Mayfield
cite web|last=Sinclair|first=John|title=Irma Thomas: An Audience with the Soul Queen of New Orleans|url= http://www.bluesaccess.com/No_41/irma.html
Discography
Singles
"(You Can Have My Husband But) Don't Mess with My Man" / "Set Me Free" (Ron 328) (#22 R& B, 1960)
"A Good Man" / "I May Be Wrong" (Ron 330)
"Cry On" / "Girl Needs Boy" (Minit 625) (1961)
"It's Too Soon To Know" / "That's All I Ask" (Minit 633)
"I Done Got Over It" / "Gone" (Minit 642) (1962)
"It's Raining" / "I Did My Part" (Minit 653) (1962)
"Two Winters Long" / "Somebody Told You" (Minit 660)
"Ruler Of My Heart" / "Hittin' On Nothing" (Minit 666) (1963)
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
2009: The Soul Queen of New Orleans: 50th Anniversary Celebration (Rounder) Rounder
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/Duet with Marcia Ball on "Look Up"/From Sing Me Back Home (Burgundy Records/Honey Darling Records)
2007: Various Artists, '' Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino '' ( Vanguard Records|Vanguard ), singing " I Can't Get New Orleans Off My Mind " with Marcia Ball.
2010: Galactic , Ya-Ka-May (Anti) Vocals on "Heart Of Steel"
Allmusic|class=artist|id=p5638/biography|pure_url=yes Bio from Allmusic.com
http://www.helsinki.fi/~ilva/irma.html Fan page, includes extensive bio and discography
http://www.bluesaccess.com/No_41/irma.html Interview with Irma Thomas by John Sinclair (poet)|John Sinclair
http://www.strawberryjam.org/Irma%20Thomas Lifetime Achievement Award
http://kevinallman.typepad.com/ARTICLES/2006/Oregonian-IrmaThomas.pdf Bio from the Oregonian
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php? storyId=5526014 NPR:A visit with the Soul Queen of New Orleans
http://www.soulexpress.net/irmathomas.htm An interview with Irma Thomas at Soul Express
http://www.bobedwardsradio.com/blog/2010/7/3/at-home-with-irma-thomas.html Bob Edwards Interview "At Home with Irma Thomas"
Persondata | NAME =Thomas, Irma | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = United States|American soul and rhythm and blues singer | DATE OF BIRTH =February 18, 1941 | PLACE OF BIRTH = Ponchatoula, Louisiana , United States | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Irma Category:1941 births Category:Living people Category:African American singers Category:American female singers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:Contemporary blues musicians Category:Imperial Records artists Category:Chess Records artists Category:R& B musicians from New Orleans Category:People from Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana Category:American soul musicians Category:African American musicians Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Blues Hall of Fame inductees
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