Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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THOMAS, Irma

(b 18 February 1941, Ponchatoula LA) Blues, R&B, soul vocalist and songwriter, a veteran of the New Orleans scene, influenced by Etta James and an important performer in that great line. Had R&B hit '(You Can Have My Husband But Please) Don't Mess With My Man' '60 on Ron; recorded for Minit (distributed by Lew Chudd's Imperial label; see Allen Toussaint), had four Hot 100 entries '64 (top 20 'Wish Someone Would Care') on Imperial; also recorded for Bert Berns's Shout label; R&B hit 'Good To Me' '68 on Chess. Her continuing popularity was evidenced by many compilations: Irma Thomas Sings on Bandy (Joe Banashak's Minit/Bandy tracks '59-63); Time Is On My Side on Kent (Minit/Imperial tracks including the title song, covered by the Rolling Stones, which (it was said) she quit singing for a while because audiences wouldn't believe it was hers, and 'Ruler Of My Heart', covered '63 by Otis Redding as 'Pain In My Heart'); In Between Tears (from the early '70s, originally on Fungus USA) and Hip Shakin' Mama (live, mid-'70s) on Charly UK; Soul Queen Of New Orleans on Maison de Soul (late '70s); more later on Chess, EMI, Razor and Tie. Turn My World Around was reissued on a Shanachie CD; others included The New Rules '85, The Way I Feel '88, Simply The Best: Live '91, The Story Of My Life '97 and My Heart's In Memphis: The Songs Of Dan Penn 2000, all on Rounder. She calls herself 'The Teacher', and so she is.

Thomas was touring in Texas when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in August 2005; she quickly resumed her role as the soul queen of New Orleans, appearing at the Big Easy Benefit Concert at Madison Square Garden, on the Today show, on Jools Holland’s BBC New Year’s Eve telecast, etc. She was due to perform at the annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in May 2006, and meanwhile in April she released her first new album in six years: After The Rain won a Grammy produced by her long-time producer, Rounder V.P. Scott Billington, with an all-star New Orleans cast including Corey Harris and Sonny Landreth on guitars, multi-instrumentalist Dirk Powell and many more. Tracks included keyboardist David Egan's 'Stone Survivor', Arthur Alexander's 'In The Middle Of It All', Stevie Wonder's 'Shelter In The Rain' and Doc Pomus/Mort Shuman's 'I Count The Tears'. This was followed by the elegant  Simply Grand 2008, on which she was accompanied by 12 pianists on 14 songs, including Dr. John, Randy Newman, Henry Butler, Marcia Ball, Randy Newman and Norah Jones.