Irma Thomas

Irma Thomas
Thomas in 2011
Thomas in 2011
Background information
Birth nameIrma Lee
Also known asSoul Queen of New Orleans
Born (1941-02-18) February 18, 1941 (age 83)
Ponchatoula, Louisiana, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
InstrumentVocals
Years active1959–present
Labels

Irma Thomas (née Lee; born February 18, 1941)[1][2] is an American singer from New Orleans.[3] She is known as the "Soul Queen of New Orleans".[2]

Thomas is a contemporary of Aretha Franklin and Etta James, but never experienced their level of commercial success.[2] In 2007, she won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album for After the Rain, her first Grammy in a career spanning over 50 years.[4]

  1. ^ Jeff Hannusch (1985). I Hear You Knockin : The Sound of New Orleans Rhythm and Blues. Swallow Publications. ISBN 978-0961424503. I was born in Ponchatoula, Louisiana, February 18, 1941
  2. ^ a b c Ankeny, Jason. "Biography: Irma Thomas". AllMusic. Retrieved May 16, 2010.
  3. ^ Du Noyer, Paul (2003). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music (1st ed.). Fulham, London: Flame Tree Publishing. p. 181. ISBN 1-904041-96-5.
  4. ^ "Irma Thomas". Grammy.com. May 14, 2007. Archived from the original on June 24, 2020. Retrieved March 4, 2023.