Irma Thomas. Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Stringer
(click on link to take you to more info on Irma at Grammy Awards website)
Irma Thomas (née Lee; b. 2/18/41) is an American 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. 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.
Early Life:
Irma was born in Ponchatoula, Louisiana, United States, the daughter of Percy Lee, a steel chipper, and Vader Lee, who worked as a maid.
By the time Irma was 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.
Musical Beginnings:
As a teenager, she sang with a Baptist church choir. She auditioned for Specialty Records at the age of 13. At 19, she occasionally sang with bandleader Tommy Ridgley, who helped her land a record deal with the local Ron label. Her first single, “Don’t Mess with My Man”, was released in late 1959, and reached number 22 on the US Billboard R&B chart.
Discography:
Albums: 21
Singles: 36
Compilation albums: 15
Guest appearances: 7
Filmography:
4 (not including the 2022 documentary mentioned below)
Some things to share:
“Down by Law,” the 1986 independent film by Jim Jarmusch, featured “It’s Raining” in the soundtrack. The film’s actors Roberto Benigni and Nicoletta Braschi, whose characters fell in love in the movie, danced to the song.
A 2022 documentary traces Thomas’ upbringing in New Orleans and rise to fame as a GRAMMY-winning blues musician. Irma: My Life In Music features an interview with the singer alongside interviews with recording artists Bonnie Raitt, Ledisi, Erica Falls and the late Allen Toussaint, as well as archival concert footage from the New Orleans Jazz Heritage Festival. I tried to find the documentary on YouTube, without success, but I believe you can stream it from some PBS stations.
Take a look at this excellent article, “Letter From New Orleans: Celebrating Soul Queen Irma Thomas,” an appreciation of the Soul Queen of New Orleans by her longtime collaborator, Scott Billington, published on February 18, 2024, here.
Official website: coming soon! here
Tao Talk 
Great write up on an artist that should have more international recognition. Having the success she did however is no small feat. New Orleans is a competitive market and for her to shine above all others says a lot. I’m more familiar with her early work and of course being a cover song guy, “Time is on My Side”. The album Simply Grand piqued my interest so I’m checking that out. Great choice- seems I’ve been saying that a lot this month!
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Randy, totally agree with you. Not sure if I asked you already if you’ve seen the Treme TV series? It is all about the music. In the last video, Wanda Rouzan is the other woman being interviewed with Irma. She plays (and sings) in a recurring role on Treme. So cool to see her in this video. I also “like” hearing Irma talk about how her song rising to the top was crushed by the British Invasion :(
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I have yet to see yet but a couple episodes of Treme. Yes many an artist and good songs got crushed in the invasion.
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I’ve heard of Irma Thomas but never followed her career. Yes, it’s a shame she wasn’t as successful as Aretha and Etta.
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Glyn, I believe it’s all about the marketing when you have such great talent. Even though she isn’t an international mega-star, she *is* the Soul Queen of New Orleans and that is saying something. Thank you for joining me daily on this Women Music March.
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Talented and gift.. love your write up and song on Irma Thomas! ❣️
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Thanks, Cindy. Irma is a superstar to me.
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Later in her career she did a series of trios with Marcia Ball and Tracy Nelson. The first US Top Ten hit for the Rolling Stones was their cover of “Time is on my side”. That song was written by Jerry Ragovoy, who was responsible for a number of Janis Joplin’s hits.
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Thanks much for the additional information, Steve. She does talk about “Time is on my side” but I think she said hers was on the charts in the US before the Stones. (check out that next to the last video)
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Yes, her cover came out 3 months before the Stones cover. Her version was the B-side (to the song you posted at the top), which reached #52 in the US. The original was from a year earlier, by Kai Winding, with vocals by Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick, and Cissy Huston (chorus only – it was mostly an instrumental). It didn’t make the charts.
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Thanks again, Steve, for clarifying the situation :)
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I love her verison of Time is on my Side…always have. A lot of great artists came from New Orleans…so much talent there.
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For sure, Max. I know I’m missing the party at your blog. Will listen to Christian’s Sunday 6 then head over :)
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No problem Lisa…take your time…you know that.
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Great pick. And perhaps reflective of what you wrote, while I could name songs Aretha Franklin and Etta James had performed, I came up empty when came to Irma Thomas, though I had been aware of her name. I knew “Time Is On My Side” by the Stones. Anyway, Irma Thomas sounds wonderful!
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:)
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I know about Irma because I have a good friend from New Orleans. The birthplace of much good music. (K)
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Now that is cool, Kerfe.
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Good gawd! Married twice and four children by 19? That’s nuts.
That said, thanks for the intro. Lovely voice.
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Unprotected females, especially young ones, are subject to all manner of exploitation. You’re very welcome, Dale. Indeed on her voice! <3
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My goodness… And yes! 💞
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An artist I’d never heard of, but now that I have, I will check her out some more!
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Good, Carol Anne. I hope you do.
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