Thelma Houston
Thelma Houston ( born May 7, 1946 as Thelma Jackson in Leland, Mississippi) is an American R & B and disco singer and occasional actress. Her biggest success Do not Leave Me This Way was a worldwide hit in early 1977, was awarded a Grammy and has become one of the biggest disco classics of all time.
Life and work
Thelma Houston grew up in modest circumstances. Her mother worked as Baumwollpflückerin to feed Thelma and her three sisters. In her youth, the family moved to California. Houston graduated from high school, got married and had two children. The couple divorced later. Her first professional musical steps they did in the 1960s in the Gospel Band The Art Reynolds Singers. In 1966, she signed her first solo contract with Capitol, and there published the two unsuccessful singles Baby Mine (1966) and Do not Cry, My Soldier Boy (1967). The former manager of the Fifth Dimension, Marc Gordon, was impressed by her voice so that in 1969 he signed a contract with ABC / Dunhill got her. Their debut LP Sunshower was in the same year by star producer and songwriter Jimmy Webb, who had also worked with The Fifth Dimension, is responsible. Up to Jumpin 'Jack Flash by the Rolling Stones, he wrote all the songs for Thelma, which he described as " the most wonderful talent that had ever met him " referred to in the liner notes. However, the work did not succeed.
In 1971, Houston signed a new contract: The Motown sub- label Mowest the singer released a few singles and their second LP Thelma Houston (1972 ), before the brand was discontinued again in 1973 and Houston joined the main Motown label. In 1974 she succeeded with You've Been Doing Wrong for So Long a moderate success - the recording was nominated for a Grammy and reached number 64 in the U.S. R & B charts. Thelma Houston's famous song, Do not Leave Me This Way by Harold Melvin in the original and the Blue Notes was, in early 1977 a number one hit in the American pop and R & B charts. In Germany it reached with the song in the same year 41st 1978 she was awarded the Grammy for best female R & B vocal performance. At this time Houston was one of the most sought-after disco queens. On their biggest hit but never was able to connect properly. Her other credits include Saturday Night, Sunday Morning (1979, U.S. # 37, R & B # 19 ) and You Used to Hold Me So Tight (1984, R & B number 13, UK number 49 ). In 1980 she reunited with Jimmy Webb: The Breakwater Cat LP contained five of his compositions; He also served as executive producer of the album. 1998 Houston had a vocal appearance in the movie Studio 54, which tells the story of the legendary New York disco. She interpreted Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and headed for the soundtrack of their biggest hit Do not Leave Me This Way at. This was included in the newly formed Dance Music Hall of Fame in 2004. A year later, Houston won a copy of the comeback show Hit Me, Baby, One More Time by the American TV channel NBC. 2007 appeared to her latest album A Woman's Touch, which only includes songs that were originally recorded by male artists.
Houston is contrary to some sources not related to Whitney Houston.
Discography
Albums
- 2007: A Woman's Touch