| Thelma Houston | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Thelma Jackson |
| Born | May 7 1946 |
| Origin | Leland, Mississippi |
| Genre(s) | Motown, Soul, Pop rock, Urban, Quiet Storm, House, Disco, Club/Dance |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, Actress |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Years active | 1966–present |
| Label(s) | Dunhill Records (1968–1970), Motown Records (1970–1982), MCA Records (1982–1985), Reprise Records (1989–1991), Shout Factory Records/Sony Records/BMG (2006–present) |
| Website | www.thelmahouston.com |
Thelma Houston (born May 7 1946) is an African-American R&B and Club/Dance singer-songwriter and actress. She scored a #1 hit in 1977 with her cover of the song Don't Leave Me This Way. The single remained identifiable throughout the years, being featured in many films and became a prime example of 1970s disco.
Contents |
Early life
Born as Thelma Jackson, daughter of a cotton picker mother, Houston was born in Leland, Mississippi. She and her three sisters grew up primarily in Long Beach, California. After marrying and having two children, she joined the Art Reynolds Singers gospel group. There, she met Marc Gordon, who signed her as a recording artist with Dunhill Records.
Career
In 1969, Houston released her first album titled, "Sunshower". In 1971, she went on to sign with Motown Records, but she failed to score any big hits for some time. The most successful single during that time period was You've Been Doing Wrong For So Long which peaked at #64 on the R&B chart in 1974. In April of that same year she joined the cast of The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine, playing various characters during the shows skits. However, the show was canceled in August and for the next several years her work was limited to demo recordings and performing at small venues. So she entered acting in 1975, appearing in the made-for-TV movie Death Scream. The year 1976 would prove to be the year that Thelma would finally make it to the mainstream pop culture. She started the year off by recording songs for the soundtrack to the movie The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings starring Billy Dee Williams and James Earl Jones. She was then invited to sing backing vocals for Motown labelmate Jermaine Jackson on his 1976 album My Name Is Jermaine. By mid 1976 Thelma started working on her 3rd album Any Way You Like It. The first single released turned out to be the Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes tune Don't Leave Me This Way. In February of 1977 it hit #1 in the U.S. on both the Billboard pop and R&B charts as well as #1 on the Club Play Singles chart. Thelma's version incorporated some elements of the current disco style, and it became a popular hit in dance clubs, and has come to be regarded as one of the major songs of the disco era. The song won the 1977 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Later on that year she teamed-up with Jerry Butler to record the album Thelma & Jerry. In November 1977 she co-starred in the film Game Show Models. The following year she recorded the single Love Masterpiece for the disco/comedy film Thank God It's Friday (1978) starring disco queen Donna Summer and funk group The Commodores. In 1979, Houston released her 2nd biggest single, Saturday Night, Sunday Morning (#19 R&B, #34 Pop), from the Ride to the Rainbow album. She briefly returned to acting that same year, appearing in the independent film The Seventh Dwarf. Although Houston went on to record other albums throughout the 80s, none of the singles from those albums matched the success of Don't Leave Me This Way. Most of the releases became either moderate or minor R&B chart hits. So she decided to concentrate on her acting career. During the early-to-mid 80's she guest starred on several popular TV series including Cagney & Lacey, Simon & Simon, Faerie Tale Theatre, and the afterschool special Little Miss Perfect (1987). In 1988 she returned to the silver screen, appearing as a prison singer in the romantic/comedy movie, And God Created Woman. Houston decided to return to music in 1989, when she recorded a new version of Bill Withers classic "Lean on Me" for the film of the same name. Then she co-wrote and sang back-up on the song Be Yourself for Patti LaBelle's album of the same title.
The 1990s
In the fall of 1990 she released her first album in over 5 years, entitled Throw You Down. The title song reached #5 on Billboard's Dance chart. By the mid-90's anything retro-disco was in demand and so a remix of Houston's anthem, Don't Leave Me This Way, was released and once again charted on Billboard's Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart at #19. Subsequent singles include I Need Somebody Tonight and All of That, both of which are House music favorites in the underground clubland. She briefly returned to acting in 1998 with small roles in the films 54 (about the famed nightclub Studio 54) and Oprah Winfrey's Beloved.
Recent Times
Thelma kicked off the new millennium in Australia starting in the Broadway musical version of Fame. From Sydney to Perth the show was a nationwide success. Upon returning to the U.S. Houston kept herself busy, touring with Nile Rodgers & Chic, and with Cher on her Farewell concert tour. Houston regularly performs at Teatro ZinZanni in Seattle and and San Francisco. Her version of Don't Leave Me This Way continues to be popular today. In recent years she has been invited to sing her signature song on dozens of TV shows and specials including NBC's Today Show, ABC's Motown 45 and The Disco Ball...A 30-Year Celebration and PBS specials American Soundtrack: Rhythm, Love and Soul, Soul Superstars, and Old School Superstars. Don't Leave Me This Way was mentioned by VH1 as being among the greatest dance songs in 2000, and was named #86 in VH1's countdown of the 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders. She won an episode of the NBC show Hit Me Baby One More Time with her renditions of her own hit and "Fallin'" by Alicia Keys. On September 20, 2004, Houston's rendition of Don't Leave Me This Way was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame in New York City. On August 14 2007, Thelma released her first studio album in 17 years entitled A Woman's Touch. The album features all cover songs by male artists such as Luther Vandross, Marvin Gaye and Sting that Thelma wished she had initially recorded herself. The first single from the album is "Brand New Day." It has been added to several Rhythmic/Dance format radio station playlists. On August 20 2007, Houston's 1984 album, "Qualifying Heat", was reissued as an import title in the U.S. with a bonus track.
Discography
Albums
- Dunhill release
- 1969: Sunshower
- Motown releases
- 1973: Thelma Houston (1972)
- 1976: Any Way You Like It
- 1977: Thelma & Jerry - Thelma Houston & Jerry Butler
- 1977: The Devil in Me
- 1978: Ready to Roll
- 1978: Two to One - Thelma Houston & Jerry Butler
- 1979: Ride to the Rainbow
- 1982: Reachin' All Around
- Sheffield Lab release
- 1975: I've Got the Music in Me - with Pressure Cooker
- RCA releases
- 1980: Breakwater Cat
- 1981: Never Gonna Be Another One
- MCA releases
- 1983: Thelma Houston (1983)
- 1984: Qualifying Heat
- Reprise release
- 1990: Throw You Down
- Shout Factory Records
- 2007: A Woman's Touch
Singles
| Year | Song | U.S. Pop | U.S. R&B | U.S. Club/Dance | U.S. Dance Airplay | U.K. Pop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | "Baby Mine" | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1967 | "Don't Cry, My Soldier Boy" | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1969 | "Everybody Gets To Go To The Moon" | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1969 | "Sunshower" | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1969 | "Jumpin' Jack Flash" | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1970 | "Save the Country" | 74 | - | - | - | - |
| 1970 | "The Good Earth" | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1972 | "I Want To Go Back There Again" | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1972 | "Me and Bobby McGee" | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1972 | "Piano Man" | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1972 | "What If?" | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1972 | "I'm Just A Part Of Yesterday" | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1974 | "You've Been Doing Wrong For So Long" | - | 64 | - | - | - |
| 1976 | "Don't Leave Me This Way" | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 13 |
| 1976 | "Any Way You Like It" | - | - | 1 | - | - |
| 1976 | "If It's The Last Thing I Do" | 47 | - | - | - | - |
| 1977 | "I'm Here Again" | - | 21 | 18 | - | - |
| 1977 | "I Can't Go On Living Without Your Love" | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1977 | "It's A Lifetime Thing" | - | 84 | - | - | - |
| 1977 | "Don't Pity Me" (with Jerry Butler) | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1978 | "I'm Not Strong Enough (To Love You)" | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1979 | "Love Masterpiece" (from the "Thank God It's Friday Soundtrack) | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1979 | "Saturday Night, Sunday Morning" | 34 | - | 33 | - | - |
| 1979 | "Love Machine" | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1980 | "Suspicious Minds" | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1981 | "If You Feel It" | - | - | 6 | - | 48 |
| 1981 | "96 Tears" | - | 76 | 22 | - | - |
| 1983 | "Working Girl" | - | 46 | - | - | - |
| 1983 | "Just Like All The Rest" | - | 80 | |||
| 1984 | "You Used To Hold Me So Tight" | - | 13 | 7 | - | 49 |
| 1984 | "What A Woman Feels Inside"/"Fantasy and Heartbreak" | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1985 | "I'd Rather Spend The Bad Times With You, Than The Good Times With Someone New" | - | - | 4 | - | - |
| 1985 | "(I Guess) It Must Be Love" | - | 59 | - | - | 80 |
| 1985 | "Why Do People Fall In Love" (with Dennis Edwards) | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1985 | "Moonlight Serenade" | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1985 | "In The Mood" (from Into The Night) | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1985 | "My Lucille (with B.B. King)/ Keep It Light" | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1989 | "Lean On Me" | - | 73 | - | - | - |
| 1990 | "Hold On" | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1990 | "Out Of My Hands" | - | 82 | - | - | - |
| 1990 | "Throw You Down / What He Was" | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1991 | "High" | - | 66 | - | - | - |
| 1991 | "Throw You Down" | - | - | 6 | - | - |
| 1996 | "Don't Leave Me This Way" (Junior Vasquez '96 Version) | - | - | 19 | - | 35 |
| 1996 | "I Need Somebody Tonight" | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1998 | "All of That" | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1999 | "Let It Be" (with Roger Daltrey) | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2004 | "Don't Leave Me This Way" (Soultans Mix) | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2007 | "Brand New Day" | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
An Asterisk,"*", next to Pop chart singles chart peak means the single only charted on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 singles chart.
Filmography
- Death Scream - 1975
- Game Show Models - 1977
- The Seventh Dwarf - 1979
- And God Created Woman - 1988
- 54 - 1998
- Beloved - 1998
TV Series (Guest)
- The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine - 1971
- Faerie Tale Theatre - 1985
- Cagney & Lacey - 1985
- Simon & Simon - 1986
- After School Special - 1987
Soundtracks
- Norman...Is That You? (film) - One Out Of Every Six (song) - 1976
- The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings (film) - Steal On Home/Razzle Dazzle (songs) - 1976
- Thank God It's Friday (film) - Love Masterpiece (song) - 1978
- Getting Physical (film) - Hot Dance/To Be Free (songs) - 1984
- Into The Night (film) - Keep It Light (song) - 1985
- Lean On Me (film) - Lean On Me (song) - 1989
See also
- List of number-one hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart
