Remind Yourself Why Thelma Houston is a House Music Queen

Thelma Houston
A Grammy Award Winner, multitalented singer, songwriter, actress
and international performer, Thelma
Houston
is
an
accomplished
entertainer whose list of credits are a
testament to her desire to meet new
challenges
and
create
new
opportunities. With three decades as a
recording artist to her credit, she
proudly looks at her career rich in
achievement.
Thelma’s busy schedule has included
a whirlwind of recording, film,
television and songwriting activities
and constant performances literally
around the globe. In May of 2004 she
was a special guest star on The
MOTOWN 45th Anniversary a major
ABC’s Primetime Special which
honored the # 1 hit songs from the
MOTOWN era. 2003 TV credits included guest starring on ABC’s “The Disco Ball,”
along with appearing during sweeps week on “Family Feud” and “$25K Pyramid”.
Thelma opened for Cher’s Farwell Tour in Toronto and toured nationally in the Disco
Tour. She appeare d in Oprah Winfrey’s much-acclaimed 1998 movie, Beloved and
towards the end of that year, she performed as part of a special stage show called The
British Rock Symphony in Australia with a thirty-piece orchestra paying tribute to the
legends of British pop and rock. Thelma also recorded three cuts for the show’s cast
album (featuring Roger Daltrey, Paul Rogers and Ann Wilson of Heart among others),
released worldwide by Point Music/PolyGram. The show toured all major European
markets to great acclaim at the end of 1999.
In the last few years she’s toured throughout the U.S. in standing-room-only concerts
with dance music legends like Gloria Gaynor, Evelyn ’Champagne’ King and K.C. and
the Sunshine Band. She co-wrote a song (“The Night I Fly”) for the 1998 film ’54’. And
whether she’s appearing in Mexico City, Tokyo, Las Vegas or London, Thelma Houston
has brought audiences to their feet with her dynamic, energetic stage show. The eversoulful songstress on enjoying moments of her ongoing career: “I still feel tremendous
excitement about performing”, says an upbeat Houston. “It’s such a part of me, and
something I have to do. I used to see success in a whole different light, but you know
what, I feel really blessed because I’m constantly working and I truly love what I do!”
What Thelma Houston loves to do is share her natural gifts and she’s been doing just that
for as long as she can remember. “I’ve been singing since I was three” says the
Mississippi-born native who moved to Long Beach, California when she was ten. “My
baby-sitter, who was also the piano player at our church would play hymns and I’d sing
them. After that I started singing in church myself and anywhere else I could!”
Like so many other great performers who began their musical journey in the church,
Thelma’s obvious vocal talent resulted in an early career in gospel music. She was a
member of the renowned gospel group, “The Art Reynolds Singers” and recorded with
them before launching her own career in pop and R&B in the late 60’s. Her first album,
“Sunshower” was produced by legendary songwriter Jimmy Webb and was hailed by
critics and music fans alike as a triumphant debut from a rising new star.
Thelma’s breakthrough into mainstream recognition and international acceptance came
after she signed with Motown Records in the 70’s. After recording the theme for the
Richard Pryor hit movie, “The Bingo Long Song,” Thelma hit the top of the pop, R&B
and dance charts with her high-powered rendition of “Don’t Leave Me This Way”
(originally recorded by Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes). A gold single, the now-classic
song gave Thelma the distinction of being the first solo female artist at Motown to win a
Grammy Award for “Best R&B Female Vocal Performance” in 1977 and virtually took
her around the world. A few of her other hits include: “Saturday Night, Sunday
Morning,” “I Can’t Go On Living Without Your Love,” “I’m Here Again,” and “If You
Feel It.”
Known for her emotive style and passionate delivery, Thelma showed her musical
versatility with the jazz-flavored “If It’s The Last Thing I Do,” a Top 20 R&B in 1977,
recording a couple of albums with soul legend Jerry Butler at Motown before scoring
further success at RCA and MCA records in the 80’s. It was at MCA that she gave thenfledgling producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis one of their first Top 20 R&B hits with
the dance jam “You Used To Hold Me So Tight” and Thelma ended the decade with a
rousing gospel-flavored version of Bill Withers’ “Lean On Me”, recorded with The
Winans and featured in the hit movie of the same name starring Morgan Freeman.
Continuing to display her many talents, Thelma co-wrote “Be Yourself”, the title track
for Patti LaBelle’s 1989 hit album.20Her burgeoning skills as an actress first became
apparent in the 70’s and her resume includes the movies Death Scream, The Seventh
Dwarf, Game Show Models, and most recently, a remake of And God Created Woman,
which also starred Rebecca DeMornay. Her music has been heard in a number of hit
films such as Thank God It’s Friday, Looking For Mr. Goodbar, Norman, Is That You?,
Into The Night and Lean On Me.
Thelma’s numerous television credits include guest starring roles on “Cagney & Lacey,”
“Simon & Simon,” “The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine,” VH1’s “Greatest Dance
Songs,” and “Fairie Tale Theatre”.
In 1998 she also performed in the initial workshop for The Legend, Debbie Allen’s
adaptation of Ibsen’s “Pier Gynt”, with music by James Ingram, which also starred
Hinton Battle and Jasmine Guy among others.
Known as a humanitarian for her ongoing support for a variety of charitable causes and
most specifically for her tireless efforts in the battle against AIDS, Thelma participated in
a special benefit in 1994 at New York’s Algonquin Hotel with other major female artists
(Phoebe Snow, Chaka Khan and CeCe Peniston under the banner “Sisters of Glory”). The
show was so electrifying that Thelma and the other members of the created group were
asked to open Woodstock the same year, singing traditional gospel songs. An invitation
to perform at The Vatican for The Pope followed and in 1995, Thelma participated with
Snow, Peniston and gospel great Albertina Walker on the Warner Brothers album, “Good
News in Hard Times”.
Aside from her own Reprise album, “Throw You Down”, Thelma’s recording activities
has included guest appearances with guitarist Scott Henderson on his 1997 CD “Tore
Down House” (for Atlantic) and guitarist Eric Henderson on his JVC CD “Faces”, also in
1997. Thelma can also be heard on the soundtrack for the film Into The Night and
recorded in the UK with well-known producer Joey Negro in 1996.
The last few years have included a great deal of globe trotting for the singer: she’s
performed in Switzerland, Indonesia, France, Chile, Singapore and Malaysia as well as
appearing at major concert venues, private parties, corporate events, throughout the U.S.
where she averages 175 shows per year. Thelma’s appeared with many of the top names
in the world of entertainment including the late Sammy Davis Jr., Lou Rawls, Neil
Sedaka, Engelbert Humperdink, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations and The Four Tops.
Her late ’98 month-long Australian engagement as part of the “British Rock Symphony”
(with Eric Burdon) showcased Thelma’s stunning versions of Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably
Numb” and The Rolling Stones’ “Ruby Tuesday”, a reminder that her sizzling cover of
the Stones’ “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” was featured on her very first album “Sunshower”.
The year 2000 found Thelma Houston back in Australia starring in the Broadway musical
Fame. Rave reviews, sold out performances to SRO crowds from Sydney to Perth kept
Thelma in Australia for the better part of twelve months firmly establishing Thelma’s
reputation as a legitimate stage actress.
Thelma Houston has traveled a long way since her first album and she shows no signs of
slowing down. “I have so many things I want to do”, she says with typical enthusiasm
and energy. “I want to do a CD of original dance music because the fans of that music
have been so loyal to me over the years. I’d like to do a jazz album and a gospel album to
remind people of my musical roots. There is still so much for me to do and to be honest, I
didn’t think I’d be doing all of this for so long. But I’m very grateful and I appreciate my
career now more than ever and there9 9s no end in sight!”