Thelma Houston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thelma Houston
|
|
|---|---|
Houston in 2023
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Thelma Jackson |
| Born | May 7, 1943 Leland, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Years active | 1968–present |
| Labels | |
Thelma Houston (born Thelma Jackson on May 7, 1943) is a famous American singer and actress. She started her music career in the late 1960s. In 1977, she had a huge hit song called "Don't Leave Me This Way". This song was so popular that it reached number one on the music charts. Thelma Houston also won a Grammy Award for this song, which is a very important award in music.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Music Start
Thelma Houston was born in Leland, Mississippi. Her mother worked hard in cotton fields. Thelma and her three sisters grew up mostly in Long Beach, California. After she got married and had two children, she joined a gospel music group called the Art Reynolds Singers. Gospel music is a type of religious music.
Later, she signed a record deal with Dunhill Records. In 1969, she released her first album, named Sunshower. A famous musician named Jimmy Webb helped create most of the songs on this album. In 1971, she joined Motown Records, which was a very popular record company. However, her first songs with Motown were not big hits. One of her songs, "You've Been Doing Wrong for So Long," did reach number 64 on the R&B chart in 1974. Her strong singing on that song earned her a nomination for a Grammy Award.
Acting and More Music
Thelma Houston also took acting classes. Her first acting role was in a TV movie called Death Scream in 1975. That same year, she released an album called I've Got the Music in Me with a group called Pressure Cooker. This album became very popular with people who loved high-quality sound.
The next year, she sang songs for the movie soundtrack of The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings. She also performed on TV shows like the Golden Globe Award broadcast. In 1976, she sang background vocals for another Motown artist, Jermaine Jackson.
The Big Hit: "Don't Leave Me This Way"
In 1976, Thelma Houston released her third solo album, Any Way You Like It. The first song from this album was her version of "Don't Leave Me This Way". This song was originally by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. In February 1977, Thelma Houston's version became a number one hit on the R&B and Dance charts in the U.S. By April 1977, it was also number one on the main Billboard Hot 100 chart.
"Don't Leave Me This Way" was a huge success around the world. It became a hit in many countries, including the UK. This song won Thelma Houston a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 1977. After this success, she also recorded an album with singer Jerry Butler called Thelma & Jerry.
Life After Motown
After her big hit, Thelma Houston released more albums like The Devil in Me in 1978. She tried to make songs similar to "Don't Leave Me This Way," but they didn't become as popular. However, her song "Love Masterpiece" was included on the soundtrack for the movie Thank God It's Friday, which sold millions of copies.
Her album Ready to Roll also came out in 1978. A song from that album, "Saturday Night, Sunday Morning," became a moderate hit. Even with these successes, Thelma Houston decided to leave Motown Records.
The 1980s and Beyond
Thelma Houston continued to make music in the 1980s. She released the album Breakwater Cat in 1980. In 1984, she released Qualifying Heat, which included the song "You Used to Hold Me So Tight." This song became her most successful hit after the 1970s, reaching number 13 on the R&B chart.
Besides music, Thelma Houston appeared in several TV shows during the 1980s. These included Cagney & Lacey, Simon & Simon, and Faerie Tale Theatre. She also sang songs for movies like "Keep It Light" for Into the Night and a remake of "Lean on Me" for the movie Lean on Me.
The 1990s and New Projects
In 1990, Thelma Houston released Throw You Down, her first album in six years. A remixed version of "Don't Leave Me This Way" was released in 1995 and became popular on dance charts again.
In 1994, Thelma Houston joined a group called "Sisters of Glory" for a special concert to help people with AIDS. This group, which included other famous singers like Phoebe Snow and CeCe Peniston, performed at Woodstock '94 and even for the Pope in Vatican City. They later released an album together called Good News in Hard Times. Thelma Houston also appeared in two movies in 1998: 54 and Beloved.
Recent Career and "The Masked Singer"
In 2000, Thelma Houston toured Australia in the musical Fame. She also continued to perform with famous artists like Nile Rodgers and Chic. Her song "Don't Leave Me This Way" is still very popular today. She has been invited to sing it on many TV shows, including Today Show and American Idol.
In 2004, "Don't Leave Me This Way" was honored and added to the Dance Music Hall of Fame in New York City. In 2007, she released a new album called A Woman's Touch, which featured her singing songs originally performed by male artists who inspired her.
Most recently, in 2024, Thelma Houston appeared on season eleven of The Masked Singer. She performed as the character "Clock" and made it all the way to the semifinals, finishing in third place. As an encore, she sang her famous song "Don't Leave Me This Way."
Discography
- Sunshower (1969)
- Thelma Houston (1972)
- I've Got the Music in Me (with Pressure Cooker) (1975)
- Any Way You Like It (1976)
- The Devil in Me (1977)
- Thelma & Jerry (with Jerry Butler) (1977)
- Two to One (with Jerry Butler) (1978)
- Ready to Roll (1978)
- Ride to the Rainbow (1979)
- Breakwater Cat (1980)
- Never Gonna Be Another One (1981)
- Reachin' All Around (1982)
- Thelma Houston (1983)
- Qualifying Heat (1984)
- Throw You Down (1990)
- Thelma Houston (1994)
- A Woman's Touch (2007)
Filmography
Films
- 1975: Death Scream — Lady Wing Ding
- 1977: Game Show Models — Dana Sheridan
- 1979: The Seventh Dwarf
- 1988: And God Created Woman — prison singer
- 1998: 54 — herself
- 1998: Beloved — one of The Thirty Women
Television (guest)
- 1969: The Ed Sullivan Show- guest singer, singing "Didn't We" (December 8)
- 1969: The Price of Fame – Guest singer, singing "Jumpin' Jack Flash"
- 1971: The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine — various characters
- 1975: The Golden Globe Award — Guest Singer
- 1980: The Two Ronnies- Guest singer, singing " The Candyman"
- 1985: Cagney & Lacey (5,11: Play it again, Santa) — Ellie Hendricks
- 1986: Simon & Simon — Venutia
- 1986: Tall Tales & Legends — Edna
- 1987: Little Miss Perfect — Ms. Bonner
- 1989: Super Dave — Guest singer, "Lean on Me"
- 2024: The Masked Singer - Herself/Clock, 3rd place
Soundtracks
- 1976: The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings — "Steal on Home", "Razzle Dazzle"
- 1976: Norman... Is That You? — "One Out of Every Six"
- 1978: Thank God It's Friday — "Love Masterpiece"
- 1984: Getting Physical — "Hot Dance", "To Be Free"
- 1985: Into the Night — "Keep It Light"
- 1989: Lean on Me — "Lean on Me"
See also
In Spanish: Thelma Houston para niños
- 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
