Irma Thomas was born in Ponchatoula, LA on February 18, 1941. She is known as the "Soul Queen of New Orleans" 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. Born Irma Lee, as a teenager she sang with a Baptist church choir. She auditioned for Specialty Records at the age of 13. By the time she was 19, she had been married twice and had four children. She worked as a waitress in New Orleans. Her first single "You Can Have My Husband but Don't Mess with My Man," was released in late 1959, and reached number 22 on the Billboard R&B Chart. In April 2007, Thomas was honored for her contributions to Louisiana music with induction into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. In 2013, Thomas was nominated for a Blues Music Award in the "Soul Blues Female Artist" category, which she won. She won the same award in 2014.
“The Gospel According to New Orleans” my collection of iconic New Orleans musicians commemorates their role in the evolution of the eccentric culture and music traditions of New Orleans. All depicted in this series are musical and cultural icons who make or live on through their significant contributions to the uniqueness of what composes the spirit of New Orleans. They exemplify the joie de vivre that runs through all aspects of life here in all of its diversity.
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