Jimmy Thomas (January 20, 1939 – April 25, 2022) was an American soul singer and songwriter. He was best known as a vocalist for

Ike Turner Izear Luster "Ike" Turner Jr. (November 5, 1931 – December 12, 2007) was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, record producer, and talent scout. An early pioneer of 1950s rock and roll, he is best known for his work in the 1960s and ...

. Thomas joined Turner's

Kings of Rhythm The Kings of Rhythm are an American music group formed in the late 1940s in Clarksdale, Mississippi and led by Ike Turner through to his death in 2007. Turner would retain the name of the band throughout his career, although the group has underg ...

in 1958, and remained with the band when the Ike & Tina Turner Revue was formed in 1960. He released solo singles on Turner's labels Sue, Sputnik, and

Sonja Records Sonja Records was a Los Angeles-based record label founded by musician Ike Turner in 1963. Turner set up the label to release singles from the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, which included his then wife, R&B singer Tina Turner, as well as other artists ...

. After his departure from Turner, Thomas continued recording as a solo artist, eventually relocating to London. He formed his own label, Osceola Records, in 1979.

Life and career

Early life

Thomas was born in

Osceola, Arkansas Osceola is a city in, and a dual county seat of, Mississippi County, Arkansas, United States. Located along the Mississippi River within the Arkansas Delta, the settlement was founded in 1837 and incorporated in 1853. Occupying an important locat ...

on January 20, 1939. Raised by his aunt and uncle, Thomas grew up listening to blues musicians such as

Big Maceo Major Merriweather (March 31, 1905 – February 23, 1953), better known as Big Maceo Merriweather, was an American pianist and blues singer. He was mainly active in Chicago through the 1940s. Career Born in Newnan, Georgia, he was a self-tau ...

Tampa Red Hudson Whittaker (born Hudson Woodbridge; January 8, 1903March 19, 1981), known as Tampa Red, was a Chicago blues musician. His distinctive single-string slide guitar style, songwriting and bottleneck technique influenced other Chicago blues gu ...

, Walter Davis, and Sonny Boy Williamson. In his teens, Thomas formed his first band called the Rock and Roll Trays. They performed popular R&B and blues tunes in clubs around Osceola. In 1958,

Albert King Albert Nelson (April 25, 1923 – December 21, 1992), known by his stage name Albert King, was an American guitarist and singer who is often regarded as one of the greatest and most influential blues guitarists of all time. He is perhaps b ...

recommended that Thomas travel to

East St. Louis East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...

and audition for a spot as a vocalist in Ike Turner's band the

Kings of Rhythm

By 1956, Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm were one of the most popular live attractions in the

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

and East St. Louis club scene. In 1958, Turner was looking for a new vocalist following the departure of

Clayton Love Clayton D. Love Jr. (November 16, 1927 – February 28, 2010) was an American blues pianist, who led his own band, the Shufflers, in the early 1950s. He was later a vocalist in Ike Turner's band, the Kings of Rhythm. Biography Love was bor ...

. Thomas replaced Love and was soon joined by singer Tommy Hodge. Around the time Thomas and Hodge joined the Kings of Rhythm, Turner shifted from his usual blues oriented sound to producing R&B material. That year, Thomas made his recording debut during the group's

Cobra Records Cobra Records (together with its Artistic subsidiary) was an independent record label that operated from 1956–1959. The label launched the careers of Chicago blues artists Otis Rush, Magic Sam, and Buddy Guy and "signaled the arrival of a new ...

sessions in Chicago. He was featured on Turner's singles released on Stevens Records in 1959. In St. Louis, Thomas also performed with Benny Sharp, Eugene Neal, and Albert King.

Ike and Tina Turner Revue

In 1960, Turner wrote "

A Fool in Love "A Fool in Love" is the debut single by Ike & Tina Turner. It was released on Sue Records in 1960. The song is Tina Turner's first professional release although she had been recording with Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm since 1958. It was the ...

" for

Art Lassiter Arthur Lassiter (January 27, 1928 – August 4, 1994) was an American singer, known for his work with Ike Turner. Early life Lassiter was born in 1928 in North Carolina. His parents were cotton sharecroppers, and Lassiter began singing after j ...

. When Lassiter failed to show up for the recording session, one of Turner's background vocalists, Little Ann, sang the lead. Little Ann was renamed

Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the " Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue before ...

, and the single was released on

Sue Records ''Sue Records was also the name of a Louisiana-based record company which owned Jewel Records (Shreveport record label).'' Sue Records ("The Sound of Soul") was an American record label founded by Henry 'Juggy' Murray and Bobby Robinson in 1957. ...

. Following the success of the single, Turner formed the Ike & Tina Turner Revue which included the Kings of Rhythm and a trio of female vocalists called

the Ikettes The Ikettes, originally The Artettes, were a trio (sometimes quartet) of female backing vocalists for the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Despite their origins, the Ikettes became successful artists in their own right. In the 1960s they had hits such as ...

. In 1961, Thomas and Ikette Wilhelmina Weaver (as Jimmy & Jean) released the single "I Can't Believe" / "I Want Marry You" on Sue. After Ike & Tina had a string of hit records, Turner relocated the band to Los Angeles in 1962. When the hits dried up they began to tour vigorously. Thomas recalled, "We would only be in L.A. three months out of the year, we be touring like nine months." Since they couldn't rely on records, the revue strengthened their live act by added dance routines. Thomas and Tina Turner would change the routines and have dance battles onstage. In 1962, Thomas released his single "You Can Go"/"Hurry And Come Home" on Sue Records. In between touring, Turner formed multiple record labels to release singles. Thomas released solo singles on Turner's labels Sputnik and Sonja. In 1964, the revue released their first live album, ''

Ike & Tina Turner Revue Live ''Ike & Tina Turner Revue Live'' is the first live album by Ike & Tina Turner released on Kent Records in 1964. Background The Ike & Tina Turner Revue was formed in 1960 in St. Louis by songwriter, musician, and bandleader Ike Turner. By 19 ...

'', which features Thomas' rendition of "Feel So Good" by

Junior Parker Herman "Junior" Parker (March 27, 1932November 18, 1971) Li ...

. His rendition of " Down In The Valley" is included on the revue's follow-up live album, ''

Live! The Ike & Tina Turner Show ''Live! The Ike & Tina Turner Show'' is a live album by Ike & Tina Turner released on Warner Bros. Records in 1965. In 1967, ''The Ike & Tina Turner Show – Vol. 2'', consisting of different recordings from the same shows was released on Loma Re ...

'', released in 1965.

Solo career

While the Ike & Tina Turner Revue were touring the UK with

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...

in 1966, Thomas befriended producers

Denny Cordell Dennis Cordell-Lavarack (1 August 1943 – 18 February 1995), known as Denny Cordell, was an English record producer. He is notable for his mid-1960s and early 1970s productions of hit singles for The Moody Blues, Leon Russell, The Move, Procol ...

and

Tony Visconti Anthony Edward Visconti (born April 24, 1944) is an American record producer, musician and singer. Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers. His first hit single was T. Rex's " Ride a White Swan" in 1970, the first of man ...

, who invited him to learn production. Thomas released the single "Where There's a Will (There's a Way)" on Mirwood Records in 1966. After leaving Ike & Tina Turner, he worked local jobs in Los Angeles before relocating to London in 1969. He began producing his own solo records such as the Northern soul classic "The Beautiful Night" released on

Parlophone Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a German–British record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 192 ...

in 1969. In 1973, Thomas wrote and produced a solo LP, ''Abyss'', released on Contempo, a London label owned by John Abbey, founder of ''

Blues and Soul ''Blues & Soul'' is a British music magazine, established in 1967 by John Abbey. ''The Independent'' has noted ''Blues & Soul'' as being the equal of magazines such as '' NME'' and '' Q''. ''Billboard'' magazine has called ''Blues & Soul'' "a ...

'' magazine. Thomas formed his own label, Osceola Records, in 1979. Beginning in the 1970s, Thomas provided background vocals for various acts, including

Gary Wright Gary Malcolm Wright (born April 26, 1943) is an American musician and composer best known for his 1976 hit songs "Dream Weaver" and " Love Is Alive", and for his role in helping establish the synthesizer as a leading instrument in rock and pop ...

David Essex David Essex (born David Albert Cook; 23 July 1947) is an English singer, songwriter, and actor. Since the 1970s, he has attained 19 Top 40 singles in the UK (including two number ones) and 16 Top 40 albums. Internationally, Essex had the most ...

Voyage Voyage(s) or The Voyage may refer to: Literature *''Voyage : A Novel of 1896'', Sterling Hayden * ''Voyage'' (novel), a 1996 science fiction novel by Stephen Baxter *''The Voyage'', Murray Bail * "The Voyage" (short story), a 1921 story by ...

Mikael Rickfors Mikael Rickfors (born 4 December 1948) is a Swedish singer and songwriter. From 1968, he was the lead singer and bass guitarist in Swedish band Bamboo. The band released two singles before breaking up in 1970. Rickfors later performed with the ...

, Lloyd Cole & The Commotions, Madness, Miguel Bosé,

Blue Mercedes Blue Mercedes were a pop music duo from London, England, comprising David Titlow and Duncan Millar. Their debut album, ''Rich and Famous'', was produced by Phil Harding and Ian Curnow for PWL, with songs written by Titlow and Millar. "It was d ...

, and Kevin Rowland.

Death

His death in April 2022 was confirmed online by his friend P. P. Arnold.

Discography

Albums

* 1973: ''Abyss''

Ike and Tina Turner

* 1964: ''

'' * 1965: ''

'' *2012: ''Ike Turner'' ''Studio Productions: New Orleans and Los Angeles 1963–1965''

Singles

* 1961: Jimmy & Jean – "I Can't Believe" / "I Want Marry You" (Sue 743) *1961: "I Must Be Crazy"/"Every Day I Wake Up Crying" (Play Back Record PO-0037A) * 1962: "You Can Go"/"Hurry And Come Home" (Sue 778) * 1963: "The Darkest Hour"/"The Little Cheater" (Sputnik 10001) * 1964: "You've Tasted Anothers Lips"/"I Love Nobody But You" (Sonja 2004) * 1966: "Where There's A Will"/"Just Trying To Please You" (Mirwood 5522) * 1969: "The Beautiful Night"/"Above A Whisper" (Parlophone R 5773) * 1970: "(We Ain't Here Looking For) No Trouble"/"Springtime" (Spark SRL 1035) * 1971: "White Dove"/"You Don't Have To Say Goodbye" ( Sire 45-4121) * 1973: "All God's Children"/"The Weak-End Is Mine" (Contempo C 8) * 1975: "Beautiful Night"/"I Can't Live My Life Without You" ( 20th Century Records BTC 1002) * 1981: "Hang Right On In There"/"Driving Wheel" (Osceola Records OSC 2) *1982: "Standing Alone In A Crowd"/"Mister Are You Famous" (Cricket LBW 002) * 2002: "We Got Togetherness"/"Secret Doors To Secret Places" (Smoke City SMC 9001)

Features

* 1959: "Jack Rabbit"/"In Your Eyes Baby" (Stevens 104) with Icky Renrut (alias for Ike Turner) * 1959: "Hey – Hey"/"Ho – Ho" (Stevens 107) with Icky Renrut (alias for Ike Turner) * 1980: "Just A Matter Of Time" (Laser LAS 34) with Zen

Backing vocal credits

* 1971: ''Street Singer'' –

Mick Softley Michael Softley (26 September 1939 – 1 September 2017) was an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. A figurehead during the British folk scene, Softley set up his own folk club, released three albums and worked with performers such as Mac ...

*1971: ''Footprint'' – Gary Wright *1972: ''Queues'' – Vigrass & Osborne *1973: '' Rock On'' – David Essex *1973: ''Now Hear This'' –

Hanson Hanson or Hansson may refer to: People * Hanson (surname) * Hansson (surname) * Hanson (wrestler), ringname of an American professional wrestler Musical groups * Hanson (band), an American pop rock band * Hanson (UK band), an English rock ...

*1976: '' Thunder into Our Hearts'' – Jabula *1978: ''Midnight Ride'' – Barbara Pennington * 1981: '' One Step Higher'' – Voyage * 1983: ''Blue Fun'' – Mikael Rickfors * 1985: ''

Easy Pieces ''Easy Pieces'' is the second album by the British band Lloyd Cole and the Commotions. It was released on Polydor Records in the UK on 22 November 1985 and included the hit singles "Brand New Friend" (#19 in UK), "Lost Weekend" (#17 in UK) and " ...

'' – Lloyd Cole & The Commotions * 1985: '' Mad Not Mad'' – Madness * 1986: ''

Salamandra ''Salamandra'' is a genus of seven species of salamanders localized in central and southern Europe, Northern Africa, and western Asia. List of species References External links Salamandraat Fauna Europaea * Salamandraat Animal Diversity W ...

'' – Miguel Bosé * 1987: '' Face To Face'' – Barclay James Harvest * 1988: ''Rich And Famous'' – Blue Mercedes * 1988: ''When The Night Begins'' – Ellert * 1999: '' My Beauty'' – Kevin Rowland

References

External links

Osceola Records
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Jimmy 1939 births 2022 deaths People from Osceola, Arkansas 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singers Kings of Rhythm members Ike & Tina Turner members Mirwood Records artists Sonja Records artists Singer-songwriters from Arkansas American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters American soul singers Sue Records artists African-American male singers African-American songwriters American emigrants to England