Thelma Houston ( Jackson; born May 7, 1946) Retrieved . is an American singer. Beginning her recording career in the late 1960s, Houston scored a number-one hit record in 1977 with her recording of "

Don't Leave Me This Way "Don't Leave Me This Way" is a song written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, and Cary Gilbert. It was originally released in 1975 by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes featuring Teddy Pendergrass, an act signed to Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia Internat ...

", which won the

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

for

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (previously called Best Rhythm and Blues Solo Vocal Performance, Female) was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards ...

Biography

Early life and career

Houston was born in

Leland, Mississippi Leland is a city in Washington County, Mississippi, United States. It is located within the Mississippi Delta, on the banks of Deer Creek. The population was 4,481 at the 2010 census. It was once a railway town and had long been a center of cott ...

. Her mother was a cotton picker. She and her three sisters grew up primarily in

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

. After marrying and having two children, she joined the Art Reynolds Singers

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...

group and was subsequently signed as a recording artist with

Dunhill Records Dunhill Records was started in 1964 by Lou Adler, Jay Lasker, Pierre Cossette and Bobby Roberts as Dunhill Productions to release the music of Johnny Rivers on Imperial Records. It became a record label the following year and was distributed b ...

. Despite her surname, she is not related to

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...

. In 1969, Houston released her debut album, entitled ''

Sunshower A sunshower or sun shower is a meteorological phenomenon in which rain falls while the sun is shining. A sunshower is usually the result of accompanying winds associated with a rain storm sometimes miles away, blowing the airborne raindrops int ...

'', produced, arranged and composed by

Jimmy Webb Jimmy Layne Webb (born August 15, 1946) is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He has written numerous platinum-selling songs, including " Up, Up and Away", "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "MacArthur Park", "Wichita Lineman", "Worst ...

except for one track. In 1971 she signed with

Motown Records Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmant ...

but her early recordings with them were largely unsuccessful. Her most notable single during that period was "You've Been Doing Wrong for So Long" which peaked at No. 64 on the US ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

R&B chart The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...

in 1974. However Houston's vocal prowess on that track secured her a nomination for a

. In 1973

Motown Productions Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...

announced a projected biographical film of

Dinah Washington Dinah Washington (born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, who has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the 1950s songs". Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performe ...

which would star Houston; however the project was dropped due to difficulties in getting clearance from Washington's relatives. In April 1974, Houston joined the cast of ''

The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine ''The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine'' is a 1971 comedy-variety sketch series, starring British comedian Marty Feldman. Co-produced by ATV in the UK and ABC TV in the United States, it was recorded at ATV's Elstree Studios. It features opening ...

'', playing various characters during the show's skits. The show was canceled in August and for the next several years her work was limited to demo recordings and performing at small venues. Houston took acting classes and received her first role in the 1975 made-for-television film ''

Death Scream ''Death Scream'' is a 1975 American television film, made-for-television crime film, crime drama film loosely based on an actual event concerning the real-life account of "Kitty Genovese, a young woman whose murder was witnessed by fifteen of her ...

''. In that same year Sheffield Lab released "I've Got the Music in Me" a

direct-to-disc recording Direct-to-disc recording refers to sound recording methods that bypass the use of magnetic tape recording and record audio directly onto analog disc masters. Professional analog sound recording Most sound recordings for records before the 1950s ...

by Thelma Houston and Pressure Cooker that went on to become a benchmark vinyl recording for audiophiles. The following year she recorded songs for the soundtrack of the film ''

The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings ''The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings'' is a 1976 American sports comedy film about a team of enterprising ex- Negro league baseball players in the era of racial segregation. Loosely based upon William Brashler's 1973 novel of the ...

'' starring

Billy Dee Williams William December Williams Jr. (born April 6, 1937) is an American actor. He appeared as Lando Calrissian in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, first in the early 1980s for ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) and ''Return of the Jedi'' (1983), and thirt ...

and

James Earl Jones James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is an American actor. He has been described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances in film, television, and theater, and "one of the greatest actors in America ...

. In 1975 Houston appeared on the

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

broadcast performing the nominated song " On & On" and also was featured in a tribute to

Berry Gordy Berry Gordy III (born November 28, 1929), known professionally as Berry Gordy Jr., is a retired American record executive, record producer, songwriter, film producer and television producer. He is best known as the founder of the Motown record la ...

on that year's

American Music Award The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Produc ...

broadcast singing "

You've Made Me So Very Happy "You've Made Me So Very Happy" is a song written by Brenda Holloway, Patrice Holloway, Frank Wilson and Berry Gordy, and was released first as a single in 1967 by Brenda Holloway on the Tamla label. The song was later a huge hit for jazz-rock ...

". That year Houston's version of " Do You Know Where You're Going To" was being set for single release when it was pulled and the song given to

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups o ...

to serve as the theme song for the movie ''

Mahogany Mahogany is a straight-grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species of the genus ''Swietenia'', indigenous to the AmericasBridgewater, Samuel (2012). ''A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest''. Austin: Unive ...

''. In 1976 Houston sang backing vocals for Motown labelmate

Jermaine Jackson Jermaine La Jaune Jackson (born December 11, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and bassist. He is best known for being a member of the Jackson family. From 1964 to 1975, Jermaine was second vocalist after his brother Michael of The Jackson ...

on his album ''My Name Is Jermaine''.

"Don't Leave Me This Way"

Houston released her third solo album '' Any Way You Like It'' in 1976. The first single released was her version of

Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes were an American soul and R&B vocal group. One of the most popular Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s, the group's repertoire included soul, R&B, doo-wop, and disco. Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in ...

' 1975 song "

". In February 1977 the track hit Number 1 in the U.S. on the R&B and

Club Play Singles Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as th ...

charts, then in April 1977 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. "Don't Leave Me This Way" won Houston the

at the Grammys for 1977. Besides its US success "Don't Leave Me This Way" became a hit in at least twelve countries, including the UK where it reached Number 13 despite the concurrent single release of the Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes original, which reached Number 7. Also in 1977 Houston teamed up with

Jerry Butler Jerry Butler Jr. (born December 8, 1939) is an American soul singer-songwriter, producer, musician, and retired politician. He was the original lead singer of the Rhythm and blues, R&B vocal group the Impressions, inducted into the Rock and Rol ...

to record the album ''

Thelma & Jerry ''Thelma & Jerry'' is Thelma Houston's fifth album, released in 1977 on Motown Records. It is the first of two vocal duet albums Houston did with Jerry Butler. It includes the R&B chart hit, "It's a Lifetime Thing." Track listing # "Only the Beg ...

'' and that November 1977 she co-starred in the film ''

Game Show Models A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (such ...

''. It was announced in February 1977 that Houston would star as

Bessie Smith Bessie Smith (April 15, 1894 – September 26, 1937) was an American blues singer widely renowned during the Jazz Age. Nicknamed the " Empress of the Blues", she was the most popular female blues singer of the 1930s. Inducted into the Rock and ...

in a filmation of the play ''

Me and Bessie ''Me and Bessie'' is a musical revue about the life and career of blues singer Bessie Smith. The basically one-woman show, conceived and written by Will Holt and Linda Hopkins and performed by Hopkins, features songs by Lil Green, Clarence Willi ...

'', to be produced by Motown; after an announcement that December that Houston was set to portray Bessie Smith in a

biopic A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of a non-fictional or historically-based person or people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudra ...

to be produced in 1978 by

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

nothing more was heard of the project. The second single from ''Any Way You Like It'' was Houston's rendition of "If It's the Last Thing I Do", a

standard Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object th ...

written by

Saul Chaplin Saul Chaplin (February 19, 1912 – November 15, 1997) was an American composer and musical director. He was born Saul Kaplan in Brooklyn, New York. He had worked on stage, screen and television since the days of Tin Pan Alley. In film, he w ...

and

Sammy Cahn Samuel Cohen (June 18, 1913 – January 15, 1993), known professionally as Sammy Cahn, was an American lyricist, songwriter, and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premier ...

; the track had been recorded and prepped for single release in 1973 but canceled. The impact of "If It's the Last Thing I Do" was far less than that of "Don't Leave Me This Way", as the former fell short of both the R&B top ten and the Pop top 40.

Departure from Motown

With the lead single from her 1978 album '' The Devil in Me'': "I'm Here Again", Houston returned to the style of "Don't Leave Me This Way" without recapturing the earlier single's success. Houston did enjoy considerable commercial success in 1978 via the inclusion of her track "Love Masterpiece" on the '' Thank God It's Friday'' soundtrack album which sold double platinum but her own album release that year ''

Ready to Roll ''Ready to Roll'' is the eighth album by Thelma Houston, released in 1978 on Motown Records. It was a modest success, peaking only at #74 in the US R&B charts. The single "Saturday Night, Sunday Morning" gained momentum in 1979 and was included in ...

'' again failing to consolidate the stardom augured by "Don't Leave Me This Way". The album's second single: "Saturday Night, Sunday Morning", gradually accrued airplay entering the national charts in March 1979 and ascending as high as #34 (#19 R&B) that June. "Saturday Night, Sunday Morning" was issued on a new album by Houston: ''Ride to the Rainbow'' but the track's relative success was not enough to forestall Houston's planned departure from Motown.

1980s

Houston continued recording music into the 1980s, beginning with the

RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...

release ''

Breakwater Cat ''Breakwater Cat'' is the tenth album by American singer Thelma Houston, released in 1980 on RCA Records. The 12" single "Suspicious Minds" became a popular club hit. ''Breakwater Cat'' contains five songs written by Jimmy Webb, who was also the e ...

'' which reunited her with Jimmy Webb who produced her debut single ''Sunshower'' and which like their earlier collaboration was a commercially overlooked critical success. During the December 22, 1984 ''Billboard'' magazine interview, Houston admitted to "'no real commercial success' since the single 'Don't Leave Me This Way' broke on the Pop charts in late 1976" indicating that the disco backlash had left her with "no real base of audience support" and that her current album ''

Qualifying Heat ''Qualifying Heat'' is the 14th album by Thelma Houston. While the album failed to crossover into the Pop market, the album became a success in both the Urban and Club/Dance music markets charting on Billboard for 6 months. Includes the hits "You ...

'', executive produced by Houston herself, was a concentrated initiative to restore her as a viable chart presence; the album featured three cuts from

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III (born June 6, 1959) and Terry Steven Lewis (born November 24, 1956) are an American R&B/pop songwriting and record production team. They have enjoyed great success since the 1980s with various artists, most ...

– including the single "

You Used to Hold Me So Tight "You Used to Hold Me So Tight" is a song written and produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis for American singer Thelma Houston's 1984 album ''Qualifying Heat''. Released as a single in mid-1984, "You Used to Hold Me So Tight" became a success on th ...

" – and production work from

Glen Ballard Basil Glen Ballard Jr. (born May 1, 1953) is an American songwriter, lyricist, and record producer. He is best known for co-writing and producing Alanis Morissette's 1995 album ''Jagged Little Pill'', which won Grammy Awards for Grammy Award fo ...

, Dennis Lambert, Cliff Magness and – in his first known recording work –

Lenny Kravitz Leonard Albert Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter. His style incorporates elements of rock, blues, soul, R&B, funk, jazz, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, pop and folk. Kravitz won the Grammy Award for Best Male Roc ...

(then billed as Romeo Blue), who each produced a cut apiece. "You Use to Hold Me So Tight" became Houston's most successful post-1970s release with a No. 13 R&B peak, but its parent album was a comparative failure – charting No. 41 R&B – and Houston would not cut another album for six years. The constant ranking of her 1980s releases as moderate or minor R&B hits led Houston to concentrate on alternate exposure. After appearing in the independent film ''The Seventh Dwarf'' in 1979 Houston made guest-starring appearances into the mid-1980s in several popular television programs including ''

Cagney & Lacey ''Cagney & Lacey'' is an American police procedural drama television series that aired on the CBS television network for seven seasons from March 25, 1982, to May 16, 1988. The show is about two New York City police detectives who lead very dif ...

'', ''

Simon & Simon ''Simon & Simon'' is an American crime drama television series that originally ran from November 24, 1981, to September 16, 1989. The series was broadcast on CBS, and starred Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker as two disparate brothers who operate ...

'' – a January 1986 appearance that featured her performing "You Used to Hold Me So Tight" – and ''

Faerie Tale Theatre Faerie Tale Theatre (also known as Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre) is an American live-action fairytale fantasy drama anthology television series of 27 episodes, that originally aired on Showtime from September 11, 1982 until November 14, 19 ...

''. Houston also appeared in the 1987

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

after school special The American Broadcasting Company coined the term Afterschool Special in 1972 with a series of television films, usually dealing with controversial or socially relevant issues, that were generally broadcast in the late afternoon and meant to be ...

''Little Miss Perfect'' (1987) – as "Prison Singer" – in the 1988 film '' And God Created Woman''. On the May 19, 1985

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

broadcast ''Motown Returns to the Apollo'' Houston performed "

What a Diff'rence a Day Makes "What a Diff'rence a Day Made", also recorded as "What a Difference a Day Makes", is a popular song originally written in Spanish by María Grever, a Mexican songwriter, in 1934 with the title "Cuando vuelva a tu lado" ("When I Return to Your ...

" in the guise of

. Houston continued to contribute to movie soundtracks, recording "Keep It Light" for the 1985 film '' Into the Night'' and she remade

Bill Withers William Harrison Withers Jr. (July 4, 1938 – March 30, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He had several hits over a career spanning 18 years, including "Ain't No Sunshine" (1971), "Grandma's Hands" (1971), " Use Me" (1972) ...

' " Lean on Me" for the 1989 film entitled '' Lean on Me''. Houston also co-wrote and sang back-up on the song "Be Yourself" for

Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B singer, actress and businesswoman. LaBelle is referred to as the " Godmother of Soul". She began her career in the early 1960s as lead singe ...

's 1989 album of the same title.

1990s

The Fall of 1990 saw the release of Houston's first album in six years, ''

Throw You Down ''Throw You Down'' is Thelma Houston's 15th studio album. It was her only album for Reprise Records, released in mid 1990. Richard Perry is credited with writing the lyrics and producing the Album. The album features the hits "Out of My Hands", ...

'', a long-planned collaboration with producer

Richard Perry Richard Van Perry (born June 18, 1942) is an American record producer. He began as a performer in his adolescence while attending Poly Prep, his high school in Brooklyn. After graduating from college he rose through the late 1960s and early 1970 ...

which briefly extended Houston's career as a minor R&B chart presence. The title song reached No. 5 on the U.S. dance chart. A remix of "Don't Leave Me This Way" was released, and once again charted on the Hot Dance Club Play chart at No. 19 in 1995. Subsequent singles include "I Need Somebody Tonight" and "All of That". In 1994, Houston participated in an AIDS benefit at New York's

Algonquin Hotel The Algonquin Hotel is a hotel at 59 West 44th Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States. The 181-room hotel, opened in 1902, was designed by architect Goldwin Starrett for the Puritan Realty Company. The hotel has hosted numer ...

, performing gospel music with

Phoebe Snow Phoebe Snow (born Phoebe Ann Laub; July 17, 1950 – April 26, 2011) was an American roots music singer-songwriter and guitarist, known for her hit 1974 and 1975 songs "San Francisco Bay Blues", "Poetry Man", "Harpo's Blues", and her credited g ...

Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (), is an American singer. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the " Qu ...

and

CeCe Peniston Cecilia Veronica "CeCe" Peniston (; born September 6, 1969) is an American singer and former beauty queen. In the early 1990s, she scored five number one hits on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Music/Club Play. Her signature song "Finally" rea ...

as "

Sisters of Glory The Sisters of Glory was a US gospel band that included Thelma Houston, CeCe Peniston, Phoebe Snow, Lois Walden and Albertina Walker. After performing for the Pope John Paul II in Rome at the Vatican, the quintet released their only album entitled ...

". Intended as a one-off performance troupe, the

remained together – with the addition of

Mavis Staples Mavis Staples (born July 10, 1939) is an American rhythm and blues and gospel singer, actress, and civil rights activist. She rose to fame as a member of her family's band The Staple Singers (she is the last surviving member of that band). Durin ...

and Lois Walden, and without Chaka Khan – to perform at

Woodstock '94 Woodstock '94 was an American music festival held in 1994 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the original Woodstock festival of 1969. It was promoted as "2 More Days of Peace and Music". The poster used to promote the first concert was r ...

. Houston performed with the

for the Pope in

Vatican City Vatican City (), officially the Vatican City State ( it, Stato della Città del Vaticano; la, Status Civitatis Vaticanae),—' * german: Vatikanstadt, cf. '—' (in Austria: ') * pl, Miasto Watykańskie, cf. '—' * pt, Cidade do Vati ...

and in 1995 Houston,

, Lois Walden and

Albertina Walker Albertina Walker ( – ) was an American gospel singer, songwriter, actress, and humanitarian. Early years Walker was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Ruben and Camilla Coleman Walker. Her mother was born in Houston County, Georgia, and ...

recorded the

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...

album '' Good News in Hard Times'' as the

. Houston provided lead vocals on several tracks of guitarist

Scott Henderson Scott Henderson (born August 26, 1954) is an American jazz fusion and blues guitarist best known for his work with the band Tribal Tech. Tribal Tech Henderson formed Tribal Tech with bass player Gary Willis in 1984. Under the direction of Hende ...

's 1997

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

album, ''

Tore Down House ''Tore Down House'' is an album by the guitarist Scott Henderson, released in 1997. The album contains three instrumental tracks; it includes a cover version of "Continuum", originally a Jaco Pastorius song, and a re-recording of "Same as You", wh ...

'', and in 1998 she made

cameo appearance A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly eit ...

s in two films: in '' 54'' Houston portrayed herself singing "

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is a song written in 1943 by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane and introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical ''Meet Me in St. Louis''. Frank Sinatra later recorded a version with modified lyrics. In ...

" supposedly at

Studio 54 Studio 54 is a Broadway theater and a former disco nightclub at 254 West 54th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Operated by the Roundabout Theatre Company, Studio 54 has 1,006 seats on two levels. The theater was ...

, and in ''

Beloved Beloved may refer to: Books * ''Beloved'' (novel), a 1987 novel by Toni Morrison * ''The Beloved'' (Faulkner novel), a 2012 novel by Australian author Annah Faulkner *''Beloved'', a 1993 historical romance about Zenobia, by Bertrice Small Film ...

'' Houston played 'One of The Thirty Women'.

Recent career

In 2000, Houston toured successfully throughout Australia in the stage musical version of '' Fame''. In 2002 she again guested on a Scott Henderson album, providing lead vocals for two of the tracks on ''

Well to the Bone ''Well To The Bone'' is a 2002 album by fusion/jazz guitarist Scott Henderson. It is his third solo-album, again returning to his blues-roots. It features a re-recording of the Tribal Tech song "Rituals". Track listing #"Lady P" – 7:14 #"Hi ...

''. Upon returning to the U.S. Houston toured with

Nile Rodgers Nile Gregory Rodgers Jr. (born September 19, 1952) is an American musician, record producer and composer. The co-founder of Chic, Rodgers has written, produced, and performed on records that have sold more than 500 million albums and 75 million ...

and

Chic Chic (; ), meaning "stylish" or "smart", is an element of fashion. It was originally a French word. Pronounced Chick. Etymology '' Chic'' is a French word, established in English since at least the 1870s. Early references in English diction ...

, and was among the opening acts of the originally intended finale of

Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...

's ''

Farewell Tour A concert tour (or simply tour) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific to ...

'' in Toronto on October 31, 2003. Houston regularly performs at

Teatro ZinZanni Teatro ZinZanni is a circus dinner theater that began in the neighborhood of Lower Queen Anne in Seattle, Washington. It has since expanded to a site on the waterfront at Pier 29 on The Embarcadero in San Francisco, California. History Teatr ...

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

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 this song on dozens of TV shows and specials including

's ''

Today Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'' or informally, ''NBC News Today'') is an American news and talk morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It w ...

'',

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

's ''Motown 45'' and ''The Disco Ball...A 30-Year Celebration'', and

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

' 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 ranked number eighty-six on the channel's countdown of The 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders. She won an episode of the

show '' Hit Me, Baby, One More Time'' with her renditions of her own hit and " Fallin'" by

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...

. On September 20, 2004, Houston's rendition of "Don't Leave Me This Way" was inducted into the

Dance Music Hall of Fame The Dance Music Hall of Fame was an organization established in 2003 to honor and remember significant contributors to the genre of dance music. It had its first inductions in 2004 but went inactive after the 2005 induction ceremony. History The Da ...

in New York City. On August 14, 2007, Houston released her first studio album in seventeen years, '' A Woman's Touch''. The album was produced by Peitor Angell and features cover versions of songs by male artists such as

Luther Vandross Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his sweet and soulful vocals, Vandross has sold over 40 million records worldwide. He achieved eleven consecutive P ...

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., who also spelled his surname as Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo ar ...

, and

Sting Sting may refer to: * Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger * Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself Fictional characters and entities * Sting (Middle-eart ...

that Houston had been inspired by. The first single from the album was "Brand New Day". On August 20, 2007, Houston's 1984 album ''

'' was reissued as an import title in the U.S. with a bonus track. She sang "Don't Leave Me This Way" on ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...

'' on April 22, 2009, and on ''

America's Got Talent ''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is a televised American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distribut ...

'' on September 16, 2009. On July 29, 2013, a collaboration between Thelma and Los Angeles-based producer Janitor, entitled "Enemy", premiered on

SoundCloud SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming se ...

. Several tracks followed, culminating in the release of an EP, "Forty-Two", in September. This is the first new material from Thelma Houston in six years. She is featured on British singer

Morrissey Steven Patrick Morrissey (; born 22 May 1959), known professionally as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. Since then ...

's single "Bobby, Don't You Think They Know?", released on streaming platforms on January 10, 2020, from his album ''

I Am Not a Dog on a Chain ''I Am Not a Dog on a Chain'' is the thirteenth solo studio album by Morrissey, released through BMG on 20 March 2020. It is Morrissey's first album of original material since 2017's ''Low in High School''. It was produced by Joe Chiccarelli, and ...

''.

Discography

*''

'' (1969) *''

Thelma Houston Thelma Houston ( Jackson; born May 7, 1946) Retrieved . is an American singer. Beginning her recording career in the late 1960s, Houston scored a number-one hit record in 1977 with her recording of " Don't Leave Me This Way", which won the Gramm ...

'' (1972) *''

I've Got the Music in Me "I've Got the Music in Me" is a pop song by The Kiki Dee Band, released in 1974. It was written in 1973 by Bias Boshell, Kiki Dee Band's keyboardist. It is also the title of a Kiki Dee Band album released in 1974 and re-mastered and re-issued wit ...

'' (with Pressure Cooker) (1975) *'' Any Way You Like It'' (1976) *'' The Devil in Me'' (1977) *''

'' (with

) (1977) *'' Two to One'' (with Jerry Butler) (1978) *''

'' (1978) *''Ride to the Rainbow'' (1979) *''

'' (1980) *'' Never Gonna Be Another One'' (1981) *''

Reachin' All Around ''Reachin' All Around'' is the twelfth album by Thelma Houston released in 1982. The album consists of previously unreleased material recorded while at Motown Records. While the album did not become a major seller, it is well liked by her fans. Th ...

'' (1982) *''

'' (1983) *''

'' (1984) * ''

'' (1990) *''Thelma Houston'' (1994) *'' A Woman's Touch'' (2007)

Filmography

Films

*1975: ''

'' — Lady Wing Ding *1977: ''

'' — Dana Sheridan *1979: ''The Seventh Dwarf'' *1988: '' And God Created Woman'' — prison singer *1998: '' 54'' — herself *1998: ''

'' — one of The Thirty Women

Television (guest)

*1969: ''

The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television program, television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in Septembe ...

''- guest singer, singing "Didn't We"(December 8) *1969: '' The Price of Fame '' – Guest singer, singing "Jumpin' Jack Flash" *1971: ''

'' — various characters *1975: ''The

'' — Guest Singer *1980: '' The Two Ronnies ''- Guest singer, singing " The Candyman" *1985: ''

'' (5,11: Play it again, Santa) — Ellie Hendricks *1986: ''

'' — Venutia *1986: ''

Tall Tales & Legends ''Tall Tales & Legends'' (also known as ''Shelley Duvall's Tall Tales & Legends'') is an American folklore anthology television series of 9 episodes created by television and film actress Shelley Duvall, who also served as Executive Producer and Pr ...

'' — Edna *1987: ''Little Miss Perfect'' — Ms. Bonner *1989: ''Super Dave'' — Guest singer, "Lean on Me"

Soundtracks

*1976: ''

'' — "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"

References

External links

Official website
* *
Thelma Houston talks about disco, and NBC's "America's Got Talent"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Houston, Thelma 20th-century African-American women singers 21st-century African-American women singers 21st-century American singers 21st-century American women singers Actresses from Long Beach, California African-American actresses American dance musicians American disco musicians American disco singers American film actresses American rhythm and blues singers American soul singers American television actresses Dunhill Records artists Grammy Award winners Living people Motown artists Musicians from Long Beach, California People from Leland, Mississippi Singers from Mississippi 1946 births