Irma Thomas

Few voices carry New Orleans as directly as Irma Thomas's. Born Irma Lee in Ponchatoula, Louisiana, in February 1941, she sang in a Baptist church choir as a teenager and auditioned for Specialty Records at thirteen. Known as the Soul Queen of New Orleans, she was a contemporary of Aretha Franklin and Etta James, yet commercial success never matched theirs. What lasts is the city's rhythm and a voice rooted in soul and blues.

Her 1959 debut single, "Don't Mess with My Man", reached number 22 on the Billboard R&B chart. Minit recordings with Allen Toussaint, released by a label Imperial acquired in 1963, produced "Wish Someone Would Care", her biggest national hit. "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)" has found fresh listeners through Black Mirror, and its B-side "Time Is on My Side" was later taken up by the Rolling Stones, who made it a Top Ten American hit. In 2007 After the Rain won her a Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album, and in 2024 she joined the Stones onstage at New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival to sing that song with Mick Jagger.