Thelma Houston American singer and actress Date of Birth: 17.05.1946 Country: USA

Biography of Thelma Houston

Thelma Houston, born Thelma Jackson on May 7, 1946, in Leland, Mississippi, USA, is an American singer, actress, composer, and winner of a prestigious music award. She is known for her contributions to R&B, dance, and club music.

Growing up in Long Beach, California, Thelma and her three sisters were raised by her mother, who worked as a cotton picker. After getting married and having two children, Houston joined the gospel group "Art Reynolds Singers" and later signed a contract with "Dunhill Records". In 1969, she released her debut album, "Sunshower". The following year, she moved to "Motown Records", but her early collaboration with the label was largely unsuccessful. Her single "You've Been Doing Wrong For So Long" reached only number 64 on the R&B chart in 1974.

During this time, Houston joined "The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine" as an actor, playing various roles in the show. After the show ended in 1974, Houston focused on demos and small live performances. She also took acting classes and landed her first role in the television film "Death Scream" in 1975. In the following year, she recorded songs for the film "The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings".

Houston was invited to sing backup vocals for Jermaine Jackson's album "My Name Is Jermaine" in 1976. She released her third album, "Any Way You Like It", on Motown Records in the same year. The album's first single, a cover of "Don't Leave Me This Way" by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, became a huge hit. It reached number one on the Billboard Pop Chart and the R&B chart in February 1977. Houston won a Grammy Award for "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance" for the song.

In 1977, Houston collaborated with Jerry Butler on the album "Thelma & Jerry". She also appeared in the ensemble cast of the film "Game Show Models" and recorded the single "Love Masterpiece" for the musical comedy "Thank God It's Friday" in the same year.

Houston released the single "Saturday Night, Sunday Morning" in 1979, which became her second and final top 40 hit in the United States. She briefly returned to acting, appearing in the films "54" and "Beloved" in the late 1990s. In 2000, Houston toured Australia with the Broadway musical "Fame" and later joined the "Farewell" tour with Cher, Nile Rodgers, and Chic.

Despite releasing new albums in the 1980s, Houston failed to replicate the success of "Don't Leave Me This Way". She focused on her acting career and appeared in several popular television shows. In the 1990s, she returned to music and recorded a new version of Bill Withers' "Lean on Me". She also co-wrote the song "Be Yourself" for Patti LaBelle's album of the same name.

In the late 2000s, Houston released her first studio album in 17 years titled "A Woman's Touch". She also performed in various television shows and was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame in New York City in 2004.

Thelma Houston's version of "Don't Leave Me This Way" remains popular to this day. She continues to perform and make appearances on various television shows and events.