Irma Thomas is an American singer from New Orleans and is known as the “Soul Queen of New Orleans”. In 2007, Irma won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album for After the Rain, her first Grammy in a career spanning over 50 years.
Thomas is still active as a performer, appearing annually at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. She reigned as Queen of the Krewe du Vieux for the 1998 New Orleans Mardi Gras season. She often headlined at her own club, but it went out of business due to Hurricane Katrina which caused her to temporarily relocate to Gonzales, LA briefly.
Below is lagniappe, wasn’t sure if we should include below as it just lists where she’s performed in the past couple of years.
Thomas was the subject of the 2008 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival poster. She was chosen as the subject before the painting was chosen for the poster. Artist Douglas Bourgeois painted the singer in 2006.[15]In 2010, Thomas rode in the New Orleans parade “Grela”. In April that year, Thomas performed at the Corner Hotel, Richmond, Victoria, Australia.
In 2011, Thomas performed twice at the Bluesfest music festival in Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia.[16]On April 24, she performed on the Crossroads stage, coming on after Mavis Staples; then on April 25, she headlined the Crossroads stage, coming on after Jethro Tull and Osibisa.
In 2013, Thomas was nominated for a Blues Music Award in the “Soul Blues Female Artist” category,[17] which she duly won.[18] She won the same award in 2014.[19]
In 2018, Thomas received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Performance at the Americana Music Honors & Awards.[20]
On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Irma Thomas among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.[21]
No upcoming event scheduled
