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 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 undergone c ...

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 artist ...

. 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, Mississippi County, Arkansas, United States. Located along the Mississippi River within the Arkansas Delta, the settlement was founded in 1837 and incorporated in 1853. O ...

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

Big Maceo Major "Big Maceo" Merriweather (March 31, 1905 – February 23, 1953) 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-taught pianist. In the 1920s, he m ...

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

, Walter Davis, and

Sonny Boy Williamson Sonny Boy Williamson may refer to either of the two 20th-century American blues harmonica players, who both recorded in Chicago: *Sonny Boy Williamson I (19141948), born John Lee Curtis Williamson *Sonny Boy Williamson II Alex or Aleck Mill ...

. In his teens, Thomas formed his first band called the Rock and Roll Trays. They performed popular R&B and

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

tunes in clubs around Osceola. In 1958,

Albert King Albert King ( Nelson; April 25, 1923 – December 21, 1992), 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 best known for his popular and ...

recommended that Thomas travel to East St. Louis 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 ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

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 was an independent record label that operated in Chicago from 1956 to 1959 and launched the careers of Chicago blues artists Otis Rush, Magic Sam and Buddy Guy, a new generation who pioneered the West Side Sound. Cobra was starte ...

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 release with the stage name "Tina Turner" although she had been singing with Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm since ...

" 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 – May 24, 2023) was a singer, songwriter, actress, and author. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", her vocal prowess, raspy voice, and electrifyin ...

, 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 Juggy Murray, Henry 'Juggy' Murray and Bobby Robins ...

. 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 chart-toppe ...

. 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 196 ...

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

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

. 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 R ...

'', 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 over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

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, Proc ...

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 Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged in Northern England and the Midlands in the early 1970s. It developed from the British Mod (subculture), mod scene, based on a particular style of African American music, Black American ...

classic "The Beautiful Night" released on

Parlophone Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a 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 1923 as the Parloph ...

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'' 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 (April 26, 1943 – September 4, 2023) was an American musician and composer best known for his 1976 hit songs " Dream Weaver" and " Love Is Alive". Wright's breakthrough album, '' The Dream Weaver'' (1975), came after he h ...

David Essex David Essex (born David Albert Cook; 23 July 1947) is an English singer-songwriter and actor. From 1973 to 1994, he attained 19 Top 40 singles in the UK (including two number ones) and 16 Top 40 albums. Internationally, Essex had the most suc ...

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 Madness or The Madness may refer to: Emotion and mental health * Anger, an intense emotional response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat * Insanity, a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns * ...

Miguel Bosé Miguel Bosé (born Luis Miguel Dominguín Bosé; 3 April 1956) is a Spanish-Italian Pop music, pop singer and actor. Early life Bosé was born in San Fernando Hospital in Panama City, Panama, the son of Italian actress Lucia Bosè (1931–202 ...

, Blue Mercedes, and

Kevin Rowland Kevin Rowland (born 17 August 1953) is a British singer and musician best known as the frontman for the pop band Dexys Midnight Runners (currently called Dexys). The band had several hits in the early 1980s, the most notable being " Geno" and " ...

Death

His death in April 2022 was confirmed online by his friend

P. P. Arnold Patricia Ann Cole (born October 3, 1946), known professionally as P. P. Arnold, is an American-born British-based soul music, soul singer. She began her career in 1965 as an The Ikettes, Ikette with the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. The following yea ...

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 Sire is an archaic respectful form of address to reigning kings in Europe. In French and other languages it is less archaic and relatively more current. In Belgium, the king is addressed as "Sire..." in both Dutch and French. The words "sire" an ...

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 20th Century Fox Records (also known as 20th Fox Records and 20th Century Records, or simply 20th Century Fox Film Scores and Fox Records) was a wholly owned subsidiary of film studio 20th Century Fox. The history of the label covers three distin ...

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 M ...

*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) or Ivar (born 1984), American professional wrestler Musical groups * Hanson (band), an American pop rock band * Hanson (UK band), an English ...

*1976: '' Thunder into Our Hearts'' –

Jabula Jabula ( isiZulu: "rejoice") was a musical ensemble of South African musicians exiled in England during the Apartheid era, led by Julian Bahula. Background The four musicians who became Jabula met in London, where they were living after leavin ...

*1978: ''Midnight Ride'' – Barbara Pennington * 1981: '' One Step Higher'' – Voyage * 1983: ''Blue Fun'' – Mikael Rickfors * 1985: ''

Easy Pieces ''Easy Pieces'' is the second studio album by the British rock and pop 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 Weeke ...

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

Salamandra ''Salamandra'' is a genus of six 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 We ...

'' – Miguel Bosé * 1987: '' Face To Face'' –

Barclay James Harvest Barclay James Harvest are an English progressive rock band, which following a split in 1998 now exists as two successor bands. They were founded in Oldham, in September 1966 by bassist/vocalist Les Holroyd (born 1948), guitarist/vocalist John ...

* 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 singer-songwriters 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