Tasha Thomas ( – November 8, 1984) was an American singer and actress, known for her role as

Aunt Em Aunt Em is a fictional character from the Oz books. Jack Snow, ''Who's Who in Oz'', Chicago, Reilly & Lee, 1954; New York, Peter Bedrick Books, 1988; p. 10. She is married to Uncle Henry and the aunt of Dorothy Gale, who lives together with ...

in the original Broadway production of '' The Wiz''. Thomas also had a hit single, "Shoot Me (With Your Love)", from her 1979 album, ''Midnight Rendezvous''. Her birthplace is often cited as "Jeutyn, Alaska", though no such town exists.

Music career

Thomas' breakthrough came when she was cast in the original Broadway production of '' The Wiz'' in the role of

. Her performance on the cast album, singing her soulful rendition of the ballad "The Feeling We Once Had", earned her wide critical acclaim. In 1972 Tasha sang backup vocals along with singer-songwriter & Songwriters Hall of Famer Ellie Greenwich (1949–2009) for Jim Croce's debut album '' You Don't Mess Around With Jim''. She appears on

Slade Slade are a rock band formed in Wolverhampton, England in 1966. They rose to prominence during the glam rock era in the early 1970s, achieving 17 consecutive top 20 hits and six number ones on the UK Singles Chart. The '' British Hit Singl ...

's 1976 '' Nobody's Fools'' LP providing backing vocals on several songs including the title track. Tasha also provided backup vocals on the 1977

Kiss A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sex ...

album '' Love Gun'', as one of the "KISSettes". In 1978, on the basis of her growing popularity as a singer capable of performing in many different styles and genres, producers James R. Glaser (aka Jimmi Hood) and Peter Rugile signed Thomas to their company, Orbit Record Productions. Her first record release on the producer's independent label, Orbit Records, was the international dance hit, "Shoot Me (With Your Love)", written by James R. Glaser. Unable to keep pace with the demand for the record, producers Glaser/Rugile took Thomas and their production company to

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...

to complete Thomas's first

solo album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century ...

''Midnight Rendezvous''. Recorded in 1979, ''Midnight Rendezvous'' included the track, "Shoot Me (With Your Love)", which was the biggest hit from the album. The ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' music critic Robert Palmer, described the song as "...one of the grittiest and most rousing disco records of the year destined to become a classic of erotic dance music." Robert Palmer, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', June 21, 1979

Television appearances

Following the success of "Shoot Me (With Your Love)", Thomas was frequently invited to guest star on television music and talk shows, including appearances on '' Don Kirshner's Rock Concert,'' '' Soul Train'' (season 8, episode 32 – air date: March 24, 1979), '' The Merv Griffin Show'', (season 11, episode 2395) '' The Midnight Special'' (season 7, episode 25 – air date: May 4, 1979) and '' Dance Fever'' (May 1979).

Death

Thomas died of cancer in 1984, at the age of 39.

Awards

"Shoot Me (With Your Love)" was nominated for "Best R&B Single of the Year" at the 1979 BMA Awards.

Discography

Albums

*''The Wiz'' (1975) Atlantic Records, ASIN: B000V6AS46 *''Midnight Rendezvous'' (1979) Atlantic Records, ATLANTIC SD 19223 1

Singles

*"Rock-A-Bye, Baby" (2011) *"Shoot Me (With Your Love)" – U.S. No. 91 Pop, No. 25 R&B; UK No. 59 *"Hot Buttered Boogie" *"Street Fever"

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Tasha 1984 deaths Place of birth missing Place of death missing African-American actresses Atlantic Records artists Buddah Records artists Roulette Records artists American rhythm and blues singers American soul singers American disco singers American women singer-songwriters 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American singer-songwriters 20th-century African-American women singers 1945 births