Thelma Camacho Ivie is an American opera and rock and roll singer known for her membership in the groups

the New Christy Minstrels The New Christy Minstrels are an American large-ensemble folk music group founded by Randy Sparks in 1961. The group has recorded more than 20 albums and scored several hits, including "Green, Green (song), Green, Green", "Saturday Night", "Tod ...

and the First Edition. As a teenager in

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

, Camacho was Miss Teen San Diego and sang in Starlight Theater productions. She sang lead with the San Diego Civic Light Opera by the age of 14. She turned down a scholarship to study opera in

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

, joining The Young Americans and then the New Christy Minstrels. At age 18, in 1967 Camacho and

Kenny Rogers Kenneth Ray Rogers (born Kenneth Donald Rogers) (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer and songwriter. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particul ...

formed the First Edition with Mike Settle,

Mickey Jones Mickey Jones (June 10, 1941 – February 7, 2018) was an American musician and actor. He played drums with acts such as Trini Lopez and Bob Dylan, with whom he played on his 1966 world tour. He became a founding member of The First Edition ...

, and Terry Williams. Camacho sang lead on songs such as "I Get a Funny Feeling", notably on '' The Smothers Brothers Show'' and ''

The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the ''CB ...

'' in 1968. She appeared on the first three albums by the group, writing six of their songs. She was dismissed from the First Edition for disputed reasons. In his book ''With Luck or Something Like It'', Rogers wrote that Camacho was "let go because she had fallen in love, was tired of touring and perhaps didn't agree with certain decisions." She then retired from the music business. After Camacho left the First Edition, her spot was taken by her roommate,

Mary Arnold Mary Arnold may refer to: * Mary Arnold (tennis) (1916–1975), American tennis player * Mary Anne Arnold (c. 1825–?), English sailor and crossdresser * Mary Arnold (singer) (born 1947), American singer * Mary Daisy Arnold (1873–1955), Ameri ...

, after singer

Karen Carpenter Karen Anne Carpenter (March 2, 1950 – February 4, 1983) was an American musician who was the lead vocalist and early drummer of the highly successful duo the Carpenters, formed with her older brother Richard Carpenter (musician), Richard. Wi ...

auditioned for the role. After marrying producer Robert Ivie, she moved to Europe in the 1980s and designed costumes for Bavaria Film Studios in Munich and Haute Couture Ateliers in Cologne. She owned a jewelry shop in San Diego's Spanish Village. She is now retired.

References

Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American opera singers American women rock singers Kenny Rogers and The First Edition members Singers from San Diego The Young Americans members The New Christy Minstrels members Classical musicians from California 21st-century American women {{Pop-singer-stub