Thelma Houston ( Jackson; born May 7, 1943) is an American singer and actress. Beginning her recording career in the late 1960s, Houston scored a number-one hit in 1977 with her recording of "

Don't Leave Me This Way "Don't Leave Me This Way" is a song written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff and Cary Gilbert. It was originally released in 1975 by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes featuring Teddy Pendergrass, an act signed to Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia Interna ...

", which won the

Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

for

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (previously called Best Rhythm and Blues Solo Vocal Performance, Female) was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Award ...

Biography

Early life and career

Houston was born in

Leland, Mississippi Leland is a city in Washington County, Mississippi, United States. It is located within the Mississippi Delta, on the banks of Deer Creek. The population was 4,481 at the 2010 census. It was once a railway town and had long been a center of co ...

. Her mother was a cotton picker. She and her three sisters grew up primarily in

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...

. After marrying and having two children, she joined the Art Reynolds Singers

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

group and was subsequently signed as a recording artist with

Dunhill Records Dunhill Records was started in 1964 by Lou Adler, Jay Lasker, Pierre Cossette and Bobby Roberts as Dunhill Productions to release the music of Johnny Rivers on Imperial Records. It became a record label the following year and was distribute ...

. Despite her surname, she is unrelated to

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...

. In 1969, Houston released her debut album, entitled ''

Sunshower A sunshower, or sun shower, is a meteorological phenomenon in which rain falls while the Sun is seen shining. A sunshower is usually a result of winds associated with a rain storm sometimes miles away, blowing the airborne raindrops into an are ...

'', produced, arranged and composed by

Jimmy Webb Jimmy Layne Webb (born August 15, 1946) is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He achieved success at an early age, winning the Grammy Award for Song of the Year at the age of 21. During his career, he established himself as one of Am ...

except for one track. In 1971 she signed with

Motown Records Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...

but her early recordings with them were largely unsuccessful. Her most notable single during that period was "You've Been Doing Wrong for So Long" which peaked at No. 64 on the US ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

R&B chart The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

in 1974. However Houston's vocal prowess on that track secured her a nomination for a

. In 1973 Motown Productions announced a projected biographical film of

Dinah Washington Dinah Washington (; born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, one of the most popular black female recording artists of the 1950s. Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performed and recorded in a ...

which would star Houston; however the project was dropped due to difficulties in getting clearance from Washington's relatives. In April 1974, Houston joined the cast of '' The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine'', playing various characters during the show's skits. The show was canceled in August and for the next several years her work was limited to demo recordings and performing at small venues. Houston took acting classes and received her first role in the 1975 made-for-television film ''

Death Scream ''Death Scream'' is a 1975 American made-for-television crime drama film loosely based on an actual event concerning the real-life account of " a young woman whose murder was witnessed by fifteen of her neighbors who did nothing to help and refu ...

''. In that same year Sheffield Lab released '' I've Got the Music in Me'', a

direct-to-disc recording Direct-to-disc recording refers to sound recording methods that bypass the use of magnetic tape recording and record audio directly onto analog disc masters. Professional analog sound recording Most sound recordings for records before the 1950s ...

by Thelma Houston and Pressure Cooker that went on to become a benchmark vinyl recording for audiophiles. The following year she recorded songs for the soundtrack of the film ''

The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings ''The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings'' is a 1976 American sports comedy film about a team of enterprising ex-Negro league baseball players in the era of racial segregation. Loosely based upon William Brashler's 1973 novel of the ...

'' starring

Billy Dee Williams William December Williams Jr. (born April 6, 1937) is an American retired actor, novelist and painter. He has appeared in over 100 films and television roles over six decades. He is best known for portraying Lando Calrissian in the ''Star Wars ...

and

James Earl Jones James Earl Jones (January 17, 1931 – September 9, 2024) was an American actor. A pioneer for black actors in the entertainment industry, Jones is known for his extensive and acclaimed roles on stage and screen. Jones is one of the few perfor ...

. In 1975 Houston appeared on the

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...

broadcast performing the nominated song " On & On" and also was featured in a tribute to

Berry Gordy Berry Gordy III (born November 28, 1929), also known as Berry Gordy Jr., is an American retired record executive, record producer, songwriter, film producer and television producer. He is best known as the founder of the Motown record label and i ...

on that year's

American Music Award The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show produced by Dick Clark Productions since 1974. Nominees are selected on commercial performance such as sales and airplay. Winners are determined by a poll of the public and ...

broadcast singing "

You've Made Me So Very Happy "You've Made Me So Very Happy" is a song written by Brenda Holloway, Patrice Holloway, Frank Wilson and Berry Gordy, and was released first as a single in 1967 by Brenda Holloway on the Tamla label. The song was later a huge hit for jazz-ro ...

". That year Houston's version of "

Do You Know Where You're Going To "Theme from ''Mahogany'' (Do You Know Where You're Going To)" is a song written by Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin and produced by Masser. It was initially recorded by American singer Thelma Houston in 1973, and then by Diana Ross as the theme t ...

" was being set for single release when it was pulled and the song given to

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...

to serve as the theme song for the movie ''

Mahogany Mahogany is a straight- grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species of the genus ''Swietenia'', indigenous to the AmericasBridgewater, Samuel (2012). ''A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest''. Austin: Universit ...

''. In 1976 Houston sang backing vocals for Motown labelmate

Jermaine Jackson Jermaine LaJuane Jacksun (né Jackson; born December 11, 1954) is an American singer, songwriter and bassist. He is known for being a member of the Jackson family. From 1964 to 1975, Jermaine was second vocalist after his brother Michael of the ...

on his album ''My Name Is Jermaine''.

"Don't Leave Me This Way"

Houston released her third solo album ''

Any Way You Like It ''Any Way You Like It'' is the fourth album by Thelma Houston, released late October 1976 on Tamla Records. The album features energetic disco songs with fierce vocal performances by Houston on side 1, while side 2 focuses on ballads. It includes ...

'' in 1976. The first single released was her version of

Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes were an American soul and R&B vocal group. One of the most popular Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s, the group's repertoire included soul, R&B, doo-wop, and disco. Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in ...

' 1975 song "

". In February 1977 the track hit Number 1 in the U.S. on the R&B and

Club Play Singles The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set lists to determine the mos ...

charts, then in April 1977 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. "Don't Leave Me This Way" won Houston the

at the Grammys for 1977. Besides its US success "Don't Leave Me This Way" became a hit in at least twelve countries, including the UK where it reached Number 13 despite the concurrent single release of the Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes original, which reached Number 7. Also in 1977 Houston teamed up with

Jerry Butler Jerry Butler Jr. (December 8, 1939 – February 20, 2025) was an American soul singer-songwriter, producer, musician, and politician. He was the original lead singer of the R&B vocal group the Impressions, who were inducted into the Rock and ...

to record the album '' Thelma & Jerry'' and that November 1977 she co-starred in the film ''

Game Show Models A game is a structured type of play usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or video games) or art (such ...

''. It was announced in February 1977 that Houston would star as

Bessie Smith Bessie Smith (April 15, 1892 – September 26, 1937) was an African-American blues singer widely renowned during the Jazz Age. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Empress of the Blues" and formerly Queen of the Blues, she was t ...

in a filmation of the play ''

Me and Bessie ''Me and Bessie'' is a musical revue about the life and career of blues singer Bessie Smith. The basically one-woman show, conceived and written by Will Holt and Linda Hopkins and performed by Hopkins, features songs by Lil Green, Clarence Willia ...

'', to be produced by Motown; after an announcement that December that Houston was set to portray Bessie Smith in a

biopic A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or group of people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudrama films and histo ...

to be produced in 1978 by

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...

nothing more was heard of the project. The second single from ''Any Way You Like It'' was Houston's rendition of "If It's the Last Thing I Do", a

standard Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object ...

written by

Saul Chaplin Saul Chaplin (February 19, 1912 – November 15, 1997) was an American composer and musical director. He was born Saul Kaplan in Brooklyn, New York. He had worked on stage, screen and television since the days of Tin Pan Alley. In film, he won ...

and

Sammy Cahn Samuel Cohen (June 18, 1913 – January 15, 1993), known professionally as Sammy Cahn, was an American lyricist, songwriter, and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premie ...

; the track had been recorded and prepped for single release in 1973 but canceled. The impact of "If It's the Last Thing I Do" was far less than that of "Don't Leave Me This Way", as the former fell short of both the R&B top ten and the Pop top 40.

Departure from Motown

With the lead single from her 1978 album '' The Devil in Me'': "I'm Here Again", Houston returned to the style of "Don't Leave Me This Way" without recapturing the earlier single's success. Houston did enjoy considerable commercial success in 1978 via the inclusion of her track "Love Masterpiece" on the '' Thank God It's Friday'' soundtrack album which sold double platinum but her own album release that year '' Ready to Roll'' again failing to consolidate the stardom augured by "Don't Leave Me This Way". The album's second single: "Saturday Night, Sunday Morning", gradually accrued airplay entering the national charts in March 1979 and ascending as high as #34 (#19 R&B) that June. "Saturday Night, Sunday Morning" was issued on a new album by Houston: ''Ride to the Rainbow'' but the track's relative success was not enough to forestall Houston's planned departure from Motown.

1980s

Houston continued recording music into the 1980s, beginning with the

RCA RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded in 1919 as the Radio Corporation of America. It was initially a patent pool, patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Westinghou ...

release ''

Breakwater Cat ''Breakwater Cat'' is the tenth album by American singer Thelma Houston, released in 1980 on RCA Records. The 12" single "Suspicious Minds" became a popular club hit. ''Breakwater Cat'' contains five songs written by Jimmy Webb, who was also the ...

'' which reunited her with Jimmy Webb who produced her debut single ''Sunshower'' and which like their earlier collaboration was a commercially overlooked critical success. During the December 22, 1984 ''Billboard'' magazine interview, Houston admitted to "'no real commercial success' since the single 'Don't Leave Me This Way' broke on the Pop charts in late 1976" indicating that the disco backlash had left her with "no real base of audience support" and that her current album '' Qualifying Heat'', executive produced by Houston herself, was a concentrated initiative to restore her as a viable chart presence; the album featured three cuts from

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III (born June 6, 1959) and Terry Steven Lewis (born November 24, 1956) are an American R&B/ pop songwriting and record production team. Their productions have received commercial success since the 1980s with var ...

– including the single " You Used to Hold Me So Tight" – and production work from

Glen Ballard Basil Glen Ballard Jr. (born May 1, 1953) is an American songwriter, lyricist, and record producer. He is best known for co-writing and producing on Wilson Phillips' debut and sophomore albums, '' Wilson Phillips'' and '' Shadows and Light'', ...

, Dennis Lambert, Cliff Magness and – in his first known recording work –

Lenny Kravitz Leonard Albert Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American singer, musician, songwriter, record producer, and actor. His debut album ''Let Love Rule (Lenny Kravitz album), Let Love Rule'' (1989) was characterized by a blend of Rock music, rock ...

(then billed as Romeo Blue), who each produced a cut apiece. "You Use to Hold Me So Tight" became Houston's most successful post-1970s release with a No. 13 R&B peak, but its parent album was a comparative failure – charting No. 41 R&B – and Houston would not cut another album for six years. The constant ranking of her 1980s releases as moderate or minor R&B hits led Houston to concentrate on alternate exposure. After appearing in the independent film ''The Seventh Dwarf'' in 1979 Houston made guest-starring appearances into the mid-1980s in several popular television programs including ''

Cagney & Lacey ''Cagney & Lacey'' is an American police procedural drama television series that aired on the CBS television network for seven seasons from March 25, 1982, to May 16, 1988. The show is about two New York City police detectives who lead very dif ...

'', ''

Simon & Simon ''Simon & Simon'' is an American crime drama television series that originally ran from November 24, 1981, to September 16, 1989. The series was broadcast on CBS, and starred Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker as two disparate brothers who ope ...

'' – a January 1986 appearance that featured her performing "You Used to Hold Me So Tight" – and ''

Faerie Tale Theatre ''Faerie Tale Theatre'' (also known as ''Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre'') is an American award-winning live-action fairytale fantasy drama anthology television series created and presented by actress Shelley Duvall. The series originally ...

''. Houston also appeared in the 1987

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

after school special ''Little Miss Perfect'' (1987) – as "Prison Singer" – in the 1988 film '' And God Created Woman''. On the May 19, 1985,

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

broadcast ''Motown Returns to the Apollo'' Houston performed "

What a Diff'rence a Day Makes "What a Diff'rence a Day Made", also recorded as "What a Difference a Day Makes", is a popular song originally written in Spanish by María Grever, a Mexican songwriter, in 1934 with the title "Cuando vuelva a tu lado" ("When I Return to You ...

" in the guise of

. Houston continued to contribute to movie soundtracks, recording "Keep It Light" for the 1985 film '' Into the Night'' and she remade

Bill Withers William Harrison Withers Jr. (July 4, 1938 – March 30, 2020) was an American singer and songwriter. He is known for having several hits over a career spanning 18 years, including "Ain't No Sunshine" (1971), "Grandma's Hands" (1971), "Use Me ( ...

' " Lean on Me" for the 1989 film entitled '' Lean on Me''. Houston also co-wrote and sang back-up on the song "Be Yourself" for

Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American Rhythm and blues, R&B singer and actress. She has been referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godmother of Soul". LaBelle began ...

's 1989 album of the same title.

1990s

The Fall of 1990 saw the release of Houston's first album in six years, '' Throw You Down'', a long-planned collaboration with producer

Richard Perry Richard Van Perry (June 18, 1942 – December 24, 2024) was an American record producer. He began his musical career as a performer while attending Poly Prep, his high school in Brooklyn. After graduating from college he rose through the late ...

which briefly extended Houston's career as a minor R&B chart presence. The title song reached No. 5 on the U.S. dance chart. A remix of "Don't Leave Me This Way" was released, and once again charted on the Hot Dance Club Play chart at No. 19 in 1995. Subsequent singles include "I Need Somebody Tonight" and "All of That". In 1994, Houston participated in an AIDS benefit at New York's

Algonquin Hotel The Algonquin Hotel (officially The Algonquin Hotel Times Square, Autograph Collection) is a hotel at 59 West 44th Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States. The 181-room hotel, opened in 1902, was designed by architect Goldwi ...

, performing gospel music with

Phoebe Snow Phoebe Snow (born Phoebe Ann Laub; July 17, 1950 – April 26, 2011) was an American roots music singer-songwriter and guitarist, known for her hit 1974 and 1975 songs "Poetry Man" and "Harpo's Blues", and her credited guest vocals on Paul Simo ...

Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan ( ), is an American singer. Known as the " Queen of Funk", her career has spanned more than five decades beginning in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of ...

and

CeCe Peniston Cecilia Veronica "CeCe" Peniston (; born September 6, 1969) is an American singer and former beauty queen. In the early 1990s, she scored five number one hits on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Music/Club Play. Her signature song " Finally" re ...

as "

Sisters of Glory The Sisters of Glory was a US gospel band that included Thelma Houston, CeCe Peniston, Phoebe Snow, Lois Walden and Albertina Walker. After performing for the Pope John Paul II in Rome at the Vatican, the quintet released their only album entitl ...

". Intended as a one-off performance troupe, the

remained together – with the addition of

Mavis Staples Mavis Staples (born July 10, 1939) is an American rhythm and blues and gospel music, gospel singer and civil rights activism, activist. She rose to fame as a member of her family's band The Staple Singers, of which she is the last surviving memb ...

and

Lois Walden Lois Walden (born February 8, 1946) is an American author, singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, performer & teaching artist for The Acting Company. She is the author of two novels: ''One More Stop'', a 2012 finalist for the Lambda Literary ...

, and without Chaka Khan – to perform at

Woodstock '94 Woodstock '94 was an American music festival held in 1994 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the original Woodstock festival of 1969. It was promoted as "2 More Days of Peace and Music". The poster used to promote the first concert was r ...

. Houston performed with the

for the Pope in

Vatican City Vatican City, officially the Vatican City State (; ), is a Landlocked country, landlocked sovereign state and city-state; it is enclaved within Rome, the capital city of Italy and Bishop of Rome, seat of the Catholic Church. It became inde ...

and in 1995 Houston,

, Lois Walden and

Albertina Walker Albertina Walker ( – ) was an American gospel singer, songwriter and humanitarian. Early years Walker was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Ruben and Camilla Coleman Walker. Her mother was born in Houston County, Georgia, and her father ...

recorded the

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

album ''

Good News in Hard Times ''Good News in Hard Times'' is the album released by American gospel group the Sisters of Glory, released on August 22, 1995, by Warner Bros. Records. The set included solo performances by five female singers from different musical backgrounds: ...

'' as the

. Houston provided lead vocals on several tracks of guitarist

Scott Henderson Scott Henderson (born August 26, 1954) is an American jazz fusion and blues guitarist best known for his work with the band Tribal Tech. He was born in West Palm Beach and raised in Lake Worth Beach. Biography Scott Henderson is a highly reg ...

's 1997

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

album, ''

Tore Down House ''Tore Down House'' is an album by the guitarist Scott Henderson, released in 1997. The album contains three instrumental tracks; it includes a cover version of "Continuum", originally a Jaco Pastorius song, and a re-recording of "Same as You", w ...

'', and in 1998 she made

cameo appearance A cameo appearance, also called a cameo role and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief guest appearance of a well-known person or character in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking on ...

s in two films: in '' 54'' Houston portrayed herself singing "

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is a song written in 1943 by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane and introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical '' Meet Me in St. Louis''. Frank Sinatra later recorded a version with modified lyrics. ...

" supposedly at

Studio 54 Studio 54 is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater and former nightclub at 254 West 54th Street (Manhattan), 54th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York, U.S. Opened as the Gallo Opera House in 1927, it served ...

, and in '' Beloved'' Houston played 'One of The Thirty Women'.

Recent career

In 2000, Houston toured successfully throughout Australia in the stage musical version of '' Fame''. In 2002 she again guested on a Scott Henderson album, providing lead vocals for two of the tracks on ''

Well to the Bone ''Well To The Bone'' is a 2002 album by fusion/jazz guitarist Scott Henderson. It is his third solo-album, again returning to his blues-roots. It features a re-recording of the Tribal Tech song "Rituals". Track listing #"Lady P" – 7:14 #"H ...

''. Upon returning to the U.S. Houston toured with

Nile Rodgers Nile Gregory Rodgers Jr. (born September 19, 1952) is an American musician, songwriter, guitarist and record producer. The co-founder of Chic, he has written, produced, and performed on records that have sold more than 750 million albums and 1 ...

and

Chic Chic (; ), meaning "stylish" or "smart", is an element of fashion. It was originally a French word. Etymology '' Chic'' is a French word, established in English since at least the 1870s. Early references in English dictionaries classified ...

, and was among the opening acts of the originally intended finale of

Cher Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...

's ''

Farewell Tour A concert tour (or simply tour) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often, concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific ...

'' in Toronto on October 31, 2003. Houston regularly performs at

Teatro ZinZanni Teatro ZinZanni is a circus dinner theater that began in the neighborhood of Lower Queen Anne in Seattle, Washington. It has since expanded its operations to San Francisco and Chicago. History Teatro ZinZanni was created by Norman Langill, ...

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

and San Francisco. Her version of "Don't Leave Me This Way" continues to be popular today. In recent years she has been invited to sing this song on dozens of TV shows and specials including

's ''

Today Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'') is an American morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was the first of its genre on American television ...

'',

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

's ''Motown 45'' and ''The Disco Ball...A 30-Year Celebration'', and

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

' specials ''American Soundtrack: Rhythm, Love and Soul'', ''Soul Superstars'', and ''Old School Superstars''. "Don't Leave Me This Way" was mentioned by

VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...

as being among the greatest dance songs in 2000, and was ranked number eighty-six on the channel's countdown of The 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders. She won an episode of the

show '' Hit Me, Baby, One More Time'' with her renditions of her own hit and " Fallin'" by

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer and songwriter. A classically trained pianist, Keys began composing songs at the age of 12 and was signed by Columbia Records at 15. After d ...

. On September 20, 2004, Houston's rendition of "Don't Leave Me This Way" was inducted into the

Dance Music Hall of Fame The Dance Music Hall of Fame was an organization established in 2003 to honor and remember significant contributors to the genre of dance music. It had its first inductions in 2004 but went inactive after the 2005 induction ceremony. History The Da ...

in New York City. On August 14, 2007, Houston released her first studio album in seventeen years, '' A Woman's Touch''. The album was produced by

Peitor Angell Peitor Angell is an American/Canadian Film composer, Songwriter, record producer, arranger and conductor. His credits include production, arrangement, and songwriting work with new artists as well as established Grammy Award winning artists, includ ...

and features cover versions of songs by male artists such as

Luther Vandross Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American Soul music, soul and Contemporary R&B, R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer. Over his career, he achieved eleven consecutive RIAA certification, RIAA-certified ...

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. (; April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American Rhythm and blues, R&B and soul singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He helped shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player an ...

, and

Sting Stimulator of interferon genes (STING), also known as transmembrane protein 173 (TMEM173) and MPYS/MITA/ERIS is a regulator protein that in humans is encoded by the STING1 gene. STING plays an important role in innate immunity. STING induces typ ...

that Houston had been inspired by. The first single from the album was "Brand New Day". On August 20, 2007, Houston's 1984 album '' Qualifying Heat'' was reissued as an import title in the U.S. with a bonus track. She sang "Don't Leave Me This Way" on ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...

'' on April 22, 2009, and on ''

America's Got Talent ''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is an American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distributed by) and ...

'' on September 16, 2009. On July 29, 2013, a collaboration between Thelma and Los Angeles-based producer Janitor, entitled "Enemy", premiered on

SoundCloud SoundCloud is a German audio streaming service owned and operated by SoundCloud Global Limited & Co. KG. The service enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is ...

. Several tracks followed, culminating in the release of an EP, "Forty-Two", in September. This is the first new material from Thelma Houston in six years. She is featured on British singer

Morrissey Steven Patrick Morrissey ( ; born 22 May 1959), known :wikt:mononym, mononymously as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 198 ...

's single "Bobby, Don't You Think They Know?", released on streaming platforms on January 10, 2020, from his album ''

I Am Not a Dog on a Chain ''I Am Not a Dog on a Chain'' is the thirteenth solo studio album by Morrissey, released through BMG on 20 March 2020. It is Morrissey's first album of original material since 2017's '' Low in High School''. It was produced by Joe Chiccarelli, an ...

''. In 2024, Houston competed in season eleven of ''

The Masked Singer ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

'' as "Clock". She made it all the way to the semifinals, and finished in third place overall. As an encore, she sang her song "Don't Leave Me This Way".

Discography

*''

'' (1969) *''

Thelma Houston Thelma Houston ( Jackson; born May 7, 1943) is an American singer and actress. Beginning her recording career in the late 1960s, Houston scored a number-one hit in 1977 with her recording of " Don't Leave Me This Way", which won the Grammy for ...

'' (1972) *'' I've Got the Music in Me'' (with Pressure Cooker) (1975) *''

'' (1976) *'' The Devil in Me'' (1977) *'' Thelma & Jerry'' (with

) (1977) *''

Two to One ''Two to One'' is Thelma Houston's seventh studio album released on Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was inco ...

'' (with Jerry Butler) (1978) *'' Ready to Roll'' (1978) *''Ride to the Rainbow'' (1979) *''

'' (1980) *'' Never Gonna Be Another One'' (1981) *'' Reachin' All Around'' (1982) *''

'' (1983) *'' Qualifying Heat'' (1984) * '' Throw You Down'' (1990) *''Thelma Houston'' (1994) *'' A Woman's Touch'' (2007)

Filmography

Films

*1975: ''

'' — Lady Wing Ding *1977: ''

'' — Dana Sheridan *1979: ''The Seventh Dwarf'' *1988: '' And God Created Woman'' — prison singer *1998: '' 54'' — herself *1998: '' Beloved'' — one of The Thirty Women

Television (guest)

*1969: ''

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 ...

''- guest singer, singing "Didn't We"(December 8) *1969: ''The Price of Fame'' – Guest singer, singing "Jumpin' Jack Flash" *1971: '' The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine'' — various characters *1975: ''The

'' — Guest Singer *1980: ''The Two Ronnies''- Guest singer, singing " The Candyman" *1985: ''

'' (5,11: Play it again, Santa) — Ellie Hendricks *1986: ''

'' — Venutia *1986: ''

Tall Tales & Legends ''Tall Tales & Legends'' (also known as ''Shelley Duvall's Tall Tales & Legends'') is an American folklore anthology television series of 9 episodes created by television and film actress Shelley Duvall, who also served as executive producer and p ...

'' — Edna *1987: ''Little Miss Perfect'' — Ms. Bonner *1989: '' Super Dave'' — Guest singer, "Lean on Me" *2024: ''

'' - Herself/Clock, 3rd place”

Soundtracks

*1976: ''

'' — "Steal on Home", "Razzle Dazzle" *1976: ''Norman... Is That You?'' — "One Out of Every Six" *1978: '' Thank God It's Friday'' — "Love Masterpiece" *1984: ''Getting Physical'' — "Hot Dance", "To Be Free" *1985: '' Into the Night'' — "Keep It Light" *1989: '' Lean on Me'' — " Lean on Me"

References

External links

Official website
* *
Thelma Houston talks about disco, and NBC's "America's Got Talent"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Houston, Thelma 1943 births 20th-century African-American women singers 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American singers 21st-century African-American women singers 21st-century American singers 21st-century American women singers Actresses from Long Beach, California African-American actresses American dance musicians American disco musicians American disco singers American film actresses American rhythm and blues singers American soul singers American television actresses Dunhill Records artists Grammy Award winners Living people Motown artists Musicians from Long Beach, California People from Leland, Mississippi Singers from Mississippi