Irma Thomas

Curtains up for the Soul Queen of New Orleans! The Grammy-winning singer began her career in 1959 with „Don’t Mess With My Man“ and scored her biggest U.S. hit in 1963 with “Wish Someone Would Care.” Unlike her contemporaries Aretha Franklin and Dionne Warwick, she never managed to break into the mainstream despite releasing 20 albums. It’s all the more gratifying that her songs “It’s Raining” and “Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)” were later featured in films by Jim Jarmusch and TV series such as “Black Mirror,” among others, introducing her to a younger audience. Over the course of her six-decade career, Irma Thomas has collaborated with greats such as Allain Toussaint, Randy Newman, and many others, and has toured worldwide. In 2024, she performed her song “Time Is On My Side”—which was the Rolling Stones’ first U.S. Top Ten hit—with the band at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. We are thrilled to present this true soul legend at ELBJAZZ.