By Dee Dee McNeil
Feb 1, 2026
When Gertrude Jackson and Clifton Ramsey met, sparks flew. On May 7, 1943, little Thelma Jackson was born in Leland, Mississippi. However, when she was ten years old, the family relocated to Long Beach, California. She has been here ever since. While on the Pacific West Coast, Thelma Houston’s blossoming talents exploded. Today, she is one of Southern California’s famous music icons.
“I started singing as a little kid, you know like two or three years old, back in Leland, Mississippi. When my grandmother came to live with us, I guess by that time I was about three or four-years old. She would have the radio on, listening to gospel. I used to sing along with the radio. Back then, they had gospel music playing on the radio. When I would sing, she would call me Little Mahalia. My grandmother wanted me to sing all of Mahalia Jackson’s songs,” Thelma Houston told me about her early vocal influence.
“We moved to California when I was about ten. When I got into Junior High School, my aunt started living with us. She was a WAC, you know, in the army. She was into jazz and liked Dakota Staton. But really, her favorite was Dinah Washington. She had seen Dinah Washington perform more than once. So, she would say “Louise” (that’s my middle name. Everybody in my family used to call me Louise). She’d say, Louise, now that’s some singing! Listen to that!! So, that became my introduction to Dinah Washington,” Thelma shared in a recent phone interview.
Clearly Thelma Houston planted early roots in gospel and jazz music. I asked Ms. Houston about her musical meeting with Art Reynolds. She told me this.
“I attended Franklin Jr. High School in Long Beach. We knew each other then. We were casual friends. Art and I attended dances and socialized together like teens do. At Franklin Jr. High School, the PTA would sponsor a talent show. That talent show was a fundraiser for the school. They raised money to support children who needed extra money for lunch or to support field trips. So, that was the whole reason for having the talent show.
In our school, back then, we’re talking 1958-59, the teachers seemed to be so invested in the students. If you showed talent, in whatever field, they encouraged you. So, clearly my talent was singing. I was in the Glee Club and sang anywhere else I could. I would audition for the talent show each year. So, I participated in the talent show 7th, 8th and 9th grades. Well, in the 7th grade, I sat up on the piano and sang along with Principal Catlin, who was the pianist that year. That was my introduction to the talent show. In the 8th grade, they let me sing with the band. Now this band was very good. They had charts and were quite professional for a Junior High ensemble. They sounded great!
“In the 9th grade, they made me the star of the show. I did a song called “Someone to Watch Over Me.” Our auditorium was being rebuilt. So, that year the Talent Show took place in the gym. It was arranged to look like a nightclub. We had an MC, making jokes in between acts, and students coming on like chorus Line dancers. I was singing the big song of the show. Art Reynolds happened to be playing the xylophone. He had a solo during my song. Then, they put that show on vinyl. I have that historic record. I wish you could hear the quality of that show, and how good the band sounded, along with Art (Reynolds) playing xylophone. For Junior High School students, we all sounded very professional. Our principal paid to have it recorded. Then they took some of the highlights of the show, went into a professional studio to edit and mix those highlights. Franklin Junior High School made our talent show into albums. They sold them to raise money for the school. That’s how my first recording of ‘Someone to Watch Over Me’ came about.
“While still in Junior High School, I met some friends in the 8th grade. They said, Oow, Thelma, you can sing good. You should come to our church and sing with our choir. But I was already singing in the choir at a Baptist church. However, the Baptist Church had me singing with the children’s choir, which was OK. Still, I wanted to sing with the adults, because the adults were singing the songs where you could harmonize and do all kinds of stuff vocally. So, I asked my friends, will they let me sing with the adult choir? My friends said, Oh girl, yes! You could probably even sing ‘lead.’ That sealed it. I left my Baptist church and joined the Methodist Church.
“Art Reynolds was playing piano at another church. After a while, people in my church started asking around if we knew anybody who could play piano, because our long-time pianist was leaving St. Vincent CME. That’s how Art came onboard. Out of that choir, we formed the Art Reynolds Singers.
“At times, we would go with our minister, to various churches for their anniversary, or some special event. Our pastor would invite us to go along with him to sing. We were really, really good. So, from that we became a traveling gospel group. We were offered a recording contract with Capital Records. That’s how that happened.”
The Art Reynolds Singers 1966 Album: Tellin’ It Like It Is! – A3 I Won’t Be Back
The hit song from that album was “Jesus is Just Alright.” Later, that hit record was covered by several rock groups including The Byrds, The Doobie Brothers and DC Talk.
Art Reynolds has often said, “Thelma Houston was to my group what Shirley Caesar was to The Caravans.”
At age eighteen, Thelma married her boyfriend, Effie Houston Jr. Together, they had two adorable children, a boy and a girl. At home, her young husband was trying to get used to her busy singing career, her rehearsals, and her time away from home touring. Marriage to a musician is challenging. They were babies having babies. Soon the two divorced.
Thelma signed to Capital Records as a solo artist in 1966. She released her first hit record called “Baby Mine.” You can hear how close her tone was to the Queen of the Blues, Dinah Washington on this R&B Recording. The arrangement was very much like the Motown hits of that day. Thelma’s tune quickly went traveling up the Rhythm and Blues charts.
I asked Thelma Houston how she met and began working with singer, songwriter and record producer, Jimmy Webb.
“You know, what used to be Studio One? That club’s not there anymore. It was located in West Hollywood. Before it was Studio One, it was a private disco. Movie stars would come in there. Backgammon clubs would meet there. The novelty about that club was that it had a warehouse look about it, with one of those old-fashioned freight elevators. Anyway, on Sundays, to entertain patrons in that private club, they would have ‘live’ shows. That was an opportunity for managers or agents to bring in their acts for a showcase performance.
“I wasn’t driving then. There was this one gentlemen who was kind of booking me. He was in a group called the Rivingtons. They had a hit song out called, “Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow.” His name was Brother Al Fraser and he was a Muslim. He believed in me. He’d drive me to events. He always had me sitting in the back seat. This particular Sunday, he drove me to that private club in West Hollywood to sing.
“When I got there, the people in charge asked me if I could sing any gospel and I said, Well yeah! So, I called up Art and he brought the rest of the Art Reynolds Singers. We tore it up. Anyway, Mark Gordon was in the audience. He had brought his artist to perform, by the name of Al Wilson. He had that hit song ‘Show and Tell.’
“After I sang, Mark came back and gave me his card. He wanted to know if I was serious about performing. I assured him I was. The 5th Dimensions had just signed a management contract with him. They were on their first big tour for the “Up Up and Away” record. It was a major tour. While they were out on the road, Mark had time to develop or look for another artist. I’m happy to say, it was me!
“Mark Gordon took me to sing for Jimmy Webb. I went to Jimmy’s house, sang a couple of songs and he asked Mark who was producing me? Mark said, You are, if you want.”
The result of this fateful meeting was the RCA/Dunhill Record release “Sunshower.”
On their collaboration, Thelma Houston showed her ability to cover all genres with her soulful rendition of the pop song, “Didn’t We?”
Back when Las Vegas Casinos featured free Lounge Shows, you could pop into the casino bar and see the likes of Fats Dominoe, various Boy Bands and even Thelma Houston tearing the stage up inside those high-profile Vegas hotel lounges. That’s where Suzanne DePasse saw the young talent. She stood there, barefoot, with afro-centric garb and a soft, warm afro crowning her pretty face. DePasse was impressed with Houston’s stage presence, her look, but mostly her big, booming, beautiful voice. She knew that Thelma’s talent would be a blessing to the Motown Roster. So, DePasse approached Thelma after her show.
But Thelma’s lawyer and manager didn’t want her to sign a Motown contract. They felt Houston would not receive the attention, promotion and productions she deserved at Motown. That’s when Diana Ross was having super success on the label. They thought the executives would give Ms. Ross all the attention. Despite their objections, Thelma took the leap and signed to the popular Motown label.
In 1973, it was Berry Gordy and Motown that believed Thelma was the perfect voice to perform as a lead in their Bessie Smith film. Instead, to Berry Gordy’s objection, Thelma’s wonderful remake of the Teddy Pendergrass tune would redirect her career and make history. That song placed her on international world stages, and she became the first female Grammy Winner for Motown Records in 1977.
When Suzanne DePasse heard Teddy Pendergrass singing, “Don’t leave me This Way” by Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes, the talent-finder knew it could be a huge hit record on Thelma Houston. She was right! It was 1976, when Houston recorded “Don’t Leave Me This Way.” It became her signature, Disco, hit song. It earned Thelma Houston her first Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Because of this song, Thelma has held the “Queen of Disco” crown for fifty years. “Don’t leave me This Way” became number one in thirteen countries and a theme song for the gay community. In the 1970s, it became a National Anthem in the West Hollywood Community. So much so, that every year since, they celebrate Thelma Houston Day, not only because of her hit song, but also because of her consistent activism during the HIV/AIDS pandemic. When that disease first appeared on the scene, Thelma Houston supported efforts to prevent it and to find a cure for the deadly outbreak. She remains a shero in the gay community. Thelma continues to be a supporter of The Coalition for At-Risk Youth (CARRY) too. It’s a nonprofit organization dedicated to changing the lives of foster youth suffering from skin disorders and physical illnesses.
Meantime, Motown approached her to record a song called “Do You Know Where You’re Going To?” To her shock, while awaiting the release of her new ‘Single,’ they gave that song to Diana Ross to sing. The next thing Thelma knew, the song she had recorded for her next Motown release became a hit on Diana, as well as the theme song for Diana’s film, “Mahogany.” Sadly, what Thelma’s attorney had predicted came true.
Shortly after this huge disappointment, Thelma left Motown. While there, she had five solo albums released on the Motown label. However, the talented singer knew it was time to plant new roots.
Through the years, Houston’s relationship with Motown has still remained warm and engaging. In 1985, she performed in the TV special “Motown Returns to the Apollo” for Apollo’s 50th Anniversary celebration. Thelma Houston sang a tribute to Dinah Washington performing “What A Difference A Day Makes.” (58 minutes into the two-hour show)
Motown Returns to The Apollo (1985) | Star-Studded Tribute Hosted By Bill Cosby
Thelma’s aspirations didn’t stop at singing. She began to make constant appearances on television shows like American Idol and America’s Got Talent. She also aspired to become an actress.
“They started a film department at Motown and hired a man by the name of Rob Cohen to run it. Rob came to one of my performances. In a meeting afterwards, Rob said I enjoyed your show and I think you could make a really good actor. I immediately went to thinking, is this man trying to tell me I’m acting when I’m singing? I went to a negative place. Because at that time, I didn’t see the connection between acting and singing. However, I learned there is a connection. I think he must have seen a look on my face, because I told him with all sincerity, I sing from my heart, Rob. It’s not an act! Then he clarified it. Once I understood, I took his advice. He referred me to an acting coach by the name of Joan Darling in Hollywood. I studied with her for three years.”
Thelma Houston set about extending her talents from singing to stage and screen. In 1975, she appeared in a television film titled “Death Scream” followed by her appearance in the 1977 release of “Game Show Models,” then the independent film, “The Seventh Dwarf” in 1979. These were followed by a string of other films, including her appearance as herself in the 1998 motion picture about Studio 54, called “54.”
“I wrote a song for that movie ‘Studio 54’ that Selma Hyatt sang. It was called ‘The Night I fly,” Thelma told me. “Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis encouraged me to be a songwriter. But my head wasn’t into writing when they were producing me. We all have stories to tell, however, learning how to put it down on paper and how to express it is another thing. Since then, I’ve had songs published. Patti Labelle has recorded one of my tunes, “Be Yourself” that I wrote with my friend Buddy.”
To date, Houston has appeared in several films and on various television sitcoms, including. Cagney & Lacey, Simon & Simon, and in 1987 she appeared in the CBS after-school special, “Little Miss Perfect.” She also was featured on the legendary Ed Sullivan Show.
Thelma Houston “Save The Country” on The Ed Sullivan Show
In ‘88, she was cast in a film called “And God Created Woman.” She also sang “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas in the film “54” and had a part in the hit movie “Beloved,” one of the ‘Thirty Women.’ She stayed in demand, contributing to movie soundtracks in 1985, singing “Keep It Light” in the film “Into the Night. She also remade the Bill Wither’ tune “Lean on Me’ for the 1989 film of the same title, singing with The Winans.
Other soundtracks Houston sang on are “The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings,” “Norman is That You?” and “Thank God It’s Friday. Her big, beautiful voice also is prominent in the movie, “Getting Physical” in 1984.
In the mid-nineties, Thelma Houston shared the stage with CeCe Penningston, Phoebe Snow, Lois Walden and Albertina Waldon. They toured, opening at Woodstock on Sunday morning and later, the ladies had an audience with the Pope.
In 2024, Houston competed in season eleven of The Masked Singer as “Clock”. Thelma made it all the way to the semifinals, finishing in third place overall. As an encore, she sang her song “Don’t Leave Me This Way”.[13] She is currently working on her autobiography.
Houston’s rendition of “Don’t Leave Me This Way” was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame in New York City in 2004. Her first manager, Mark Gordon, once told her if she ever had a hit record, she’d have to sing it consistently for about ten years. Thelma laughs about that comment today! In 2026, that disco song turns fifty-years young, and it’s still in popular demand worldwide. She is expected to sing it at every concert.
Thelma Houston is another Southern California legend. She will appear at Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood this spring. Be there!