Booking Thelma Houston

Thelma Houston Biography

The American actress and singer Thelma Houston was born in 1946 in Leland, Mississippi. Long before Houston rose to fame with her number one hit “Don’t Leave Me This Way” in 1977, she grew up in Long Beach, California, where she began singing as a young woman. Thelma didn’t pursue a full-time career as a performer until she was already grown and married with two children, at which time she signed with Dunhill Records as a gospel recording artist.

Thelma Houston released her debut album, Sunshower, in 1969. Two years later, she signed with Motown Records, although it wasn’t until 1976 that she scored her first big hit with “Don’t Leave Me This Way.” Additional hits between 1976 and 1999 include: “I’m Here Again,” “Saturday Night, Saturday Morning,” “If You Feel It,” “96 Tears,” “You Used to Hold Me So Tight,” “Lean on Me,” and “Throw You Down.”

Thelma Houston also began a career as an actress in the mid 1970’s, appearing in such films as: Death Scream (1975), And God Created Woman (1988), 54 (1998), and Beloved (1998.) She also appeared in roles on the television shows: Cagney & Lacey (1985), Simon & Simon (1986), and Tall Tales & Legends (1986.) Houston also provided music for the films Into the Night (1985) and Lean on Me (1989.)

In the new millennium, Thelma Houston toured throughout Australia as a cast member in the musical Fame. Additional tours and performances from Houston include a tour with Chic and Nile Rogers, performances on PBS specials and NBC’s Today Show, and even a performance on American Idol in 2009. Most recently, Thelma Houston collaborated with LA producer Janitor to create the song “Enemy,” followed by the EP Forty Two.