Irma Thomas: Soul Queen of New Orleans

I remember well the Ides of September, year 2000 of the Common Era, seeing Mavis Staples and Irma Thomas at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor. Those were the days when Gina and Maddy were in the local mix. Having filed for divorce from my latest wife in July, I was a "free man in Paris" and, though in some disarray, loving life. I'd just moved to my present 1928 apartment with the French doors, hardwood floors and thick walls, and I had my hot new love in Detroit to enjoy and help me through. Hence, I was bemused by Gina, who wanted nothing more than to drink coffee, read the New York Times and listen to NPR; and by Maddy, who preferred people who "burned." For some whimsical reason, we three went together to the Women, Rhythm, and Blues festival. Gina and Maddy hated each other; in the movie version, Liza Minelli could play the one and Sandra Bullock -- on steroids -- the other (I am a fan of neither, but they match). My character could be played by Peter Sarsgaard, given a preference. But more importantly for some, who is Irma Thomas?

She's a powerful singer, for one. The Rolling Stones covered her "Time Is On My Side" and made a splash with it in 1964. She never made it huge like other rhythm and blues, soul or even gospel stars, but she's wonderful, especially live. The studios can only sporadically match her vocal talent with the ideal backing -- a problem shared by Tina Turner in her heyday, Janis Joplin with Big Brother and the Holding Company, and kd lang.

At the Michigan Theater the night we saw her, she razed the house down, after Mavis Staples warmed us up with memorable renditions of Staples Singers tunes like "I'll Take You There."

Irma was charming, beautiful, and cool, and engaged the audience between songs. She was hilarious introducing her first single release, whose title says all you need to know: "(You Can Have My Husband, But Please) Don't Mess With My Man."

She's originally from Ponchatoula, Louisiana, but New Orleans is her spiritual home. Born Irma Lee on February 18, 1941, she very soon began singing gospel at church and school and anywhere people would listen. Pregnant at fourteen, she married the father and had another child with him, divorcing by seventeen; at nineteen, she married Andrew Thomas and began launching her professional singing career as Irma Thomas. They also divorced, but by 1959, she was in with the business, releasing the you-can-have-my-husband track with "Set Me Free" as the flipside in May, 1960.

Her recordings sometime sound a little like Motown, and there's some doowop going on, with mixed results. Some of the songs are terrific, even as studio productions. And they're funny in a bittersweet survivor kind of way. "Hittin' On Nothing" is about some loser man who talks big and never delivers any of the gifts he promised. "Ruler of My Heart" is beautiful and lilting; Otis Redding based his "Pain In My Heart" on it, clearly. And the Rolling Stones may have written "Time Waits for No One" (given their homage to "Time Is On My Side") from these lines: "Sitting home alone / thinking about my past /wondering how I made it /and how long it's gonna last / Success has come to lots of them / and failure is always there / time waits for no one." ("Wish Someone Would Care"). Irma takes a playful shot at James Brown with what is essentially a feminist rejoinder in "It's A Man's Woman's World." Others like "It's Raining" and "While the City Sleeps" are sweet, but there are also two killers (the first is complete with backup vocals that sound like "dilliwop") -- "Anyone Who Knows What Love is (Will Understand)" and the soon-to-be-ex- knockout blow, "Times Have Changed."

Hearing these in person, seeing Irma Thomas in person, was a real treat. I hope to be able to see her again, for sure!

After the show, I rarely saw Gina again, and Maddy moved on to parts unknown the next spring. But Irma sings on -- mostly in New Orleans. Her club, the Lion's Den, was taken out of action by Katrina flooding, but she has been doing benefits and generally cheering up the troops who are left or coming back. Hail the Soul Queen of New Orleans, and maybe even buy some of her music. I'm sure she'd appreciate the interest and support.

Adieu for now . . . . .