Irma Thomas

Irma Thomas was justifiably bestowed with the moniker "Soul Queen of New Orleans," thanks to a string of 1960s classics that included "Time is On My Side" and "Ruler of My Heart." Thomas was never as commercially successful as the better-known women of soul music's golden era, but she is nonetheless a beloved figure among soul music devotees, having recorded with some of the finest songwriters and producers in music history, and she has remained a source of deep pride and inspiration for the Crescent City. In 2006, Thomas released AFTER THE RAIN, an album steeped in both the deep sadness and the gritty resilience of post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans.