Carla Thomas
Born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1942,
Carla Thomas is often referred to as the
Queen of Memphis Soul. At the age of 17, she recorded a duet with her father Rufus Thomas, “Because I Love You,” which became a Southern hit and gave the Satellite label (later Stax) its first real success. In 1961 she rose to national prominence with “
Gee Whiz (Look in His Eyes),” which reached the Top Ten in both the R&B and Pop categories, becoming the first Memphis soul record to have an impact nationwide and insuring the success of the Stax label. In the next ten years, she had 22 singles on the national charts, including “I'll Bring It on Home to You” (an answer to
Sam Cooke's “Bring It on Home to Me”), “Let Me Be Good to You,” and
Isaac Hayes' “B-A-B-Y.” She is well-known for her duets with
Otis Redding, particularly the recordings of the Lowell Fulson composition “Tramp” and the Steve Cropper/ Eddie Floyd song “Knock on Wood.” In 1993 Carla Thomas received a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation.
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