Jimmy Thomas

Jimmy Thomas spent years as the primary singer for Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm while also issuing a run of solo 45s that later earned cult status among Northern soul enthusiasts. He entered the world on January 20, 1939, in Osceola, Arkansas, where the local blues scene surrounded him from childhood and family friend Albert King provided an early connection to the music. While still attending high school he assembled his first R&B ensemble, the Trays. At King's urging, Thomas headed to St. Louis in 1958 to audition for Turner, who needed a replacement vocalist following Clayton Love's departure from the popular Kings of Rhythm. His first recordings occurred during the band's celebrated Chicago sessions for the Cobra label, after which he stayed with Turner for eight years and frequently collaborated with the bandleader on songwriting for such releases as "You Can Go," "Jack Rabbit," "The Darkest Hour," and "Just Trying to Please You."

Thomas continued performing with the group after Tina Turner joined and Ike renamed the act the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. During a U.K. tour he struck up a friendship with producers Denny Cordell and Tony Visconti, who offered him the chance to study production techniques with them, prompting his relocation to London in 1969. There he began crafting his own solo material, including the tracks that would become Northern soul favorites "The Beautiful Night" and "Where There's a Will (There's a Way)." He also handled writing and production duties for the 1973 Contempo album Abyss, and in 1979 he launched his own imprint, Osceola.