Thelma Houston (born May 7, 1946) is an American soul, R&B, disco, gospel, and pop singer whose career has extended from the late 1960s into the 21st century. Born Thelma Jackson in Leland, Mississippi, she grew up mainly in Long Beach, California, where she sang in church and developed a strong foundation in gospel music. Before pursuing a solo career, she performed with the Art Reynolds Singers, a gospel group with which she made some of her earliest recordings.
Houston began recording secular music in the late 1960s. She signed with Capitol Records and released the single "Baby Mine," then moved to Dunhill Records, where she issued her debut album, Sunshower, in 1969. Produced and largely written by Jimmy Webb, the album presented Houston in a sophisticated soul-pop setting and included her interpretation of the Rolling Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash." Although it attracted critical attention, it did not establish her as a major commercial artist.
Houston joined Motown in the early 1970s, a period in which the company was expanding beyond its classic pop-soul sound and exploring funk, disco, and contemporary R&B. Her early Motown recordings produced limited chart success, but they demonstrated the power and versatility of her voice. The single "You've Been Doing Wrong for So Long" earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 1975. She also recorded I've Got the Music in Me with the group Pressure Cooker, a project that allowed her to work in a more band-oriented and jazz-informed setting.
Her decisive breakthrough came with Any Way You Like It, released by Motown in 1976. The album's central track was a dramatic reinterpretation of "Don't Leave Me This Way," written by Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and Cary Gilbert and first recorded by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. Houston's performance transformed the song into a defining disco anthem, driven by a forceful rhythm arrangement and her increasingly urgent vocal delivery. Released as a single, it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1977 and became Houston's signature recording. It also earned her the Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 20th Annual Grammy Awards in 1978.
Houston remained active with Motown through the late 1970s, releasing The Devil in Me, Ready to Roll, and Ride to the Rainbow. The latter included "Saturday Night, Sunday Morning," another notable dance hit. She also recorded two duet albums with Jerry Butler, Thelma & Jerry and Two to One, and contributed performances to the soundtrack of The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings and the disco film Thank God It's Friday.
After leaving Motown, Houston recorded for RCA, MCA, Reprise, and other labels. Her later albums included Breakwater Cat, Never Gonna Be Another One, Reachin' All Around, Qualifying Heat, and Throw You Down. She also worked as an actress, appearing in films and television programs, while continuing to perform live. In the 1990s, she joined the gospel supergroup Sisters of Glory, whose album Good News in Hard Times connected Houston with singers including Chaka Khan, CeCe Peniston, Phoebe Snow, and Mavis Staples.
Houston returned to recorded music with releases such as A Woman's Touch in 2007, a collection of songs associated with male performers, and later digital projects including the Summer Nights EP. Her legacy rests primarily on the emotional intensity of "Don't Leave Me This Way," but her broader body of work reflects a career equally grounded in gospel discipline, soul phrasing, and the evolving language of dance music.