Carla Thomas

Bio

Carla Thomas is an American singer and songwriter from Memphis, Tennessee, widely regarded as the Queen of Memphis Soul. The daughter of Stax Records co-founder Rufus Thomas, she began her career in the 1950s and achieved her breakthrough with the 1961 duet “Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes).” She recorded numerous hits for Stax in the 1960s, including “B-A-B-Y” and the duet “Tramp” with Otis Redding. Her warm, expressive voice and sophisticated phrasing helped define Southern soul, and she collaborated with many of the label’s key artists and the house band Booker T. & the M.G.’s. Although her chart success waned after the late 1960s, she remains an influential figure in soul music and continues to perform occasionally.