Thelma Houston

Singer Thelma Houston rocketed to stardom with the release of the 1977 disco classic "Don't Leave Me This Way."

Mississippi-born Houston first surfaced in the gospel group the Art Reynolds Singers before signing a solo deal with Dunhill Records. Although hitmaker Jimmy Webb wrote and produced her debut LP Sunshower, the record attracted little attention, and Houston signed to Motown Records, finally scoring a minor hit in the summer of 1974 with "You've Been Doing Wrong for So Long," a non-album single, which peaked at number 64 on the R&B chart.

Houston's cover of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' "Don't Leave Me This Way" became an international hit and topped the Billboard Hot 100 charts, earning a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. She struggled to repeat its success in the years to follow, however, and eventually left Motown for RCA, reuniting with Webb for 1980's Breakwater Cat. Houston later toured as a member of the gospel troupe Sisters of Glory alongside Phoebe Snow, Chaka Khan and CeCe Peniston.