Thelma Houston’s banner year came in 1977: Her smash single “Don’t Leave Me This Way” foregrounded a passionate performance that gave her a reputation as one of the most striking and soulful vocalists of the disco era. Born in Leland, MS, in 1946 but raised largely in Long Beach, CA, Houston found the root of her full-bodied singing style in the gospel church. Her journey into secular music in her twenties led her to auspicious TV features and a Motown contract. At the soul label, her profile rose gradually throughout the ’70s with singles like the Pressure Cooker collaboration “I’ve Got the Music In Me” and the Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes retake “Don’t Leave Me This Way.” Houston scored R&B hits through the ’80s (see “If You Feel It”) and early ’90s while pursuing acting. She has remained active as a recording artist since.