Vaneese Yseult Thomas is an American R&B, jazz, and soul blues singer. The youngest child of Rufus Thomas and sister to musicians Marvell and Carla Thomas, she gained prominence in the late 1980s with her self-titled debut album (1987) on Geffen Records, which featured the US R&B top 20 singles "Let's Talk It Over" and "(I Wanna Get) Close to You." Her follow-up album, When My Back's Against the Wall, was released in 1998. Thomas transitioned to working primarily as a backing vocalist, collaborating with artists such as Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Celine Dion, Sting, and Eric Clapton, while also contributing to film soundtracks including Anastasia, Mighty Aphrodite, and The First Wives Club. Subsequent solo albums include Talk Me Down (2001), A Woman’s Love (2003), Soul Sister, Vol. 1: A Tribute to the Women of Soul (2009), and Blues for My Father (2014), the latter earning her nominations for Soul Blues Album and Soul Blues Female Artist at the 36th Blues Music Awards.
