Evelyn Thomas – born Ellen Lucille Thomas on August 22, 1953, in Chicago, Illinois – was a disco and Hi-NRG singer best known for the hits “High Energy,” “Masquerade,” “Reflections,” and “How Many Hearts.” Discovered in 1975 by British producer Ian Levine while he was searching for American soul and gospel singers, she released her first single, “Weak Spot,” in 1976, which climbed to number 26 on the UK singles chart. After her second single, “Doomsday,” barely missed the UK Top 40 (number 41). Signing to Casablanca Records in 1978, she failed to reach much success with her debut album, I Wanna Make It on My Own, and she eventually left the label and signed with AVI Records. After releasing her second album, Have a Little Faith in Me (1979), her commercial success had lost momentum. It took another five years before she returned with a new single, “High Energy,” which became a groundbreaking hit. The song reached the top of the US Dance Singles chart and was an international hit, hitting number 1 in Germany and number 5 in the UK. The song was one of the pioneering tracks that introduced the genre Hi-NRG, which blended classic disco with electronic music. Evelyn Thomas continued to have success with the album High Energy and the singles “Masquerade,” “Heartless,” and “Sorry Wrong Number.” She hit the US Dance Singles Top 20 with 1985’s “Reflections” (number 18) and 1986’s “How Many Hearts” (number 11) but subsequent singles were not as successful. While she never scored another big hit single, her recorded legacy remained as popular as ever and she was held up as one of Hi-NRG and disco music’s pioneering divas. Evelyn Thomas died on July 21, 2024, at the age of 70.
