Thomas became a historic figure at Stax Records during its formaAve years. In 1960, she recorded “’Cause I Love You” with her father, one of the earliest hits for the label that helped establish its idenAty and future global impact. Her breakout solo recording, “Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes),” became a Top 10 pop hit and a defining moment in the emergence of the Memphis soul sound.
Throughout the 1960s, Carla Thomas delivered a series of landmark Stax recordings that shaped the emoAonal and musical idenAty of the label. Her hits including “B-A-B-Y,” “Stop! Look What You’re Doin’,” and “Let Me Be Good to You” showcased her warm, expressive vocal style and crossover appeal. Her duet work with OAs Redding, particularly “Tramp” and the King & Queen album, remains among the most celebrated collaborations in soul music history. Backed by Booker T. & the M.G.’s and the Stax house band, her recordings helped define the raw, gospel-rooted sound that became known as Memphis soul.
Carla Thomas’ influence has extended far beyond the original Stax era. Her music has been widely embraced and reinterpreted across generaAons, especially within hip-hop culture. The duet “Tramp,” recorded with OAs Redding, has been heavily sampled and referenced in modern music, most notably by Salt-N-Pepa in their hit “Shoop,” helping introduce her sound to new audiences and cemenAng her place in contemporary Black musical expression.
In more recent years, Thomas has remained acAve on major stages around the world. She has performed as part of the acclaimed Take Me to the River: All-Stars Memphis Soul Revue, sharing the stage with fellow Memphis legends and the Hi Rhythm Section. She has also appeared at prestigious internaAonal venues including the Barbican Centre in London, and participated in the historic Antone’s 50th Anniversary celebration in Austin, Texas—events that continue to honor her as a living link to American soul and blues traditions.
Her later career has also been marked by continued recording recognition and
renewed visibility. In 2021, Carla Thomas was featured on Valerie June’s song “Call Me a Fool,” which earned a Grammy nomination for Best American Roots Song at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, introducing her voice to a new generation of listeners and reaffirming her enduring artistic relevance.
Carla Thomas herself has been a multiple Grammy nominee daiting back to the 1960s, with early nominations including Best Rhythm & Blues Solo Vocal Performance and Best Group Performance during the 10th Annual Grammy Awards era.
Today, Carla Thomas remains a revered cultural icon whose legacy bridges
generations. As the “Queen of Memphis Soul,” her voice, recordings, and influence continue to resonate across soul, R&B, and hip-hop—anchoring the past while still shaping the present and future of American music.
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Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell (born 1971) is a GRAMMY Award-winning producer,
engineer, composer, award-winning film producer, and the owner of the iconic Royal Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. The son of legendary Hi Records producer Willie Mitchell, Boo was raised in the heart of American soul music and has spent his life bridging generaLons, genres, and mediums through a unique blend of Memphis tradition and modern innovation.
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Lina Beach is a Colombian-American singer, songwriter, and musician from Franklin, Tennessee, now based in Memphis. In 2021, she arrived at Royal Studios as an intern for Grammy Award-winning producer Boo Mitchell. Her guitar playing caught Boo’s attention, inspiring her to share her gift. This sparked an outpouring of songs exploring love, loss, spirituality, and self-discovery, now being recorded at Royal for her upcomingdebut album, Little Sanities.
In 2023, Lina joined the legendary Hi Rhythm SecLon, Willie Mitchell’s famed studio band, known for crafting the classic Memphis soul sound of Al Green and Ann Peebles. She’s since toured globally, performing with artists including Al Green, Drake, William Bell, Carla Thomas, Eddie Floyd, Joss Stone, Eric Gales, and most recently on the Sinners movie soundtrack with “Wang Dang Doodle,” produced at Royal Studios.