​Legendary disco singer Evelyn Thomas has died aged 70

Legendary disco singer and hi-NRG pioneer Evelyn Thomas has died aged 70.

Thomas’ producer, Ian Levine, confirmed the news on social media on Sunday, July 21, writing: “It is hard for me to accept that my lifelong protégé really has left us. Her music will outlive us all.”

Evelyn Thomas was born in Chicago in 1953 and was raised in a musical family. After moving to New York to pursue an acting career, Thomas began singing in musicals including Les Miserables and The Wiz.

In 1975, Thomas met Ian Levine, who signed her as an artist and recorded two northern soul tracks with her, ‘Weak Spot’ and ‘Doomsday’, both of which made the UK pop charts and led her to an appearance on Top Of The Pops in 1976.

Thomas then released two albums in the years following, ‘I Wanna Make It On My Own’ and ‘Have A Little Faith In Me’ respectively, and became a staple member of the Chicago northern soul scene.

In 1984, Thomas recorded her hit track ‘High Energy’, which peaked at number five in the UK charts, cementing her as a pioneer of the new sound of hi-NRG - a genre that fused disco with high-tempo dance music.

Smash Hits Magazine credited the track for “straddling both gay disco and old Motown - the two main Hi-NRG ingredients” (per the BBC).

Her daughter, Kimberley, who is also a singer under the alias YaYa Diamond, appeared alongside Evelyn Thomas in the 1984 music video for ‘High Energy’.

“[Kimberley] wants to record this one last song as a tribute to her beautiful mother,” Levine wrote. “She sat by her side and held her hand as she was dying. Kimberley has been the most amazing and caring daughter.”

Read some tributes for Evelyn Thomas below.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter