Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Carla Thomas is an American singer, who is often referred to as the Queen of Memphis Soul. She is the daughter of Rufus Thomas. At the age of eight, she was already a "professional" musician: she began singing with a talented teen-age group that performed on a local radio show. She sang on radio up until she graduated from high school. Her dad took Carla along on trips with him outside Memphis, and so she got the taste for show business at a very early age.

When Carla's tape with "Ghee Whiz, Look At His Eyes", which she had written herself, was brought to the attention of Atlantic Records, they sensed immediately that this was a potentially big hit–and a big new star! They signed Carla to a long term contract. The debut album Gee Whiz went to the top of the national popularity charts and brought Carla many bids for TV, radio and personal appearances, including the Dick Clark "American Bandstand" show.