Disco singer Evelyn Thomas, known for her powerful voice and hit single “High Energy,” has died at the age of 70. Thomas’s death was announced by her producer, Ian Levine, on social media.
“It is hard for me to accept that my lifelong protege really has left us,” Levine wrote. “Her music will outlive us all.”
Thomas’s daughter, Kimberly, also paid tribute to her mother, sharing personal photos and memories. “The legacy that my mother left me is beyond words and the memories are undeniably beyond any monetary value,” she wrote. “I want to thank everyone for their prayers and kind words. Now it’s time to heal and to plan. RIP mommy.”
Born in 1953, Thomas grew up surrounded by music. She began her career in New York, singing in early versions of musicals like The Wiz and Les Miserables. After being discovered by Levine, she secured a recording contract and released her debut single “Weak Spot,” which became a chart success.
Thomas’s most famous song, “High Energy,” was released in 1984 and became a defining track for the Hi-NRG genre. The song has been streamed over 15 million times on Spotify and was named one of the top 200 dance songs of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.
DJ and music historian Bill Brewster praised Thomas’s voice, saying it had “this incredible ability to convey both vulnerability and strength. She was a cornerstone of the hi-NRG movement.”
Levine and Thomas reunited in 2009 for a final recording session, and although they lost touch, Thomas reached out to Levine a few months ago knowing she was dying. Levine and his co-writer Fiachra Trench created one last song for Thomas, called “Inspirational,” which her daughter plans to record as a tribute.
