The Rolling Stones Rock Out With New Orleans Soul Queen Irma Thomas at Jazz Fest Performance!
The Rolling Stones are set to make their debut performance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival tonight, and fans are in for a treat as they prepare some special surprises for the concert.
According to a report from local TV station WWL Louisiana, the legendary New Orleans soul singer Irma Thomas will be joining The Rolling Stones on stage for a rendition of their 1964 hit “Time Is on My Side,” a song that both artists recorded and released in the same year.
Irma Thomas, also known as the Soul Queen of New Orleans, shared her excitement about rehearsing with The Stones, stating, “I rehearsed with them yesterday and it’s on. I will be called somewhere in the middle of their set.”
Interestingly, Thomas released her version of “Time Is on My Side” in April 1964, preceding The Stones who recorded their version in June of the same year after hearing Thomas’ rendition. The song went on to become The Stones’ first Top-10 hit in the U.S., reaching No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Reflecting on her rehearsal with Mick Jagger, Thomas mentioned, “[Mick Jagger] was very pleasant to me and we had fun. He had to relearn the song because he had not sung it in a long time. … I can relate to that.”
According to Setlist.fm, the last time The Rolling Stones performed “Time Is on My Side” in concert was at a show in Osaka, Japan in March 1998.
In an interesting turn of events, Thomas had stopped performing “Time Is on My Side” live for many years as she grew tired of explaining to audiences that she had performed it first and was not covering The Stones’ song. However, she eventually reintroduced the song into her live repertoire at the request of Bonnie Raitt.
Aside from Irma Thomas, another special guest set to perform with The Rolling Stones at JazzFest is zydeco accordionist Dwayne Dopsie, who expressed his excitement about sharing the stage with the legendary rock band.
In a recent social media post, Jagger shared a video of him rehearsing the classic 1971 Stones song “Dead Flowers” with backing singers Bernard Fowler and Chanel Haynes. The song was not performed during the tour kickoff on April 28 but may make an appearance during their 2024 tour.
The New Orleans concert is just the second show of The Rolling Stones’ 2024 tour in support of their Hackney Diamonds album. The tour features a total of 19 concerts, concluding with a performance in Santa Clara, California on July 17.
If you’re looking to catch The Rolling Stones live in concert, tickets are available now through various outlets including StubHub.
Don’t miss out on the chance to see these rock legends in action!
