Disco Icon Evelyn Thomas, Famous for ‘High Energy,’ Dies at 70

Evelyn Thomas, the disco icon, died at the age of 70.

Kimberly Thomas, the daughter of the music superstar, took to social media to honor her mother's memory with a touching tribute along with a series of photos.

"They called me and I wasn't available so they called my husband and they gave him the news. She's gone," she wrote.

"The legacy that my mother left me is beyond words and the memories are undeniably beyond any monetary value."

Kimberly, who also goes by Yaya Diamond, expressed gratitude, saying, "I want to thank everyone for their prayers and kind words. Now it's time to heal and to plan."

While Thomas' cause of death is unknown, she had previously battled cancer, according to a YouTube video shared by her daughter.

Thomas' death, whose full name was Ellen Lucille Thomas, was also officially announced through an online obituary, revealing that she peacefully died in Port Charlotte, Florida.

Soul icon Ian Levine also shared a touching tribute on X, formerly Twitter.

"I first met her in 1975, in Chicago, when I was only twenty two years old and she was only twenty three," he wrote.

"I immediately signed her as an artist and we recorded two Northern Soul songs, Weak Spot and Doomsday."

In 1978, the British music producer-DJ successfully secured a record deal for Thomas with Casablanca Records. This partnership led to the launch of her first album, I Wanna Make It On My Own.

Their teamwork succeeded over the following years, as Levine stretched his support by signing Thomas to his label in the 1980s.

There was a hiatus in 1988, but the duo reunited in 2009 for a recording session in London.

Levine, who is also known as a developer of the hi-NRG style, said that Thomas' daughter remained by the disco star's side, tenderly holding her hand during her final moments. He further expressed his struggle in coming to terms with his protege's death, emphasizing that her musical legacy will endure long after their time.

Thomas dive into different music styles, including disco, dance, and R&B. Levine's discovery catapulted her career in 1975.