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Orleans Jazz Fest veteran Irma Thomas

mother'day

Think of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, and you'll think of Irma Thomas. The consummate New Orleans entertainer was on the 2008 commemorative Jazz Fest poster, and this year she's on the cover of Offbeat magazine's Fest edition. She has performed at least once at every Jazz Fest since 1974, and she often performs twice.
IrmaThomas2011.JPGMATTHEW HINTON / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE'The Jazz Fest has been a blessing to me,' says Irma Thomas, who will perform at Audubon Zoo Sunday, 'but my closing it out won't be missed. I'll leave that to the Neville Brothers. They can take care of business.'

But on Sunday you won't find her at the Fair Grounds. She'll be at the Audubon Zoo instead.

For nearly 30 years, Irma has put on a Mother's Day Concert at the zoo.

"It started out as a promotional ploy to get families to come to the zoo, and it worked," she said. "I guess they figured, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.' I've been doing it ever since."

For her, it has always been a perfect way to spend Mother's Day.

"It's everything from babies in playpens to great-grandmothers in wheelchairs," she said. "It's a great place for families to be together."

And who better to perform than Irma? The New Orleans treasure is a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother herself.

Between her and Emile Jackson -- her manager and husband of 34 years -- they have seven children.

"I have four and Emile has three, but I don't think of his as my stepchildren," she said. "We just have seven kids."