Carla Thomas (born December 21, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee) is often referred to as the Queen of Memphis Soul.

At the age of 17, she recorded a duet with her father Rufus Thomas, "Because I Love You," which became a Southern hit and gave the Satellite record label (later Stax Records) its first real success. In 1961 she rose to national prominence with "Gee Whiz (Look in His Eyes)," which reached the Top Ten in both the R&B and Pop categories, becoming the first Memphis soul record to have an impact nationwide and insuring the success of the Stax Records label.