Etta James was born Jamesetta Hawkins on January 25, 1938, in Los Angeles, California, to a 14-year-old mother, Dorothy Hawkins, who encouraged her daughters singing career. James would later say, My mother always told me, even if a song has been done a thousand times, you can still bring something of your own to it. Id like to think I did that. James never knew her father. By the age of 5, James was known as a gospel prodigy, gaining fame by singing in her church choir and on the radio. At age 12, she moved north to San Francisco, where she formed a trio and was soon working for bandleader Johnny Otis. Four years later, in 1954, she moved to Los Angeles to record The Wallflower (a tamer title for the then-risqué Roll with Me Henry) with the Otis band. It was that year that the young singer became Etta James (an shortened version of her first name) and her vocal group was dubbed the Peaches (also Ettas nickname). Soon after, James launched her solo career with such hits as Good Rockin Daddy in 1955. After signing with Chicagos Chess Records in 1960, Jamess career began to soar. Chart toppers included duets with then-boyfriend Harvey Fuqua, the heart-breaking ballad All I Could Do Was Cry, At Last and Trust in Me. But Jamess talents werent reserved for powerful ballads. She knew how to rock a house, and did so with such gospel-charged tunes as Somethings Got a Hold On Me in 1962, In The Basement in 1966 and Id Rather Go Blind in 1968. James continued to work with Chess throughout the 1960s and early 70s. Sadly, heroin addiction affected both her personal and professional life, but despite her continued drug problems she persisted in making new albums. In 1967, James recorded with the Muscle Shoals house band in the Fame studios, and the collaboration resulted in the triumphant Tell Mama album. Jamess work gained positive attention from critics as well as fans, and her 1973 album Etta James earned a Grammy nomination, in part for its creative combination of rock and funk sounds. After completing her contract with Chess in 1977, James signed on with Warner Brothers Records. A renewed public profile followed her appearance at the opening ceremony of the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984. Subsequent albums, including Deep In The Night and Seven Year Itch, received high critical acclaim. Etta James was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1993, prior to her signing a new recording contract with Private Records.With suggestive stage antics and a sassy attitude, James continued to perform and record well into the 1990s. Always soulful, her extraordinary voice was showcased to great effect on her recent private releases, including Blue Gardenia, which rose to the top of the Billboard jazz chart. In 2003, James underwent gastric bypass surgery and lost over 200 pounds. The dramatic weight loss had an impact on her voice, as she told Ebony magazine that year. I can sing lower, higher and louder, James explained. That same year, Etta James released Lets Roll, which won the Grammy Award for best contemporary blues album. Her sons, Donto and Sametto James, served as producers on the recording, along with Josh Sklair. This team regrouped for her next effort, Blues to the Bone (2004), which brought James her third Grammy Award—this time for best traditional blues album. In 2006, James released the album All the Way, which featured cover versions of songs by Prince, Marvin Gaye and James Brown. She participated in a tribute album the following year for jazz great Ella Fitzgerald, called We Love Ella. As she entered her 70s, Etta James began struggling with health issues. She was hospitalized in 2010 for a blood infection, along with other ailments. It was later revealed that the legendary singer suffered from dementia, and was receiving treatment for leukemia. Her medical problems came to light in court papers filed by her husband, Artis Mills. Mills sought to gain control over $1 million of Jamess money, but he was challenged by Jamess two sons, Donto and Sametto. The two parties later worked out an agreement. James released her latest studio album, The Dreamer, in November 2011, which received warm reviews. A few weeks later, Jamess doctor announced that the singer was terminally ill. Shes in the final stages of leukemia. She has also been diagnosed with dementia and Hepatitis C, Dr. Elaine James (not related to the singer) told a local newspaper. Jamess sons also acknowledged that Ettas health was declining and was receiving care at her Riverside, California, home. Etta James died at her home in Riverside, California, on January 20, 2012. Today, she continues to be is considered one of musics most dynamic singers.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 11:34:53 +0000
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