Etta James, born Jamesetta Hawkins on January 25, 1938, and died on January 20, 2012, was an American singer and songwriter. She began her career in 1954, performing in Nashville’s R&B clubs, which were part of the Chitlin’ Circuit during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. She sang in many music styles, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul. Her popular songs included "The Wallflower" (1955), "At Last" (1960), "Something's Got a Hold on Me" (1962), "Tell Mama," and "I'd Rather Go Blind" (both 1967). She faced challenges such as heroin addiction, physical abuse, and time in jail before returning to music in the late 1980s with the album Seven Year Itch (1988).

Etta James’s deep and rich voice helped connect R&B and rock and roll. She won three Grammy Awards for her albums: Blues to the Bone (2005, Best Traditional Blues Album), Let's Roll (2004, Best Contemporary Blues Album), and Mystery Lady: Songs of Billie Holiday (1995, Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female). She also received 17 Blues Music Awards. In 1993, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1999, she joined the Grammy Hall of Fame, and in 2001, she was added to the Blues Hall of Fame. She received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her number 22 on its 2008 list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time" and number 62 on its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time." Billboard magazine included her in its 2015 list of the "35 Greatest R&B Artists of All Time." The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame called her "one of the greatest voices of her century" and "forever the matriarch of blues."

Life and career

Jamesetta Hawkins was born on January 25, 1938, in Los Angeles, California. Her mother, Dorothy Hawkins, was 14 years old when she gave birth. Jamesetta’s father has never been identified, but she thought she might be the daughter of a famous pool player named Rudolf “Minnesota Fats” Wanderone. She met him briefly in 1987. Her mother often left their apartment in Watts, California, and had relationships with many men. Jamesetta lived with different foster parents, including two named “Sarge” and “Mama” Lu. She called her mother “the Mystery Lady.” Jamesetta was raised by relatives and friends during her childhood and attended a Baptist church with her grandparents.

At age five, Jamesetta began her first professional singing lessons with James Earle Hines, the musical director of the Echoes of Eden choir at St. Paul Baptist Church in South-Central Los Angeles. She became a soloist in the choir and performed on local radio stations. Her strong voice for a child made her stand out. Hines sometimes tapped her on the chest while she sang to help her use her gut to produce sound.

Sarge, like Hines, was abusive. He would wake Jamesetta early in the morning during drunken poker games and force her to sing for his friends by hitting her. These painful experiences made it hard for her to sing on demand later in her career.

In 1950, Mama Lu died, and Jamesetta’s biological mother took her to San Francisco. Soon after, Jamesetta began listening to doo-wop music and formed a girl group called the Creolettes, named for their light skin.

At age 14, Jamesetta met musician Johnny Otis. Stories about how they met differ. One version says she visited Otis after one of his performances and asked him to hear her sing. Another says Otis saw the Creolettes perform and wanted them to record a song. Otis helped the group sign with Modern Records and changed their name to Peaches. He also gave Jamesetta the stage name “Etta James” by rearranging her first name. In 1954, she recorded “The Wallflower,” a version of a song called “Work with Me, Annie.” The song was changed to avoid problems with censorship and reached number one on the Hot Rhythm & Blues Tracks chart in 1955. It also helped the Peaches get a spot on Little Richard’s national tour.

While touring with Richard, pop singer Georgia Gibbs recorded a version of the song and released it as “Dance With Me, Henry.” This version became a hit on the Billboard Hot 100, which upset Jamesetta.

After leaving the Peaches, Jamesetta had another R&B hit with “Good Rockin’ Daddy” but struggled to follow up. In 1960, she signed with Chess Records instead of renewing her contract with Modern. Around this time, she began a relationship with singer Harvey Fuqua, who founded the doo-wop group the Moonglows.

Musician Bobby Murray toured with Jamesetta for over 20 years. He said her first hit single was when she was 15, and she dated B.B. King when she was 16. Jamesetta believed King’s song “Sweet Sixteen” was about her. In 1955, she performed with Elvis Presley, who was 19 and recording for Sun Studios. She later learned that Presley helped move her friend Jackie Wilson to a better care facility and paid for it. Presley died a year later, and Wilson lived for another ten years in the facility Presley found for him.

Jamesetta’s first hits with Fuqua were “If I Can’t Have You” and “Spoonful.” Her first solo hit was “All I Could Do Was Cry,” a doo-wop–style R&B song that reached number two on the R&B chart. Chess Records founder Leonard Chess wanted Jamesetta to become a classic ballad singer who could cross over to pop music. He added string instruments like violins to her songs. Her first string-laden ballad, “My Dearest Darling,” peaked in the top five of the R&B chart. She also sang background vocals for Chuck Berry on his song “Back in the U.S.A.”

Her debut album, At Last!, was released in late 1960 and included songs like “I Just Want to Make Love to You” and “A Sunday Kind of Love.” In 1961, she released “At Last,” a Glenn Miller tune that reached number two on the R&B chart and number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100. Though the record was not as successful as expected, her version became the most famous. She also released “Trust in Me” and another album, The Second Time Around, which included hits like “Fool That I Am” and “Don’t Cry Baby.”

In 196

Style and influence

James had a type of singing voice called a contralto. Her style of music changed over time. At the start of her recording career in the mid-1950s, she was promoted as an R&B and doo-wop singer. After joining Chess Records in 1960, she became well-known for singing traditional pop songs, including jazz and pop music standards on her first album, At Last!. As she grew older, her voice became deeper and rougher, leading her to perform more soul and jazz music later in her career.

For many years, James was not widely recognized as one of the most important blues and R&B musicians in American music history. She gained more attention in the early 1990s after receiving major awards from the Grammys and the Blues Foundation. In recent years, she has been celebrated as a pioneer who helped connect rhythm and blues with rock and roll, making a lasting impact on American music. Many musicians, including Diana Ross, Christina Aguilera, Janis Joplin, Brandy, Bonnie Raitt, Shemekia Copeland, Beth Hart, Hayley Williams of Paramore, Brent Smith of Shinedown, The Rolling Stones, Elkie Brooks, Paloma Faith, Joss Stone, Rita Ora, Amy Winehouse, Adele, and Dani Klein from Belgium, have been influenced by her work.

One of her most notable songs, "Something's Got a Hold on Me," has been used in many ways. The Belgian music group Vaya Con Dios included it on their 1990 album Night Owls. Christina Aguilera performed the song in the 2010 movie Burlesque. The song was also used by Pretty Lights in "Finally Moving," by Avicii in "Levels," and by Flo Rida in "Good Feeling."

The British blues band Chicken Shack recorded a version of James’s 1967 song "I'd Rather Go Blind." This recording became very popular for the band, with Christine McVie singing the lead. The success of the song earned Christine McVie the title of Top Female Singer in Melody Maker's Reader's Poll in 1969.

Personal life

James was introduced to the Nation of Islam through her mother, Dorothy. Dorothy attended meetings at Nation of Islam Temple No. 27 in Los Angeles and shared the teachings with her daughter. However, James was raised in the Baptist church by her grandparents. As an adult, James and a friend began attending a Nation of Islam temple in Atlanta, where she found comfort in the messages of Minister Louis X and felt a sense of "racial pride." She changed her name to Jamesetta X and later joined Malcolm X’s temple in Harlem. She remained a member for about ten years. In Harlem, James became friends with young boxer Cassius Clay, who later changed his name to Muhammad Ali. She did not fully follow their beliefs, saying it was "something of a fad" and the "radical, the 'in' thing to do" at the time.

James was married to Artis Mills from 1969 until her death in 2012. She had two sons, Donto James and Sametto James, each with a different father. Both sons became musicians and performed professionally with their mother. Donto played drums at Montreux in 1993, and Sametto played bass guitar around 2003, among other performances and tours.

By the mid-1960s, James had an addiction to heroin. To pay for her addiction, she wrote bad checks, forged prescriptions, and stole from friends. In 1966, she was arrested for writing bad checks. She was placed on probation and ordered to pay a $500 fine. In 1969, she spent 10 days in jail for violating her probation.

James frequently entered and left rehabilitation centers, including Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles. Her husband, Artis Mills, took responsibility when they were both arrested for heroin possession and served a 10-year prison sentence. He was released from prison in 1981.

In 1973, James was arrested for possessing heroin. In 1974, she was sentenced to drug treatment instead of prison. During this time, she became addicted to methadone and mixed it with heroin. She spent 17 months at Tarzana Psychiatric Hospital, starting at age 36, and faced many challenges. In her 1995 autobiography Rage to Survive, she said the time in the hospital changed her life. After leaving treatment, her substance abuse continued, especially after she started a relationship with a man who also used drugs.

In 2010, James received treatment for a dependency on painkillers.

Illness and death

James was hospitalized in January 2010 to treat an infection caused by MRSA, a type of bacteria that is hard to treat with antibiotics. During her hospital stay, her son Donto told the public that, in 2008, she had been found to have Alzheimer's disease.

In 2011, James was diagnosed with leukemia. Artis Mills was chosen as the only person responsible for managing her estate and making decisions about her medical care. She died on January 20, 2012, at age 73, at Riverside Community Hospital in Riverside, California. Her death occurred three days after that of Johnny Otis, the person who discovered her in the 1950s. Thirty-six days after her death, her sideman Red Holloway also died.

Her funeral was led by Reverend Al Sharpton and took place at Greater Bethany Community Church in Gardena, California, eight days after her death. Stevie Wonder and Christina Aguilera performed musical tributes. She was buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Los Angeles County, California.

Awards

Starting in 1989, James earned more than 30 awards and honors from eight organizations, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which gives the Grammy Awards.

In 1989, the newly created Rhythm and Blues Foundation honored James with its first Pioneer Awards, recognizing artists who made important long-term contributions to the development of Rhythm & Blues music. In 1990, James received an NAACP Image Award, which honors outstanding achievements by people of color in the arts. She valued this award because it came from her own community. In 2020, James was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.

• In 1993, James was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
• In 2001, James was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
• In 2003, James received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7080 Hollywood Blvd.
• In 2005, James was inducted into Hollywood's Rockwalk.
• In 2006, James received the Billboard R&B Founders Award.

The Grammy Awards are given each year by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. James won six Grammy Awards. Her first was in 1995 for Best Jazz Vocal Performance for the album Mystery Lady, which included songs originally performed by Billie Holiday. Two other albums also won Grammy Awards: Let's Roll (Best Contemporary Blues Album) in 2003 and Blues to the Bone (Best Traditional Blues Album) in 2004. Two of her early songs, "At Last" (1999) and "The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry)" (2008), were added to the Grammy Hall of Fame for their importance in music history. In 2003, James received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Blues Foundation, a nonprofit group based in Memphis, Tennessee, was created to support the blues and its history. Since the foundation began in 1980, its members have nominated James for a Blues Music Award almost every year. From 1989 to 2007, James won the Blues Female Artist of the Year award 14 times, including 10 years in a row from 1999 to 2007. Her albums Life, Love, & the Blues (1999), Burnin' Down the House (2003), and Let's Roll (2004) were named Soul/Blues Album of the Year. In 2001, James was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.

Books

• Rage to Survive: The Etta James Story (2003) by David Ritz with Etta James, ISBN 9780306812620
• American Legends: The Life of Etta James (2014) by Charles River Editors, ISBN 9781505670493