Etta James

At 73 years old, Etta James has this physical status:

Etta James (born Jamesetta Hawkins; January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012) was an American singer who performed in many genres, including blues, R&B, soul, rock and roll, jazz, and gospel.

"The Wallflower," "At Last," "Total"), "Something's Got a Hold on Me," and "I'd Rather Go Blind" started her career in 1954.

She suffered with a variety of personal issues, including heroin use, severe physical abuse, and prison, before releasing the album Seven Year Itch in the late 1980s, bridging the gap between rhythm and blues and rock and roll.

She has received six Grammy Awards and 17 Blues Music Awards.

In 1993, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Blues Hall of Fame in 2001, and the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.

James was ranked 22nd on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time, and she was also listed as number 62 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Personal life

James X was known as Malcolm X and was a member of the Nation of Islam for about ten years, taking the name Jamesetta X.

From 1969 to her death in 2012, James was married to Artis Mills.

Donto James and Sametto James were born to different fathers, and James had two sons, Donto James and Sametto James. Both were performers and then performed professionally with their children; Donto played drums at Montreux in 1993; Sametto played bass guitar from 2003, among other appearances and tours.

James was addicted to heroin by the mid-1960s. She bounced checks, forked prescriptions, and robbed from her friends to finance her heroin use. In 1966, James was arrested for writing bad checks. She was put on probation and fined $500. In 1969, she was sentenced to ten days in prison for breaching probation.

During the early 1970s, James ran into a slew of court issues as a result of her heroin use. She was in and out of rehabilitation facilities, including the Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles, California. Artis Mills' husband was accepted into custody after they were both jailed for heroin use and served a 10-year prison term. In 1981, he was released from jail.

In 1973, James was arrested for heroin use. Instead of serving time in jail, James was sentenced to drug therapy rather than serving time in jail in 1974. During this time, she became addicted to methadone and would mix her doses with heroin. She was in the Tarzana Psychiatric Hospital for 17 months, beginning at the age of 36, and went through a challenging start to therapy. In her 1995 autobiography A Rage to Survive, she said that the time she spent in the hospital changed her life. However, heroin use remained after leaving therapy, particularly after she began a relationship with a man who was also using opioids.

James was treated in 2010 for a dependence on painkillers.

Source

Life and career

James was born in Los Angeles, California, on January 25, 1938, to Dorothy Hawkins, who was 14 at the time. Although her father has never been identified, James speculated that she was the granddaughter of pool player Rudolf "Minnesota Fats" Wanderone, whom she briefly encountered briefly in 1987. Her mother was often absent from their Watts apartment, having conversations with various males, and James lived with a string of foster parents, most notably "Sarge" and "Mama" Lu. "The Mystery Lady" was James' name for her mother.

At the St. Paul Baptist Church in South-Central Los Angeles, James Earl Hines, musical director of the Echoes of Eden choir, received her first formal vocal training at the age of five. While she was under his tutelage, Hines abused James; he often punched her in the chest when she sang to encourage her voice to come from her guts. She began to be known for having an unusually good voice for a child her age.

Sarge, like the choir's musical director, was also violent. He would awaken James in the early morning hours and order her with beatings to sing for his peers during booze-free poker games at home. She had trouble finding it difficult to sing under these traumatic circumstances, causing her to have difficulties with singing on demand throughout her career.

In the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, James appeared in Nashville's renowned R&B clubs on the so-called "Chitlin' Circuit."

Mama Lu died in 1950, and James' biological mother took her to San Francisco's Fillmore district. She began listening to doo-wop and was inspired to form the Creolettes, a girl group whose name was given to the members' light-skinned complexions.

She met musician Johnny Otis at the age of 14. They met in various ways. In Otis' version, she appeared in his hotel after one of his performances in the city and begged him to audition her. Otis discovered the Creolettes performing at a Los Angeles nightclub and demanded that they perform their "answer song" to Hank Ballard's "Work with Me, Annie." At the time, Otis took the Creolettes under his wing and helped them sign to Modern Records, where they were renamed Peaches. At this point, Otis gave James her stage name, transposing "Jamesetta" (her given name) into "Etta James." James began performing in 1954 and was named co-author for "The Wallflower" (a name change to the aforementioned song, "Work with Me, Annie"), which was released in early 1955. The song's original name was actually "Roll with Me, Henry," but it had been updated to prevent censorship at the time (roll implying sexual involvement). The song debuted at number one on the Hot Rhythm & Blues Tracks chart in February 1955. The Peaches also gained a first appearance on Little Richard's national tour, thanks to their success.

While James was on tour with Richard, pop singer Georgia Gibbs recorded a version of her album and released it under the new name "Dance With Me, Henry." It became a crossover hit on the Billboard Hot 100, which enraged James.

After leaving the Peaches, James had another R&B hit with "Good Rockin' Daddy," but was unable with follow-ups. When her Modern's contract came up for renewal in 1960, she signed a Chess Records deal instead, making her move to become one of the label's oldest stars. Around this time, she became involved in a friendship with singer Harvey Fuqua, the maker of the doo-wop group the Moonglows.

Bobby Murray, a pianist, appeared with James for more than 20 years. As a child, James had her first hit single and then continued with B.B. When she was 16 years old, the king was in control. James' "Sweet Sixteen" was about him, according to James. The 19-year-old Elvis Presley, a young artist who was then recording for Sun Studios and a lifetime King's fan, paid a bill in a large bar just outside Memphis in early 1955. She recalled how impressed she was with the young singer's demeanor in her autobiography. She also remembered how thrilled she was made many years later when she learned that it was Presley who had relocated her close friend Jackie Wilson from a substandard convalescent home to a more suitable location and, as she put it, paid all of the expenses. Presley died a year later. Wilson lived in the care center Presley found for him for another ten years.

James recorded for Argo Records (later renamed Cadet Records), a Chess label that was founded by Harvey Fuqua. "If I Can't Have You" and "Spoonful" were two of Fuqua's first hit singles. Doo-wop-styled rhythm-and-blues song "All I Could Do Was Cry" was her first solo hit, and it was a number two R&B hit. Leonard Chess, a co-founder of Chess Records, saw James as a classic ballad stylist with the ability to make it to the pop charts and then surround the singer with violins and other string instruments. "My Dearest Darling," James' first string-laden ballad, debuted in May 1960, putting it in the top ten of the R&B charts. On her "Back in the United States," James sang background vocals for her labelmate Chuck Berry.

At Last!, her debut album, was released in late 1960 and was known for its large range of music, from jazz standards to blues to doo-wop and blues (R&B). The album included "I Just Want to Make Love to You" and "A Sunday Kind of Love." "At Last," James' signature song, rose to number two on the R&B chart and number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100, was released in early 1961. Despite the fact that the album was not as popular as expected, her interpretation became the most popular version of the song. "Trust in Me" was James' sequel, which also included string instruments. James released The Second Time Around, James' second studio album from the same year (1960). The album went in the same vein as her first, focusing on jazz and pop styles as well as strings on some of the songs. "Fool That I Am" and "Don't Cry Baby" were two hit singles from the show "Don't Cry Baby."

James began including gospel elements in her music the following year, with the debut of "Somebody Has Got a Hold on Me" on the R&B chart, a Top 40 pop sensation. That success was quickly followed by "Stop the Marriage," which reached number six on the R&B chart and contained some gospel elements. She had another big hit with "Pushover" in 1963 and released Etta James Rocks the House, a live album that was recorded at the New Era Club in Nashville, Tennessee. After a few years of minor hits, James' career began to fail after 1965. She returned to recording in 1967 and reemerged with more confidence in R&B due to her appearance at Muscle Shoals, Alabama, after a period of silence. Clarence Carter's co-written "Tell Mama" had a comeback hit and debuted at number ten on the R&B chart and number twenty-three for pop during these sessions. That year, an album of the same name was also released, containing her take on Otis Redding's "Security" and "Security." "I'd Rather Go Blind," the B-side of "Tell Mama" became a blues classic and has been recorded by several other artists. Rage to Survive author Laura May wrote that she heard the song outlined by her friend Ellington "Fugi" Jordan when she visited him in jail. She wrote the majority of the song with Jordan but gave her songwriting credit to her partner at the time, Billy Foster, but for tax reasons, she said she wrote the song with Jordan.

Following this success, James became a highly sought-after concert performer, but she never made it back to the heyday of her early to mid-1960s triumph. Her 1970s hits the R&B Top 40, with singles including "Losers Weepers" (1970) and "I Found a Love" (1972). Though James continued to win Chess, she was devastated by the death of record executive Leonard Chess in 1969. With the release of her self-titled album in 1973, James ventured into rock and funk, with production by legendary rock producer Gabriel Mekler, who had worked with Steppenwolf and Janis Joplin. In concert, Joplin adored James and had covered "Tell Mama" from the beginning. A Grammy Award was given to James' 1973 album, which showcased a mixture of musical styles. The album did not have any major hits, and neither did the follow-up album, Come a Little Closer, in 1974, but it was also highly acclaimed, as had '73's Etta James before it.

At the Shubert Theatre in Los Angeles in 1975, James opened up for comedian Richard Pryor.

James continued to play for Chess (now owned by All Platinum Records), releasing one more album in 1976, Etta Is Betta Than Evvah! Deep in the Night, Jerry Wexler's Warner Bros.'s collection of rock-based songs in her collection, included more rock-based music. James performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival the first year. Following this brief success, she left Chess Records and did not appear again for another ten years as she continued with heroin abuse and alcoholism.

Hail!

She signed to Island Records in 1989 and became their first album, Seven Year Itch and Stickin', which were both produced by Barry Beckett and recorded at FAME Studios. In 1989, James was filmed in a concert at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles with Joe Walsh and Albert Collins for the film Jazzvisions: Jump the Blues Away. Many of the backing musicians were top-flight performers from Los Angeles: Rick Rosas (bass), Michael Huey (drums), Ed Sanford (Hammond B3 organ), Kip Noble (piano), and Josh Sklair, James' longtime guitar player.

On the album "Droppin' Rhymes on Drums," James mixed James' jazz vocals with hip-hop, James performed with Def Jef. The Right Time, released by Jerry Wexler for Elektra Records in 1992, she recorded the album The Right Time. In 1993, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In 1993, James signed with Private Music Records and produced a Billie Holiday tribute album, Mystery Lady: Songs of Billie Holiday. James' music reflected a trend of including more jazz elements in his songs. In 1994, the album received her first Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female. A Rage to Survive, her autobiography co-written with David Ritz in 1995, was published. Time After Time, which was released in 1995, was also on the album Time After Time. In 1998, Etta James Christmas, a Christmas album, was released.

For example, James' earlier music, which is now considered a masterpiece, was used in commercials, including "I Just Wante Make Love to You." The song was recharging on the UK charts in 1996 after an excerpt of it was included in a Diet Coke advertisement campaign in the United Kingdom, achieving the top ten.

Donto and Sametto, respectively, had joined as backing singers with Life, Love & the Blues by 1998, with the release of Life, Love & the Blues. They were a member of her touring band. She continued to record for Private Music, which released the blues album Matriarch of the Blues in 2000, on which she returned to her R&B roots.

She was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in 2001, the former for her contributions to both rock and roll and rockabilly's creations. She was given a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003. She returned to a jazz style on her 2004 debut, Blue Gardenia. Let's Roll, her last album for Private Music, was nominated for Best Contemporary Blues Album in 2005.

In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked her No. 62 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

In 1977, 1989, 1990, and 1993, James appeared at the best jazz festivals in the country, including the Montreux Jazz Festival. She appeared nine times at the Monterey Jazz Festival and five times at the San Francisco Jazz Festival. In 1990, 1997, 2004, and 2007, she appeared at the Playboy Jazz Festival. She appeared at the North Sea Jazz Festival six times, 1982, 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1993. She appeared at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 2006 and 2009 (prior 2012 credit - after date of death). She has appeared at free summer arts festivals throughout the United States.

Beyoncé Knowles was portrayed as James in the film Cadillac Records, a fictional account of James' label, in 2008, about how label founder and producer Leonard Chess aided James and others in their careers. Beyonce's "At Last" was included in the film. James would go on to publicly condemn Beyonce, who had been invited to perform the song at Barack Obama's inaugural ball, but later said that her nefarious remarks were meant to be dismissed as a joke, rather than being invited to perform the song herself for the Obama inauguration. Alzheimer's disease and "drug-induced dementia" had possibly contributed to her nefarious remarks about Knowles, according to the author.

James made her final television appearance on the show Dancing with the Stars in April 2009, at the age of 71. The Blues Foundation's Female Artist of the Year award was given in May 2009, her ninth time she had been coveted for the ninth time. She kept touring, but by 2010, she had to cancel concert dates due to her increasingly poor health; by this time, she was suffering from dementia and leukemia. In November 2011, James released The Dreamer, her last album, which was critically acclaimed on its debut. This will be her last album, according to the singer, it would be her last album.

In 2011, when late Swedish DJ Avicii's album "Levels" which samples her 1962 song "Something's Got a Hold on Me," James' enduring popularity was reiterated. In his 2011 hit song "Good Feeling," the same sample was used by the east coast rapper Flo Rida. Both artists have released a letter of condolence in the aftermath of James' death. Since these 21st-century reinterpretations, James' original masterpiece music has soared.

Hundreds of artists were among the ashes of the 2008 Universal fire, including James.

Source