- Born
- 25 January 1938, Los Angeles, California, United States
- First work
- 1955: The Wallflower (Roll with Me, Henry)
- Peak
- 1960 to 1968 (estimated)
- Last work
- 2011: The Dreamer
- Died
- 20 January 2012, Riverside, United States; aged 73; illness
Etta James
Music: singer, songwriter, United States
Etta James was an acclaimed American singer whose dynamic, gritty voice effortlessly crossed the boundaries between rhythm and blues, soul, jazz, and rock and roll. Beginning her recording career in the mid-1950s under Johnny Otis, she found enduring artistic maturity upon signing with Chess Records in 1960. Her impassioned delivery and deep emotional resonance gave definitive shape to American standards, driving ballads, and raw Southern soul. Surviving extensive personal hardships, she mounted significant career revivals in later decades with award-winning blues recordings, maintaining a fierce stage presence into her seventies. James passed away after prolonged illness in Riverside, California, in 2012.
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Signature works
- The Wallflower (Roll with Me, Henry) song1955
- At Last! album1960
- All I Could Do Was Cry song1960
- Something's Got a Hold on Me song1962
- Tell Mama album1968
- I'd Rather Go Blind song1968
- The Dreamer album2011
Honours
- Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, 2003
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, 1993
- Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album, 2003
Groups: Chess Records, The Peaches.