James, Etta (1938-2012), was an influential American blues and rhythm and blues singer. She was known for her raw, powerful voice and dynamic stage performances. She made successful recordings in a variety of other musical styles, including gospel, jazz, pop, rock, and soul. James was best known for the soulful hit ballad “At Last” (1961). She won a number of Grammy Awards for her music.
James was born on Jan. 25, 1938, in Los Angeles. Her given name was Jamesetta Hawkins. She sang in a gospel choir as a child. In 1950, she moved to San Francisco and formed a singing group with two other girls. The group auditioned for the American rhythm and blues bandleader Johnny Otis. Otis inverted “Jamesetta” to give the singer her stage name. He named the vocal group the Peaches. In 1954, Etta James and the Peaches recorded “Roll with Me Henry” (later renamed “The Wallflower”) with Otis’s band and vocalist Richard Berry. In 1955, the song became a hit. That same year, the group’s single “Good Rockin’ Daddy” also became a hit. James toured with Otis and other artists until 1958.
In 1960, James began recording for Chess Records, an important blues and early rock record label in Chicago. There, James recorded her biggest hit, “At Last.” She also recorded two hit duets with the American singer Harvey Fuqua, “If I Can’t Have You” and “Spoonful” (both 1960). Her other notable Chess releases include “All I Could Do Was Cry” and “My Dearest Darling” (both 1960); ”A Sunday Kind of Love,” “Fool That I Am,” and “Trust in Me” (all 1961); “Something’s Got a Hold on Me” and “Stop the Wedding” (both 1962); the live album Etta James Rocks the House (1964); “Baby What You Want Me to Do” (1964); and “Tell Mama” and “I’d Rather Go Blind” (both 1967). In 2011, James released her last album, The Dreamer, and announced her retirement.
James was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. James battled a drug addiction for much of her career. She wrote an autobiography, Rage to Survive (1995). James died on Jan. 20, 2012.
