Etta James | Artist

Jamesetta Hawkins aka Etta James was an American singer born 1938 in Los Angeles, California. She performed in various genres, including blues, R&B, soul, rock and roll, jazz and gospel. James's powerful, deep, earthy voice bridged the gap between rhythm and blues and rock and roll. Starting her career in 1954, she gained fame with hits such as "The Wallflower", "At Last", "Tell Mama", "Something's Got a Hold on Me", and "I'd Rather Go Blind". At the age of 14, she met musician Johnny Otis who help her get a recording contract with Modern Records. At 16 years old she was in a relationship with bluesman B.B. King, and James believed that King's hit single "Sweet Sixteen" was about her. In 1955, she and an aspiring singer, the 19-year-old Elvis Presley shared a bill in a club just outside Memphis. In 1960 James signed with Chess Records and made her debut album At Last! which covered a varied selection, from jazz standards to blues to doo-wop and R&B. The album included the future classics "I Just Want to Make Love to You" and "A Sunday Kind of Love". James would go one to release many more hits including "Tell Mama", which was covered by Janis Joplin, and "I'd Rather Go Blind", which was an early hit for Rod Stewart. James released 31 studio albums, including the standouts At Last!, Etta James, Tell Mama, Losers Weepers and Come a Little Closer. The live album Rocks the House is also highly recommended. Over her career, James won six Grammy Awards and 17 Blues Music Awards. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, the Blues Hall of Fame in 2001, and the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. Rolling Stone magazine ranked James number 22 on its list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time, plus she was ranked number 62 on its list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Artist Website: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etta_James

Featured Albums: Etta James

Related Artists: Janis Joplin