OBITUARY: Etta James Dies At Age 73 - Noise11.com
Etta James

Etta James

OBITUARY: Etta James Dies At Age 73

by Tim Cashmere on January 21, 2012

in News

Soul legend Etta James has died at the age of 73 after suffering from leukaemia and dementia for the last few years.

James was best known for her distinctive, dynamic and gravelly vocals that drew fans to her songs I’d Rather Go Blind, In The Basement, Tell Mama, I Just Want To Make Love To You and one of the most successful soul ballads of all time, At Last.

James was born Jamesetta Hawkins on January 25, 1938 in Los Angeles, CA. Her first group were the Creolettes, a doo-wop inspired girl group with each member barely in their teens during the inception.

This group were quickly discovered by Johnny Otis (who also died this week) who suggested Jamesetta change her name to Etta James and the band change their name to The Peaches.

James’ biggest success came when she moved to Chess Records imprint Argo (and later with Cadet). Here, under the guidance of label boss Leonard Chess, James would bring in a new era for the label that had previously been relying on blues men for hits. James led the era of the soul sister from the moment her debut album At Last! was released in 1960.

Her time at this label was dramatised in the film Cadillac Records, which starred Beyonce as James. The feisty original took exception to Beyonce’s performance and her portrayal in the film due to drug references and detailing her affair with Leonard Chess.

The 70s were not kind to the singer. She spent much of her time in and out of rehab due to a heroin addition, although she did still manage to release some records, including Etta Is Betta Than Evvah! which saw her experiment with synthesisers and funk.

James died on January 20, 2012. She would have turned 74 on January 25.

Follow the author Tim Cashmere on Twitter.

Below are some fine moments from Etta’s career:

Etta James and The Peaches – Good Rockin’ Daddy:

Etta James and Dr. John – I’d Rather Go Blind (WARNING: This is pretty much the greatest live performance on the internet.):

Etta James – I Just Want To Make Love To You:

Etta James – You Can Leave Your Hat On:

Etta James – At Last:

Related Posts

Vika Bull, Ros O'Gorman, Noise11, Photo
At Last The Etta James Story Extended Until December

‘At Last: The Etta James Story’ starring Vika Bull has been extended in Melbourne until December 1.

November 12, 2013
Vika Bull, Ros O'Gorman, Noise11, Photo
At Last The Etta James Story Is Heading To Brisbane

'At Last: The Etta James Story’ starring Vika Bull is heading to Brisbane in June.

March 25, 2013
Vika Bull - At Last The Story of Etta James
At Last The Etta James Story Is Heading To Perth

The Room8 Production ‘At Last: The Story of Etta James’ starring Vika Bull is heading to Perth for one-week only.

March 7, 2013
Vika Bull - At Last The Story of Etta James
Etta James At Last Crew Talk About The 2013 Production

‘At Last: The Etta James Story, starring Vika Bull is gearing up to be an early success for 2013.

December 12, 2012
Vika Bull - At Last The Story of Etta James
At Last The Etta James Story Pre-sale Begins

Pre-sale tickets for ‘At Last: The Etta James Story’ starring Vika Bull have gone on sale.

November 20, 2012