Etta James, the vocalist with the smoky, bold, bluesy voice that defied music genres on hit tunes like “Don’t Tell Mama” and “At Last,” died Friday, Jan. 20. Her longtime manager Lupe De Leon said the cause of death was due to complications from leukemia. James was 73 and lived with her husband in Riverside, Calif.
James died at Riverside Community Hospital. She had been in failing health for several years and suffered from leukemia and kidney disease.
In the early history of rock ‘n’ roll in the 1950s, James was the female artist to be reckoned with. She set the bar for generations to come, from Janis Joplin to Bonnie Raitt, Amy Winehouse and Beyonce Knowles. James, like Ruth Brown, was a hard-working performer who let everything out on stage, sassy and straight from the gut.
Her inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Blues Hall of Fame demonstrated that her soulful, deep, heartfelt ballads and blistering blues timbres could not be set in any one genre like blues, rock ‘n’ roll, jazz or R&B.
James’ six Grammy Awards show her innate talent for American popular music; her first, in 1994, was awarded for Best Jazz Vocal Performance for her album, “Mystery Lady: Songs of Billie Holiday.” Other awards were given for “Let’s Roll” (Best Contemporary Blues Album, 2003) and “Blues to the Bones” (Best Traditional Blues Album, 2004). That same year, Rolling Stone magazine ranked her No. 62 on their list of the 100 greatest artists of all time.
Two of her early songs were given Grammy Hall of Fame Awards: “At Last” in 1999 and “The Wallflower (Roll With Me Henry)” in 2008. In 2003, she was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 1990, James received the NAACP Image Award. She later noted, “I cherish this award because it’s coming from my own people.”
Her 2009 performance at B.B. King’s Blues Club & Grill in New York City was sold out. James was sporting a new look; a shorter haircut-though still blonde-and she had slimmed down considerably.
Although she sat in a chair through most of the set, she still set the house ablaze, sparking the audience to dance like her in their seats. Standing ovations were given in response to an icon giving love through her dynamic music. It was her last New York performance.
She rocked the house from blues to jazz to R&B, rock ‘n’ roll and back again, making it clear her huge volume and range were still quite intact. She was proud of her two sons, drummer Donto and bass guitarist Sametto, who were members of her band.
Reflecting on her drug addiction, James noted her music was a positive expression of herself and that’s what she wanted people to relate to. Her autobiography, “Rage to Survive,” was written with David Ritz in 1995.
James was born Jamesetta Hawkins on Jan. 25, 1938, in Los Angeles. Her mother, Dorothy Hawkins, was only 14 at the time and her father has never been identified, athough she recalled her mother saying he was the great pool player Rudolf “Minnesota Fats” Wanderone. She was raised by foster parents who were members of the St. Paul Baptist Church, where James became a popular member of the choir.
In 1950, following the death of her foster mother, James’ biological mother took her to San Francisco. After a few years, at age 14, she began singing doo-wop and formed a group with friends called the Creolettes. The girls met singer/musician Johnny Otis, who was interested in them recording his “answer song” to Hank Ballad and the Midnighters’ “Work With Me Annie.”
Otis was instrumental in getting them signed to Modern Records. James was only 15 when she recorded “Roll With Me Henry,” which she co-wrote with Otis. When the title proved to be too explicit it was changed to “The Wallflower,” but the record remained intact.
“The Wallflower” hit No. 2 on the R&B charts in 1954; however, Georgia Gibbs’ version, with the title and lyrics changed to “Dance With Me Henry,” was a No. 1 pop hit in 1955. It was reported that James was angry about the hit but rejoiced after learning she would share the royalties with Otis and Ballad.
It was Otis who changed the group’s name from the Creolettes to Peaches and reversed her name, Jamesetta, to Etta James. Some credit Otis, who is best known for his hit “Willie and the Hand Jive,” with discovering James, as well as Jackie Wilson and Little Richard. Otis died at the age of 90 on Jan. 17.
In 1960, the Chess brothers signed James to their Chicago-based Chess Records roster, which included Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley. Her instant string of hits included “All I Could Do Was Cry,” which hit No. 2 on the R&B charts, “Something’s Got a Hold on Me,” “Trust in Me” and “At Last.” Her debut album, “At Last,” was a colorful collage of music from jazz to blues, doo-wop and R&B. The title track became her biggest hit and signature song. James was also the background vocalist on Berry’s “Back in the USA.”
Established as Chess’ first female star, she remained with the label until 1978. Her songs “Tell Mama” and “I’d Rather Go Blind” also became big hits; the latter became a blues classic that was covered by a variety of artists. She released two more albums in 1978-“Etta is Betta than Evah” and “Deep in the Night”-both included more rock-based music. That same year, she was the opening act for the Rolling Stones and performed at the Montreal Jazz Festival.
In 1987, she performed with Berry on his documentary, “Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll.” In 1989, James signed with Island Records and released the album “The Seven Year Itch,” which was noted for bringing back the older raw sound of her previous records. In 1998 she issued the Christmas album, “12 Songs of Christmas.”
James revisited her jazz stylings with the album “Blue Gardenia.” Her final album for Private Music, “Let’s Roll,” was released in 2003 and won her a Grammy. Over the years, James performed at many world-renowned jazz festivals, including the Montreux Jazz Festival (four times) the Monterey Jazz Festival (nine times) and the San Francisco Jazz Festival (five times).
In 2008, James returned to the limelight when she was portrayed by Beyonce in the fictionalized film “Cadillac Records,” based on the rise of fall of Chess Records. Beyonce later sang “At Last” at the inaugural ball for President Barack Obama. James stated she liked Beyonce’s performance in the film, but was hurt she was not called upon to sing her song herself.
In April 2009, James made her final television appearance, performing “At Last” during an appearance on “Dancing With the Stars.” Her final album, “The Dreamer,” was released in November 2011.
James is survived by her husband of 42 years, Artis Mills; her sons Donto and Sametto James; and four grandchildren.