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Engraved portrait of Etta James
Music · 1950s

Etta James

In memoriam 1938–2012

“A voice of velvet and grit that carried the blues into the heart of American song.”

Jamesetta HawkinsReal name
January 25, 1938, Los Angeles, CaliforniaBorn
January 20, 2012, Riverside, CaliforniaDied
Six wins, including a Lifetime Achievement AwardGrammy Awards
Rock and Roll (1993) and Blues (2001)Hall of Fame
The Turning Point

After Johnny Otis discovered her in San Francisco and renamed her, the teenager scored a 1955 R&B hit with "The Wallflower." Signing to Chess Records in 1960 and releasing the lush ballad "At Last" made her a star at age 22.

Cover art from Etta James's 1960 Chess album "At Last!"
Cover art from Etta James's 1960 Chess album "At Last!"

Gospel Beginnings

Born to a teenage mother in Los Angeles, she sang in the choir at St. Paul Baptist Church under choir director James Earle Hines. Bandleader Johnny Otis discovered her in San Francisco around 1954 and reshaped "Jamesetta" into the stage name Etta James.

Etta James performing in 2006
Etta James performing in 2006

The Chess Years

After her 1955 R&B hit, she signed to Chess Records in 1960, where producers paired her grit with strings on "At Last." She ranged from pop ballads to raw blues, recording landmark soul at Muscle Shoals' FAME Studios in 1967.

Comeback and Legacy

She battled heroin addiction for years but rebuilt her career, opening for The Rolling Stones and winning her first Grammy in 1994. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, she influenced generations of soul and blues singers.

Career Timeline

  1. 1938Born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles
  2. 1950Sings gospel at St. Paul Baptist Church
  3. 1954Discovered by bandleader Johnny Otis
  4. 1955"The Wallflower" tops R&B chart
  5. 1960Signs with Chess Records in Chicago
  6. 1961Records signature ballad "At Last"
  7. 1967Cuts soul at FAME Studios, Muscle Shoals
  8. 1978Opens for The Rolling Stones on tour
  9. 1993Inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
  10. 1994Wins first Grammy for "Mystery Lady"
  11. 2003Receives Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
  12. 2012Dies in Riverside, California, aged 73

Biggest Hits

1955
The Wallflower (Roll With Me, Henry)Number-one R&B answer record made her a teen star
1961
At LastHer signature ballad, later a wedding standard
1961
A Sunday Kind of LoveEarly Chess ballad showcasing her phrasing
1961
Trust in MeTop-40 pop crossover hit
1962
Something's Got a Hold on MeGospel-charged R&B classic, much sampled later
1967
Tell MamaMuscle Shoals soul peak, Top-10 R&B
1968
I'd Rather Go BlindBlues standard, B-side of "Tell Mama"
Did You Know
  • Beyonce portrayed her in the 2008 film Cadillac Records and sang "At Last."
  • Her mother was just 14 when she was born; she was raised largely by foster parents.

The Moment You Remember

The opening string swell and her first soaring phrase on At Last turned a love song into something timeless, a recording that still hushes a room more than sixty years after she made it.

Portrait: Roland Godefroy · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

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