Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), professionally known as Etta James, was an American singer who sang gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul. Beginning her career in 1954, she rose to prominence with hits such as “The Wallflower”, “At Last”, “Tell Mama”, “Something’s Got a Hold on Me”, and “I’d Rather Go Blind”. Before making a musical comeback in the late 1980s with the album Seven Year Itch, she struggled with a variety of personal issues, including heroin addiction, severe physical abuse, and incarceration.
James’s deep and earthy voice bridged the rhythm and blues and rock and roll divides. She received six Grammy Awards and seventeen Blues Music Awards. In 1993, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in 1999 into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and in 2001 into the Blues Hall of Fame.
In 2003, she was also honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. James was ranked number 22 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time, and she was also ranked number 62 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. James was named one of Billboard’s “35 Greatest R&B Artists of All Time” in 2015, with “gutsy, take-no-prisoner vocals colorfully interpreting everything from blues and R&B/soul to rock n’roll, jazz, and gospel.”
What happened between Beyoncé and Etta James?
Etta James launched a scathing attack on Beyonce Knowles because she felt “left out”. The legendary singer insists she was only joking when she threatened Beyonce with a “a*s whip” for performing At Last – a song Etta, 71, is famous for performing – at US President Barack Obama’s inauguration.
