Jamesetta Hawkins, better known as Etta James, was an American singer who sang in a variety of styles, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul. She was born on January 25, 1938, and passed away on January 20, 2012. With singles like “The Wallflower,” “At Last,” “Tell Mama,” “Something’s Got a Hold on Me,” and “I’d Rather Go Blind,” she rose to popularity after beginning her career in 1954. 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 jail.
What did Etta James died of?
MRSA, a bacterium resistant to many antibiotics, was the source of James’ infection, which necessitated hospitalization in January 2010. Her son Donto announced to the world that she had previously been identified as having Alzheimer’s disease in 2008.
Early in 2011, James received a leukemia diagnosis. Her husband Artis Mills was named the only conservator of the James estate and in charge of managing her medical care after the condition turned terminal. Five days shy of turning 74, she passed away on January 20, 2012, at Riverside Community Hospital in Riverside, California. Three days later, Johnny Otis, who had first found her in the 1950s, passed away. Her sideman Red Holloway passed away 36 days after she did.
