Etta James American R&B/soul contralto vocalist (born January 25, 1938, Los Angeles, California, USA - died January 20, 2012, Riverside, California, USA), the most prominent female vocalist of the Chess label. Etta James was discovered as a teenager by Johnny Otis, with her first hit in 1955. She recorded for Modern Records and Kent Records for the remainder of the 1950's. She signed with Chess in 1960, recording with them until 1976. From 1965 to the mid 1970's she battled heroin addiction. In 1978 she recorded the Jerry Wexler produced "Deep in the Night", which was her final recording until 1988, returning to the Muscle Shoals Sound Studios to record "Seven Years Itch". From 1988 through 2006, she recorded frequent albums. She was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. In 2008, the movie "Cadillac Records" told the story of her career through to the late 1970's, with her role being played by Beyoncé Knowles, who also recorded some of James' songs for the soundtrack. For writing credits in her early career she used the last name from a couple that took care of her as a child, Jamesetta Rogers and on a rare occasion her real name Jamesetta Hawkins. Mother of Donto James and Sametto James. Review: From the mid-1950s to the present, Etta James' powerful, soul-charged voice has become deeper and rougher, with a rich texture and heartfelt inflections. It goes without saying that the woman known as "Mama" is aging like California wine, and she can still open wounds in her songs and come out standing strong. When she was five years old, Jamesetta Hawkins amazed the congregation of her church choir. When she belted out Gospel songs with absolute spiritual fervor, it was clear that the child was a musical prodigy. Her career as a singer began when she recorded "The Wallflower" with Johnny Otis in 1954 for Modern Records. A year later, the song topped the charts. In 1960, she moved to Chess Records and soon began cranking out hits such as the driving, jiving, southern soul smash "Tell Mama," which Janis Joplin covered later that decade. Since then, she has recorded for Island and Elektra, experimenting with rock and jazz, but always returning to her Gospel-soaked roots and southern soul. Aliases: Jamesetta Rogers, Jamesetta Hawkins

Etta James Discography