Etta james biography video of barack obama

American blues singer (–)

Not to be confused plea bargain Etta Jones.

Musical artist

Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, – Jan 20, ), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer and songwriter. Starting her existence in , James frequently performed in Nashville's noted R&B clubs, collectively known as the Chitlin' Boundary, in the s, s, and s.^[1] She chant in various genres, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul, and gained preeminence with hits such as "The Wallflower" (), "At Last" (), "Something's Got a Hold on Me" (), "Tell Mama", and "I'd Rather Go Blind" (both ).^[2] She faced a number of precise problems, including heroin addiction, severe physical abuse, at an earlier time incarceration, before making a musical comeback in magnanimity late s with the album Seven Year Itch ().^[3]

James's deep and earthy voice is considered come near have bridged the gap between R&B and outcrop and roll. She won three Grammy Awards safe her albums ( - Best Traditional Blues Release for Blues to the Bone; - Best Contemporaneous Blues Album for Let's Roll; and - Pre-eminent Jazz Vocal Performance, Female for Mystery Lady: Songs of Billie Holiday) and 17 Blues Music Credit. She was inducted into the Rock and Keep a record Hall of Fame in , the Grammy Fascinate of Fame in , and the Blues Lobby of Fame in ^[4] She also received loftiness Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in ^[5]Rolling Stone publication ranked James number 22 on its list be advantageous to the " Greatest Singers of All Time"; she was also ranked number 62 in its join up of the " Greatest Artists of All Time".^[6][7]Billboard magazine's list of the "35 Greatest R&B Artists Of All Time" also included James, whose "gutsy, take-no-prisoner vocals colorfully interpreted everything from blues shaft R&B/soul to rock n’roll, jazz and gospel."^[8] Decency Rock and Roll Hall of Fame named bring about "one of the greatest voices of her century" and "forever the matriarch of blues."^[9]

Life and career

– Childhood and career beginnings

Jamesetta Hawkins was born wish January 25, , in Los Angeles, California, resting on Dorothy Hawkins, who was 14 at the offend. Although her father has never been identified,^[10] Felon speculated that she was the daughter of fountain player Rudolf "Minnesota Fats" Wanderone, whom she fall down briefly in ^[11] Her mother was frequently out from their apartment in Watts, conducting relationships confront various men, and James lived with a array of foster parents, most notably "Sarge" and "Mama" Lu. James referred to her mother as "the Mystery Lady".^[10] James was raised by relatives gift friends during her childhood, and she began generally attending a Baptist church while in the anxiety of her grandparents.^[12]

James received her first professional uttered training at the age of five from Saint Earle Hines, musical director of the Echoes human Eden choir at the St. Paul Baptist Communion in South-Central Los Angeles. She became a singer in the choir despite her young age contemporary performed with them on local radio stations. She quickly gained attention for having a strong utterly for a child. Hines often punched her top the chest while she sang to force repudiate voice to come from her gut.^[13][12]

Sarge, like blue blood the gentry musical director for the choir, was also slanderous. During drunken poker games at home, he would awaken James in the early morning hours deliver force her with beatings to sing for friends. The trauma of her foster father forcing her to sing under these humiliating circumstances caused her to have difficulties with singing on claim throughout her career.^[14]

In , Mama Lu died, submit James's biological mother took her to the President district of San Francisco.^[15] Within a couple clutch years, she began listening to doo-wop and was inspired to form a girl group, the Creolettes (so named for the members' light-skinned complexions).

At the age of 14, she met musician Johnny Otis. Stories on how they met vary. Featureless Otis's version, she came to his hotel astern one of his performances in the city brook persuaded him to audition her. Another story was that Otis spotted the Creolettes performing at put in order Los Angeles nightclub and sought for them look after record his "answer song" to Hank Ballard's "Work with Me, Annie". Otis took the Creolettes botch-up his wing and helped them sign to Extra Records, at which point they changed their term to Peaches.^[16] At this time Otis also gave James her stage name, transposing "Jamesetta" (her prone first name) into "Etta James."^{[citation needed]} In , James recorded and was credited as co-author make public "The Wallflower" (a title change to the aforesaid song, "Work with Me, Annie"), which was unbound in early The original title of the consider was actually "Roll with Me, Henry", but store had been changed to avoid censorship at righteousness time (roll implying sexual activity). In February , the song reached number one on the White-hot Rhythm & Blues Tracks chart.^[17] Its success very gave the Peaches an opening spot on Short Richard's national tour.^[18]

While James was on tour become infected with Richard, pop singer Georgia Gibbs recorded a incarnation of her song and released it under representation again-altered title "Dance With Me, Henry." It became a crossover hit, reaching number one on probity Billboard Hot , which angered James.

After leavetaking the Peaches, James had another R&B hit liking "Good Rockin' Daddy" but struggled with follow-ups. What because her contract with Modern came up for restoration in , she signed a contract with Cheat Records instead, with which she would go industry to become one of the label's earliest stars.^[5] Around this time, she became involved in dialect trig relationship with the singer Harvey Fuqua, the author of the doo-wop group the Moonglows.

Musician Flatfoot Murray toured with James for over 20 existence. He wrote that James had her first lower single when she was 15 years old snowball went steady with B.B. King when she was James believed that King's hit single "Sweet Sixteen" was about her.^[19] In early , she gleam an aspiring singer, the year-old Elvis Presley, bolster recording for Sun Studios and an avid comb of King's, shared a bill in a ample club just outside Memphis.^{[citation needed]} In her experiences, she noted how impressed she was with class young singer's manners. She also recalled how satisfied he made her many years later when she found out that it was Presley who difficult to understand moved her close friend Jackie Wilson from undiluted substandard convalescent home to a more appropriate competence and, as she put it, paid all illustriousness expenses. Presley died a year later. Wilson went on to live for another ten years block the care center Presley found for him.

– Chess and Warner Bros. years

Dueting with Harvey Fuqua, James recorded for Argo Records (later renamed Trainee Records), a label established by Chess. Her lid hit singles with Fuqua were "If I Can't Have You" and "Spoonful". Her first solo fortune was the doo-wop–styled rhythm-and-blues song "All I Could Do Was Cry", which was a number three R&B hit.^[20] Chess Records co-founder Leonard Chess pictured James as a classic ballad stylist who difficult to understand potential to cross over to the pop charts and soon surrounded the singer with violins present-day other string instruments.^[20] The first string-laden ballad Outlaw recorded was "My Dearest Darling" in May , which peaked in the top five of character R&B chart. James sang background vocals for repudiate labelmate Chuck Berry on his "Back in glory U.S.A."^[21][22]

Her debut album, At Last!, was released encompass late and was noted for its varied strain of music, from jazz standards to blues get entangled doo-wop and rhythm and blues (R&B).^[23] The sticker album included the future classics "I Just Want get at Make Love to You" and "A Sunday Pitiless of Love". In early , James released what was to become her signature song, "At Last", a Glenn Miller tune, which reached number glimmer on the R&B chart and number 47 adjoin the Billboard Hot Though the record was put together as successful as expected, her rendition has step the best-known version of the song.^[21] James followed this with "Trust in Me", which also target string instruments.^[20] Later that same year (), Outlaw released a second studio album, The Second Throw a spanner in the works Around. The album took the same direction gorilla her first, covering jazz and pop standards add-on with strings on many of the songs. Hold your horses produced two hit singles, "Fool That I Am" and "Don't Cry Baby".^[24]

James started adding gospel smattering in her music the following year, releasing "Something's Got a Hold on Me", which peaked watch number four on the R&B chart and was a Top 40 pop hit. That success was quickly followed by "Stop the Wedding", which reached number six on the R&B chart and besides had gospel elements.^[21] In , she had alternative major hit with "Pushover" and released the existent album Etta James Rocks the House, recorded be suspicious of the New Era Club in Nashville, Tennessee.^[20] Make something stand out a couple of years of minor hits, James's career started to suffer after After a lifetime of isolation, she returned to recording in presentday reemerged with more gutsy R&B numbers thanks touch on her recording at the legendary FAME Studios uphold Muscle Shoals, Alabama. These sessions yielded her rejoinder hit "Tell Mama", co-written by Clarence Carter, which reached number ten on the R&B chart distinguished number twenty-three for pop. An album of probity same name was also released that year distinguished included her take on Otis Redding's "Security".^[25] Blue blood the gentry B-side of "Tell Mama" was "I'd Rather Leave go of Blind", which became a blues classic and has been recorded by many other artists. In crack up autobiography, Rage to Survive, she wrote that she heard the song outlined by her friend Jazzman "Fugi" Jordan when she visited him in prison.^[26] According to her account, she wrote the reclaim of the song with Jordan but for tribute reasons gave her songwriting credit to her participant at the time, Billy Foster.

Following this happy result, James became an in-demand concert performer, though she never again reached the heyday of her prematurely to mids success. Her records continued to plan in the R&B Top 40 in the dependable s, with singles such as "Losers Weepers" () and "I Found a Love" (). Though Crook continued to record for Chess, she was dumbfounded by the death of record executive Leonard Cheat in James ventured into rock and funk disconnect the release of her self-titled album in , with production from the famed rock producer Archangel Mekler, who had worked with Steppenwolf and Janis Joplin. Joplin had admired James and had hidden "Tell Mama" in concert. James' album, exhibiting smart mixture of musical styles, was nominated for a-one Grammy Award.^[25] The album did not produce halfbaked major hits, however, and neither did the end album, Come a Little Closer, in , sort through, like '73's Etta James before it, the recording was also critically acclaimed.^{[citation needed]}

In , James unsealed up for comedian Richard Pryor at the Shubert Theatre in Los Angeles.^[27]

James continued to record merriment Chess (now owned by All Platinum Records), cathartic one more album in , Etta Is Betta Than Evvah! Her album Deep in the Night, produced by Jerry Wexler for Warner Bros., joint more rock-based music in her repertoire.^[20] That identical year, James was the opening act for dignity Rolling Stones and performed at the Montreux Malarky Festival. Following this brief success, however, she left-wing Chess Records and did not record for in the opposite direction ten years while she struggled with drug habituation and alcoholism.

– Continued performances and return without more ado recording

Amid her hiatus from recording, James still thorough on occasion through the early and mids, counting two guest appearances at Grateful Dead concerts cry December ^[28] and was a guest on Bog Mayall's Blues Breakers reunion show in New Milker. In , she contacted David Wolper and voluntarily to perform in the opening ceremony of righteousness Summer Olympics, at which she sang "When goodness Saints Go Marching In".^[29] In , she absolute "Rock and Roll Music" with Chuck Berry reduce the price of the documentary film Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll.^[30]

In , she signed with Island Records and pick up again them released the albums Seven Year Itch splendid Stickin' to My Guns, both of which were produced by Barry Beckett and recorded at Success Studios.^[25] Also in James was filmed in clean concert at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles with Joe Walsh and Albert Collins for leadership film Jazzvisions: Jump the Blues Away. Many outline the backing musicians were top-flight players from Los Angeles: Rick Rosas (bass), Michael Huey (drums), Prompt Sanford (Hammond B3 organ), Kip Noble (piano) remarkable Josh Sklair, James' longtime guitar player.

James participated with the rap singer Def Jef on excellence song "Droppin' Rhymes on Drums", which mixed James's jazz vocals with hip-hop. In , she real the album The Right Time, produced by Jerry Wexler for Elektra Records. She was inducted pause the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame middle ^[17][9]

James signed with Private Music Records in keep from recorded a Billie Holiday tribute album, Mystery Lady: Songs of Billie Holiday. The album set smashing trend of incorporating more jazz elements in James's music.^[20] The album won James her first Grammy Award, for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female, manifestation In , her autobiography, Rage to Survive, co-written with David Ritz, was published. Also in , she recorded the album Time After Time. Fine Christmas album, 12 Songs of Christmas, was unfastened in ^[20]

By the mids, James's earlier music—by consequential considered classic—was being used in commercials, including "I Just Wanna Make Love to You", for give. After an excerpt of that song was featured in a Diet Coke advertising campaign in nobleness UK, the song again charted, reaching the summit ten on the UK charts in ^[17]

By , with the release of Life, Love & say publicly Blues, James had added as backing musicians turn down own sons, Donto and Sametto, on drums extort bass, respectively.^[31] They were part of her trek band. She continued recording for Private Music, which released the blues album Matriarch of the Blues in , on which she returned to an extra R&B roots.

– Later years and legacy

In , she was inducted into the Blues Hall keep in good condition Fame and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, glory latter for her contributions to the developments get a hold both rock and roll and rockabilly. In , she received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Imposter her release, Blue Gardenia, she returned to pure jazz style. Her final album for Private Euphony, Let's Roll, released in , won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album.^[32]

In , Rolling Stone magazine ranked her number 62 on tight list of the Greatest Artists of All Time.^[33]

James performed at the top jazz festivals in honourableness world, such as the Montreux Jazz Festival walk heavily , , and ^[34] She performed nine previous at the legendary Monterey Jazz Festival and quintuplet times at the San Francisco Jazz Festival.^[35] She performed at the Playboy Jazz Festival in , , , and ^[36] She performed six period at the North Sea Jazz Festival, in , , , , and ^[37] She performed inspect the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival utilize and (prior credit - after date of death). She also often performed at free summer humanities festivals throughout the United States.

In , Saint was portrayed by singer Beyoncé in the husk Cadillac Records, a fictional account of Chess Documents, James's label for 18 years, about how earmark founder and producer Leonard Chess helped the professions of James and others.^[38] The film included "At Last," performed by Beyoncé. Beyoncé was invited solve perform the song at Barack Obama's inaugural agglomeration. In the following weeks James publicly complained renounce Beyoncé was “singing my song,” but later supplementary that her critical remarks were meant to suitably received as a joke and stemmed from precise hurt over not having been invited to influence sing the song herself for the Obama inauguration.^[39] It was later reported that Alzheimer's disease existing "drug-induced dementia" had contributed to her negative comments about Knowles.^[40]

In April , at the age slope 71, James made her final television appearance, drama "At Last" on the program Dancing with authority Stars. In May , she received the Soul/Blues Female Artist of the Year award from interpretation Blues Foundation, the ninth time she won drift award. She carried on touring but by abstruse to cancel concert dates because of her inchmeal failing health; by this time she was affliction from dementia and leukemia. In November , Criminal released her final album, The Dreamer, to carping acclaim. She announced her retirement at the without fail of its release.^[41]

James' enduring relevance was affirmed predicament when the Swedish DJ Avicii achieved substantial sketch out success with the song "Levels", which samples socialize song "Something's Got a Hold on Me". Position same sample was used by the east littoral rapper Flo Rida in his hit single "Good Feeling". Both artists issued statements of condolence pervade James's death.^[42] James' original classic music again design after these 21st-century re-interpretations.

Style and influence

James consumed the vocal range of a contralto.^[43] Her lyrical style changed during the course of her life's work. At the beginning of her recording career, guess the mids, James was marketed as an R&B and doo-wop singer.^[20] After signing with Chess Documents in , James broke through as a tacit pop-styled singer, covering jazz and pop music rules on her debut album, At Last!^[44] James's language deepened and coarsened, moving her musical style effort her later years into the genres of emotions and jazz.^[20]

James was once considered one of interpretation most overlooked blues and R&B musicians in loftiness music history of the United States. It was not until the early s, when she began receiving major industry awards from the Grammys swallow the Blues Foundation, that she received wide attention. In more recent years,^[when?] she has been hailed as a pioneer who helped bridge the halt briefly between rhythm and blues and rock and spiral and thereby contributed significantly to American musical history.^[45] James has influenced a wide variety of musicians, including, notably, Diana Ross, Christina Aguilera, Janis Vocalist, Brandy, Bonnie Raitt, Shemekia Copeland, Beth Hart, Hayley Williams of Paramore^[46] and Brent Smith of Shinedown^[47] as well as British artists The Rolling Stones,^[48]Elkie Brooks,^[49]Paloma Faith,^[50]Joss Stone,^[51]Rita Ora, Amy Winehouse, and Adele,^[52] and the Belgian singer Dani Klein.

In specific, her song "Something's Got a Hold on Me" has been recognized in many ways. Brussels penalty act Vaya Con Dios covered the song depletion their album Night Owls. Another version, performed coarse Christina Aguilera, was in the film Burlesque. Cute Lights sampled the song in "Finally Moving", followed by Avicii's dance hit "Levels", and again sieve Flo Rida's single "Good Feeling".

British blues company Chicken Shack recorded Etta James’ single "I'd Somewhat Go Blind", which ended up becoming very flush for the band, with Christine McVie singing list vocals.^[53] The single was successful enough that position garnered Christine McVie the Top Female Singer devious the Melody Maker's Reader's Poll in ^[54]

Personal life

Religion

Through her mother, Dorothy, James was introduced to loftiness Nation of Islam. Dorothy attended occasional meetings tiny Nation of Islam Temple No. 27 in Los Angeles, and would return to her daughter take home relay the teachings.^[55] Under the care of disgruntlement grandparents, however, James was raised Baptist.^[12]

In her years, James and a friend began attending natty NOI Temple in Atlanta, where she found nervousness in the preaching of Minister Louis X title the sense of "racial pride". She took adjust the name Jamesetta X and later joined Malcolm X’s Temple in Harlem, where she remained keen member for about a decade.^[56] It was be sold for Harlem that James became friends with young pugilist Cassius Clay, who later became famous boxing version Muhammad Ali.^[57] However, she confessed she didn't critically follow their beliefs, later reflecting that it was "something of a fad" and the "radical, probity 'in' thing to do" at the time. She continued to consume pork and wear non-conservative cover during her membership.^[55]

Marriage and children

James was married preserve Artis Mills from until her death in ^[58][59]

James had two sons, Donto James and Sametto Felon, born to different fathers.^[60] Both of her look at carefully became musicians and eventually performed professionally with their mother; Donto played drums at Montreux in , and Sametto played bass guitar circa , in the middle of other performances and tours.^[61]

Legal difficulties and drug addiction

By the mids, James suffered from a substance piedаterre disorder to heroin. She bounced checks, forged prescriptions and stole from her friends to finance addiction.^[62] James was arrested in for writing bass checks. She was placed on probation and seamless to pay a $ fine.^[63] In , she spent 10 days in jail for violating probation.^[58]

James encountered a string of legal problems during honourableness early s due to her heroin addiction. She was continuously in and out of rehabilitation centers, including the Tarzana Treatment Centers, in Los Angeles, California. Her husband Artis Mills accepted responsibility considering that they were both arrested for heroin possession, be proof against served a year prison sentence.^[64] He was unbound from prison in

In , James was slow for possession of heroin.^[65] In , James was sentenced to drug treatment instead of serving at this juncture in prison. During this period, she became confirmed to methadone and would mix her doses narrow heroin.^[58] She was in the Tarzana Psychiatric Medical centre for 17 months, starting at the age reduce speed 36, and went through a great struggle tolerate the start of treatment. In her autobiography Rage to Survive, she said that the time she spent in the hospital changed her life. Provision leaving treatment, however, her substance abuse continued, distinctively after she developed a relationship with a person who was also using drugs.

In , Criminal received treatment for a dependency on painkillers.^[66]

Illness status death

James was hospitalized in January to treat phony infection caused by MRSA, a bacterium resistant add up to many antibiotics. During her hospitalization, her son Donto revealed to the public that she had archaic previously diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in ^[40]

James was diagnosed with leukemia in early The illness became terminal, and her husband Artis Mills was allotted sole conservator of the James estate and hinder oversee her medical care.^[67] She died on Jan 20, , at age 73, at Riverside General public Hospital in Riverside, California.^[68][69] Her death came join days after that of Johnny Otis, the squire who had discovered her in the s. Xxxvi days after her death, her sideman Red Holloway also died.^[70]

Her funeral was presided over by interpretation Reverend Al Sharpton and took place at Better Bethany Community Church in Gardena, California, eight era after her death. Stevie Wonder and Christina Aguilera gave musical tributes.^[71] She was buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Los Angeles County, California.

Discography

Main article: Etta James discography

Studio albums

Awards

Since (notably rather energize in her career, after nearly thirty years notice prior recording), James has received over 30 fame and recognitions from eight different organizations, including representation Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum^[72] and the National Academy of Recording Arts duct Sciences which organizes the Grammys.^[73]

In , the of late formed Rhythm and Blues Foundation included James fake their first Pioneer Awards for artists whose "lifelong contributions have been instrumental in the development behoove Rhythm & Blues music".^[45] The following year, , she received an NAACP Image Award, which run through given for "outstanding achievements and performances of descendants of color in the arts;"^[74] it was comb award she cherished as it "was coming implant my own people".^[75] In , James was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall hold Fame.

Grammys

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually give up the National Academy of Recording Arts and Branches of knowledge. James has received six Grammy Awards. Her foremost was in , when she was awarded Preeminent Jazz Vocal Performance for the album Mystery Lady, which consisted of covers of Billie Holiday songs.^[79] Two other albums have also won awards, Let's Roll (Best Contemporary Blues Album) in , current Blues to the Bone (Best Traditional Blues Album) in Two of her early songs have bent given Grammy Hall of Fame Awards for "qualitative or historical significance": "At Last", in ,^[80] become peaceful "The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry)" in ^[81] In , she was given the Grammy Time Achievement Award.^[82][83]

Blues Foundation

The members of the Blues Substructure, a nonprofit organization set up in Memphis, River, to foster the blues and its heritage,^[84] fake nominated James for a Blues Music Award basically every year since its founding in ; shaft she received some form of Blues Female Person in charge of the Year award 14 times since , continuously from to ^[85] Her albums Life, Warmth, & the Blues (), Burnin' Down the House (), and Let's Roll () were awarded Soul/Blues Album of the Year,^[85] and in she was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.^[79]

Books

• Rage Take delivery of Survive: The Etta James Story () by King Ritz with Etta James ISBN&#;
• American Legends: The Poised of Etta James () by Charles River Editors, ISBN&#;

References