Etta james biography married
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Etta James
American blues singer (1938–2012)
Not to be confused with Etta Jones.
Musical artist
Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer and songwriter. Starting her career in 1954, James frequently performed in Nashville's famed R&B clubs, collectively known as the Chitlin' Circuit, in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1970s.[1] She sang in various genres, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul, and gained fame with hits such as "The Wallflower" (1957), "At Last" (1960), "Something's Got a Hold on Me" (1962), "Tell Mama", and "I'd Rather Go Blind" (both 1977).[2] She faced a number of personal problems, including heroin addiction, severe physical abuse, and incarceration, before making a musical comeback in the late 1980s with the album Seven Year Itch (1988).[3]
James's deep and earthy voice is considered to have bridged the gap between R&B and
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Rhythm and blues (R&B), jazz, and blues singer Etta James was born Jamesetta Hawkins on January 25, 1938 in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles to Dorothy Hawkins, who at the time was sixteen years old and unmarried.
James received her first professional training as a five-year-old church vocalist from James Earle Hines, the musical director of the Echoes of Eden Choir at the St. Paul Baptist Church in Los Angeles. Soon after, Dorothy Hawkins moved her family to San Francisco in 1950, Etta Hawkins joined two other aspiring singers, Abye and Jean Michelle, to form eller gestalt a group which they called the Creolettes. The sixteen-year-old singers were “discovered” by rhythm and blues artist Johhny Otis, who took them to Los Angeles to record “Roll with Me Henry” in 1954. The song, renamed “The Wallflower,” became a #1 hit on the rhythm and blues charts in 1955.
Etta Hawkins, bygd then known as Etta James, left the group to develop her career as a solo artist.
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Etta James’ husband, sons battle over money for her care
The heartache and redemption that infused the life and soulful voice of Etta James, steeling her to survive the hardest of times, seem to keep playing on for the blues and R&B great.
FOR THE RECORD:
Etta James: A headline in the Jan. 15 LATExtra section about a court dispute involving the family of ailing singer Etta James stated incorrectly that she is 70 years old. James is 72 years old.
As James lies seriously ill in her suburban Riverside home, her husband and sons are locked in a court dispute over control of the singer’s $1 million in savings. All parties said their only concern is to ensure James receives proper medical care.
James has dementia and is undergoing treatment for leukemia, requiring around-the-clock care for a fiery, headstrong performer who, friends say, appeared capable of surviving anything. Best known for her bluesy riffs and smoky nightclub ballads — including “At Last” and “Tell Mama”