Etta James

1.1. Childhood and Early Career (1938-1959)

Jamesetta Hawkins's early life was characterized by a complex family background and formative, often difficult, experiences that profoundly influenced her musical development and personal struggles. Her initial forays into singing began in the church, but her talent was also exploited, leaving lasting emotional scars.

1.1.1. Childhood and Musical Education

Jamesetta Hawkins was born on January 25, 1938, in Los Angeles, California, to Dorothy Hawkins, who was 14 years old at the time. Her father was never identified, though James speculated that he was the pool player Rudolf "Minnesota Fats" Wanderone, whom she briefly met in 1987. Her mother, Dorothy, was frequently absent from their apartment in Watts, often engaging in relationships with various men. As a result, James lived with a series of foster parents, most notably "Sarge" and "Mama" Lu. James affectionately referred to her biological mother as "the Mystery Lady." During her childhood, James was primarily raised by relatives and friends, and she began regularly attending a Baptist church while in the care of her grandparents, who raised her in the Baptist faith.

James received her first professional vocal training at the age of five from James Earle Hines, the musical director of the Echoes of Eden choir at the St. Paul Baptist Church in South-Central Los Angeles. Despite her young age, she became a soloist in the choir and performed with them on local radio stations. She quickly gained attention for possessing a powerful voice for a child. Hines would often punch her in the chest while she sang to physically force her voice to originate from her gut. Sarge, her foster father, was also abusive. During drunken poker games at home, he would awaken James in the early morning hours and force her, often through beatings, to sing for his friends. The trauma of being forced to sing under these humiliating circumstances caused her to struggle with singing on demand throughout her professional career.

1.2. Mainstream Success and Chess Records Era (1960-1978)

The Chess Records era marked the pinnacle of Etta James's commercial and critical success, during which she explored a wide range of musical styles, solidifying her reputation as a versatile and powerful vocalist. Despite significant hits, personal struggles began to impact her career towards the end of this period.

James's initial hit singles with Harvey Fuqua at Chess Records were "If I Can't Have You" and "Spoonful". Her first solo hit, the doo-wop-styled R&B song "All I Could Do Was Cry", reached number two on the R&B chart. Chess Records co-founder Leonard Chess envisioned James as a classic ballad stylist with the potential to cross over to the pop charts, and he began to arrange her recordings with violins and other string instruments. The first such string-laden ballad, "My Dearest Darling," recorded in May 1960, peaked in the top five of the R&B chart. James also provided background vocals for her labelmate Chuck Berry on his song "Back in the U.S.A."

Her debut album, At Last!, released in late 1960, was celebrated for its diverse selection of music, ranging from jazz standards and blues to doo-wop and rhythm and blues. The album featured future classics like "I Just Want to Make Love to You" and "A Sunday Kind of Love". In early 1961, James released what would become her signature song, "At Last", a Glenn Miller tune. It reached number two on the R&B chart and number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100. Despite not being as commercially successful as some expected, her rendition has become the definitive version of the song. James followed this with "Trust in Me", which also featured string arrangements. Later that same year, James released her second studio album, The Second Time Around, which continued the genre-spanning approach of her debut, covering jazz and pop standards with strings on many tracks. It produced two hit singles, "Fool That I Am" and "Don't Cry Baby".

The following year, James began incorporating gospel elements into her music, releasing "Something's Got a Hold on Me," which peaked at number four on the R&B chart and became a Top 40 pop hit. This success was quickly followed by "Stop the Wedding," which reached number six on the R&B chart and also included gospel influences. In 1963, she achieved another major hit with "Pushover" and released the critically acclaimed live album Etta James Rocks the House, recorded at the New Era Club in Nashville, Tennessee. After a few years of minor hits, James's career experienced a downturn after 1965. Following a period of isolation, she returned to recording in 1967, reemerging with more powerful R&B numbers thanks to sessions at the legendary FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. These sessions produced her comeback hit "Tell Mama", co-written by Clarence Carter, which climbed to number ten on the R&B chart and number twenty-three on the pop chart. An album of the same name was also released that year and included her rendition of Otis Redding's "Security." The B-side of "Tell Mama" was "I'd Rather Go Blind", which evolved into a blues classic covered by numerous artists. In her autobiography, Rage to Survive, James stated that she heard the song outlined by her friend Ellington "Fugi" Jordan during a prison visit, and she wrote the remainder of the song with him, though for tax reasons, she credited her songwriting partner at the time, Billy Foster.

Following this success, James became a highly sought-after concert performer, though she never again consistently reached the chart dominance of her early to mid-1960s. Her records continued to chart in the R&B Top 40 in the early 1970s, with singles such as "Losers Weepers" (1970) and "I Found a Love" (1972). Although James continued to record for Chess, she was deeply affected by the death of record executive Leonard Chess in 1969. James ventured into rock and funk with her self-titled album in 1973, produced by renowned rock producer Gabriel Mekler, known for his work with Steppenwolf and Janis Joplin. Joplin, who admired James, had covered "Tell Mama" in concert. James's 1973 album, showcasing a blend of musical styles, was nominated for a Grammy Award. However, neither this album nor its critically acclaimed follow-up, Come a Little Closer in 1974, produced any major hits.

In 1975, James opened for comedian Richard Pryor at the Shubert Theatre in Los Angeles. She continued to record for Chess (by then owned by All Platinum Records), releasing one more album in 1976, Etta Is Betta Than Evvah! Her 1978 album Deep in the Night, produced by Jerry Wexler for Warner Bros., introduced more rock-based music into her repertoire. That same year, James served as the opening act for The Rolling Stones and performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Despite this brief success, she subsequently left Chess Records and entered a period of hiatus from recording for ten years, as she grappled with severe drug addiction and alcoholism.

1.3. Comeback and Later Career (1978-2011)

After a significant hiatus marked by personal struggles, Etta James mounted a powerful comeback in the late 1980s, re-establishing her presence in the music world and continuing to record and perform for over two decades, earning widespread recognition and influencing new generations of artists.

Amid her hiatus from recording, Etta James continued to perform occasionally through the early and mid-1980s. These appearances included two guest spots at Grateful Dead concerts in December 1982, and a guest performance at John Mayall's Blues Breakers 1982 reunion show in New Jersey. In 1984, she contacted David Wolper and was invited to perform in the opening ceremony of the 1984 Summer Olympics, where she sang "When the Saints Go Marching In". In 1987, she performed "Rock and Roll Music" with Chuck Berry in the documentary film Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll.

In 1989, James signed with Island Records and released the albums Seven Year Itch and Stickin' to My Guns, both produced by Barry Beckett and recorded at FAME Studios. Also in 1989, James was filmed in a concert at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles with Joe Walsh and Albert Collins for the film Jazzvisions: Jump the Blues Away. Her backing band featured top-tier Los Angeles musicians, including Rick Rosas (bass), Michael Huey (drums), Ed Sanford (Hammond B3 organ), Kip Noble (piano), and Josh Sklair, James's longtime guitar player.

James collaborated with rap singer Def Jef on the song "Droppin' Rhymes on Drums," which innovatively blended James's jazz vocals with hip-hop elements. In 1992, she recorded the album The Right Time, produced by Jerry Wexler for Elektra Records. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, a significant recognition of her pioneering contributions to music.

James signed with Private Music Records in 1993 and recorded a Billie Holiday tribute album, Mystery Lady: Songs of Billie Holiday. This album marked a shift, incorporating more pronounced jazz elements into James's musical style. Mystery Lady earned James her first Grammy Award, for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female, in 1994. In 1995, her autobiography, Rage to Survive, co-written with David Ritz, was published. She also released the album Time After Time in 1995, followed by a Christmas album, 12 Songs of Christmas, in 1998.

By the mid-1990s, James's earlier music, now considered classic, began to be featured in commercials. For example, an excerpt of "I Just Wanna Make Love to You" was used in a Diet Coke advertising campaign in the UK, leading the song to re-chart and reach the top ten on the UK charts in 1996. By 1998, with the release of Life, Love & the Blues, James had integrated her sons, Donto and Sametto, into her touring band as drummer and bassist, respectively. She continued recording for Private Music, which released the blues album Matriarch of the Blues in 2000, showcasing a return to her R&B roots.

In 2001, James was inducted into both the Blues Hall of Fame and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, the latter recognizing her crucial contributions to the development of both rock and roll and rockabilly. In 2003, she was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Her 2004 release, Blue Gardenia, saw her return to a jazz style. Her final album for Private Music, Let's Roll, released in 2005, earned her the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album.

In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked her number 62 on its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time." James performed at many of the world's top jazz festivals, including the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1977, 1989, 1990, and 1993. She performed nine times at the legendary Monterey Jazz Festival and five times at the San Francisco Jazz Festival. She also appeared at the Playboy Jazz Festival in 1990, 1997, 2004, and 2007, and six times at the North Sea Jazz Festival in 1978, 1982, 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1993. She performed at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 2006 and 2009, and frequently graced free summer arts festivals across the United States.

In 2008, James was famously portrayed by singer Beyoncé in the film Cadillac Records, a fictionalized account of Chess Records, the label where James spent 18 years, and how its founder, Leonard Chess, fostered the careers of James and other artists. The film featured "At Last," performed by Beyoncé. Beyoncé was subsequently invited to perform the song at Barack Obama's inaugural ball. In the weeks that followed, James publicly expressed her displeasure that Beyoncé was "singing my song," but later clarified that her critical remarks were intended as a joke and stemmed from personal hurt over not having been invited to perform the song herself for the Obama inauguration. It was later reported that her struggles with Alzheimer's disease and "drug-induced dementia" had contributed to her negative comments about Beyoncé Knowles.

In April 2009, at the age of 71, James made her final television appearance, performing "At Last" on the program Dancing with the Stars. In May 2009, she received the Soul/Blues Female Artist of the Year award from the Blues Foundation, marking her ninth win in that category. She continued touring but by 2010 had to cancel concert dates due to her gradually failing health; at this time, she was battling both dementia and leukemia. In November 2011, James released her final album, The Dreamer, to critical acclaim. She announced her retirement concurrent with the album's release.

James's enduring relevance was further affirmed in 2011 when Swedish DJ Avicii achieved substantial chart success with the song "Levels", which extensively samples her 1962 song "Something's Got a Hold on Me". The same sample was also used by East Coast rapper Flo Rida in his 2011 hit single "Good Feeling". Both artists issued statements of condolence upon James's death. Her original classic music saw renewed charting success following these 21st-century re-interpretations.

3.1. Family and Relationships

Etta James was married to Artis Mills from 1969 until her death in 2012. She had two sons, Donto James and Sametto James, born to different fathers. Both of her sons pursued music careers and eventually performed professionally with their mother; Donto played drums at Montreux in 1993, and Sametto played bass guitar starting around 2003, among other performances and tours.

3.2. Health and Legal Issues

By the mid-1960s, Etta James developed a severe addiction to heroin. To finance her habit, she engaged in illicit activities such as bouncing checks, forging prescriptions, and stealing from her friends. In 1966, she was arrested for writing bad checks, leading to probation and a 500 USD fine. In 1969, she spent 10 days in jail for violating her probation.

James was frequently in and out of rehabilitation centers, including the Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles. In a notable incident, her husband, Artis Mills, accepted responsibility when they were both arrested for heroin possession, subsequently serving a 10-year prison sentence. He was released from prison in 1981.

In 1973, James was again arrested for possession of heroin. In 1974, she was sentenced to drug treatment instead of prison. During this period, she developed an addiction to methadone, which she would tragically mix with heroin. She spent 17 months at Tarzana Psychiatric Hospital, beginning at the age of 36, enduring a profound struggle. In her 1995 autobiography Rage to Survive, she stated that the time she spent in the hospital was transformative. However, her substance abuse continued after leaving treatment, particularly after she became involved with a man who was also using drugs. In 1988, at the age of 50, she entered the Betty Ford Center in Palm Springs, California, for addiction treatment. In 2010, she received additional treatment for a dependency on painkillers.

3.3. Religious Affiliation

Through her mother, Dorothy, Etta James was introduced to the Nation of Islam. Dorothy occasionally attended meetings at Nation of Islam Temple No. 27 in Los Angeles and would relay the teachings to her daughter. However, under the care of her grandparents, James was raised within the Baptist faith. In her adult years, James and a friend began attending a Nation of Islam temple in Atlanta, where she found comfort in the preaching of Minister Louis X and developed a sense of "racial pride." She adopted the name Jamesetta X and later joined Malcolm X's temple in Harlem; she remained a member for approximately a decade. It was in Harlem that James became friends with the young boxer Cassius Clay, who later gained fame as Muhammad Ali. Despite her involvement, James herself admitted that she didn't strictly adhere to their beliefs, suggesting it was "something of a fad" and the "radical, the 'in' thing to do" at the time.

5.1. Hall of Fame Inductions and Major Commendations

Since 1989, notably late in her career after nearly three decades of recording, Etta James accumulated over 30 awards and recognitions from various organizations. In 1989, the newly formed Rhythm and Blues Foundation honored James with one of their inaugural Pioneer Awards, recognizing artists whose lifelong contributions were instrumental in the development of Rhythm & Blues music. The following year, in 1990, she received an NAACP Image Award, given for "outstanding achievements and performances of people of color in the arts"; James particularly cherished this award as it "was coming from my own people." In 2020, James was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.

She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7080 Hollywood Boulevard in 2003. In 2005, James was inducted into Hollywood's Rockwalk. In 2006, James received the Billboard R&B Founders Award.

Etta James was inducted into several prestigious halls of fame:

• In 1993, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame hailed her as "one of the greatest voices of her century" and "forever the matriarch of blues."
• In 2001, James was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, for her contributions to the development of both rock and roll and rockabilly.
• In 2001, she was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.
• Her songs "At Last" in 1999 and "The Wallflower" in 2008 were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for their qualitative or historical significance.

5.2. Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Etta James received six Grammy Awards throughout her career. Her first competitive Grammy was in 1995, when she was awarded Best Jazz Vocal Performance for the album Mystery Lady: Songs of Billie Holiday, which consisted of covers of Billie Holiday songs. Two other albums also earned her Grammys: Let's Roll for Best Contemporary Blues Album in 2003, and Blues to the Bone for Best Traditional Blues Album in 2004. In addition to her competitive awards, James was honored with the prestigious Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003.

5.3. Blues Music Awards

The members of the Blues Foundation, a nonprofit organization established in Memphis, Tennessee, to foster the blues and its heritage, have nominated Etta James for a Blues Music Award almost every year since its founding in 1980. She received some form of the Blues Female Artist of the Year award 14 times since 1989, winning continuously from 1999 to 2007. Her albums Life, Love, & the Blues (1999), Burnin' Down the House (2003), and Let's Roll (2004) were all honored with the Soul/Blues Album of the Year award. In 2001, she was officially inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, cementing her legacy within the blues community.