Today an icon has passed away, five days before her 74th
birthday. Jamesetta Hawkins was born on January 25, 1938 to a fourteen year old
mother and an unknown father. She joined a girlgroup called The Creolettes at
the age of fourteen. The group got signed, but big success never came. During
this time, The Creolettes became The Peaches and Jamesetta Hawkins became Etta
James. The Peaches were short-lived, but James went on to become one of the
greatest singers in the history of music.
She became best known for transcending multiple genres,
such as blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, soul, gospel and jazz. Her
discography includes 28 studio albums, 58 singles and numerous compilation
albums. Her first single "The Wallflower (Roll With Me, Henry)" reached
#1 on the American R&B chart when it was released in 1955. The song earned
her a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 2008. Her first album was released in 1961.
In her career, she released many influential singles,
such as "Good Rockin' Daddy", "Tough Lover", "At
Last", "Something's Hold A Hold On Me", "Stop The
Wedding" and many more. Although she was very succesful during the
fifties, sixties and seventies, it wasn't until the early nineties that she began
to get recognition for her work in terms of awards - she won several lifetime achievement awards, despite having barely won any awards during the earlier decades. Her songs
have been covered by many artists and in 2008, she was portrayed by Beyoncé in
the movie Cadillac Records.
During the seventies, health issues have prevented James from
performing and her popularity declined. In January 2011, James was diagnosed
with leukemia and underwent treatment. A few months ago, she was declared
terminally ill and today, on January 20, 2012, five days before her seventy-fourth birthday, she succumbed
to leukemia.
Let's all take a moment to listen to and enjoy the music of
one of music's greatest and most influential people. RIP, Ms. Etta James!
