The world has lost two of its greatest female voices in recent times. Two woman who have always held a very special place in my heart and had a big impact on my life. Those woman are the beautiful Whitney Houston and the sublime Ms. Etta James.
Etta James, soul and blues legend, it is so hard to describe her. she is so iconic, her feline looks were exotic and her voice was the voice of a era, of a genre and her life story is riddled with struggle and sadness as well as great success.
Her life story reads like an epic novel. She was born Jamesetta Hawkins in 1938, in Los Angelas. Her mother was only 14, and it is has been stated that she worked as a prostitute. Etta never knew for sure who her father was but it was rumored to be a white man which posed a lot of issues for her in a time before the cival rights movement. her early years were incredibly tumultuous, she spent many years in and out of foster homes as her mother was not stable. Etta often referred to her mother as the mystery woman.
Etta has been called a gospel prodigy. she began singing in church at the age of five. She released her first record 'Dance with me Henry" at just 14 years old. in 1960 Etta signed to Chess records where she had her biggest success. Chess records, owned by Leonard Chess, was home to soul and R&B legends such as muddy waters, little walter and chuck berry, but Chess realized James' potential to cross over to the pop charts. Her first album, At Last, features some of her most iconic hits such as 'At Last', 'All I could do was cry' and 'I just wanna make love to you'. Though it was a hugely successful time it was also a period of great turmoil, she became romantically involved with leonard chess who was married and it was when her life long battle with addiction began.
she battled addictions to heroin and painkillers for the majority of her life she spent a large portion of time in rehabilitation centers, her last stint in rehab was just two years before her death when she received treatment for a dependency to prescription meds. She also struggled with her weight eventually having a gastric band operation. She had many turbulent relationships with men though she remained married for 41 years to Artis Mills who was also a drug addict. The couple have two sons. Throughout her life she never stopped performing and making music. she had many health issues in her later years including MRSA, Alzheimer's and Leukemia. she passed away on the 20th of January 2012.
Her legacy is her music. there isn't anyone in the world that hasn't heard 'At Last' it is one of those classic song that will forever be connected to Etta even though it has been covered by so many other singers. i think for me her voice is so iconic not because she is the most talented or technically good singer but because its so emotive. Her voice drips with heartache and pain or sometimes joy and sensuality. Like Billie holliday or Janis Joplin or even Amy Winehouse, Etta might not always sing note perfectly but she will always make you feel something.
Her influence can be seen in so many other artists, from Beyonce, who played Etta in the film 'Cadillac Records', to Celine Dion, Amy Winehouse, Whitney Houston, Adele, Christina Aguilera and so many more. The loss of Etta James is a great one but her music and her soulful voice will live on forever.
This is one of my favourite songs of all time its heartbreaking and beautiful.
I love how Beyonce describes Etta at the start of this video. she does a great job of embodying the incomparable Ms James.
