noelyf
VIP Member
Friday 20 January 2012
Etta James, the legendary singer whose version of At Last influenced generations of singers, has died. She was 73.
Etta James - One of the greats
Etta James had battled leukaemia for a number of years and also had Alzheimer's disease and kidney failure. She had been in hospital since mid-December and died with her family by her bedside.
Confirming her passing to CNN, her friend and manager, Lupe De Leon, said: "This is a tremendous loss for the family, her friends and fans around the world.
"She was a true original who could sing it all - her music defied category. I worked with Etta for over 30 years. She was my friend and I will miss her always."
A four-time Grammy winner and a 1993 inductee to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Etta James was portrayed in the film Cadillac Records by Beyoncé Knowles.
She was born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles and began singing in church at the age of five. She became a member of the doo-wop group the Creolettes, who later changed their name to the Peaches and had a Number One R&B hit early in her career with The Wallflower (Dance With Me, Henry).
As a solo artist, she was one of the icons of the Chess Records label, with other hits including Trust in Me, The Fool That I Am and Something's Got a Hold on Me.
She told her troubled life story in the memoir Rage to Survive: The Etta James Story.
When it was announced in 2010 that she was suffering from Alzheimer's disease and would be retiring from music, she said in a statement: "I wish to thank all my fans who have shown me love and support over all these years. I love you all."
Etta James, the legendary singer whose version of At Last influenced generations of singers, has died. She was 73.
Etta James - One of the greats
Etta James had battled leukaemia for a number of years and also had Alzheimer's disease and kidney failure. She had been in hospital since mid-December and died with her family by her bedside.
Confirming her passing to CNN, her friend and manager, Lupe De Leon, said: "This is a tremendous loss for the family, her friends and fans around the world.
"She was a true original who could sing it all - her music defied category. I worked with Etta for over 30 years. She was my friend and I will miss her always."
A four-time Grammy winner and a 1993 inductee to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Etta James was portrayed in the film Cadillac Records by Beyoncé Knowles.
She was born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles and began singing in church at the age of five. She became a member of the doo-wop group the Creolettes, who later changed their name to the Peaches and had a Number One R&B hit early in her career with The Wallflower (Dance With Me, Henry).
As a solo artist, she was one of the icons of the Chess Records label, with other hits including Trust in Me, The Fool That I Am and Something's Got a Hold on Me.
She told her troubled life story in the memoir Rage to Survive: The Etta James Story.
When it was announced in 2010 that she was suffering from Alzheimer's disease and would be retiring from music, she said in a statement: "I wish to thank all my fans who have shown me love and support over all these years. I love you all."
