The World Mourns The Death Of ETTA JAMES!
Etta James, whose hits included Something’s Got A Hold On Me and At Last has passed away after a battle with leukaemia. She was 73!
The soul legend had been diagnosed with the condition in 2010, according to her long time friend and manager, Lupe De Leon, and died in hospital in Riverside, California this week.
Last month, Etta (who battled dementia and kidney disease during the past few years) was admitted to hospital after experiencing breathing difficulties but was discharged on earlier this month on the 6th January, 2012.
Lupe said at the time:
“She is at home with her husband and her family by her side. Her condition remains stable. We think it’s best for her to be at home.”
Speaking about the death of Etta, he 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”.
Her first chart hit in her teens was The Wallflower (Roll With Me, Henry) in 1955, and she then joined Chess records in 1960 and had a string of R&B and pop hits including All I Could Do Was Cry, My Dearest Darling, Trust in Me and Don’t Cry, Baby.
The singer always felt she had a sad quality to most of her songs, as she reveals in an interview with CNN in 2002, saying:
“Most of the songs I sing, they have that blue feeling to it. They have that sorry feeling. And I don’t know what I’m sorry about. I don’t!”
Etta’s own life was not without tragedy and she battled drug addiction through much of her career. However she bounced back in the 1970s and later performed at the opening ceremony of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.
She was then recognised in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and continued to perform into the 90s, and she said at the time:
“I want to thank God for allowing me to come such a long way. I never thought about a hall of fame – I never thought about anything like that.”
Her later work is highly regarded and she won Grammys in 2003 for her album Lets Roll and in 2004 for Blues to the Bone. After that her life was partially portrayed on the big screen in the 2008 movie ‘Cadillac Records‘, which told the story of Chess records and featured Beyonce Knowles in the role of Etta.
A sad loss for the world of music, but she leaves behind one hell of a legacy. Etta James – R.I.P.!
