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Etta James Dead at 73
![Etta James, one of the great voices of the 20th century who fused R&B with gospel and blues, and scored landmark hits with "At Last," "Tell Mama" and "All I Could Do Was Cry," died today from complications related to leukemia. She was 73. James had been battling health problems for many years. James had an enormously turbulent personal life with numerous periods of drug addiction and poverty, but she channeled all of that heartache into her music. "There's a lot going on Etta James' voice," Bonnie Raitt told Rolling Stone in 2008. "A lot of pain, a lot of life, most of all, a lot of strength. She can be so raucous and down one song, and then break your heart with her subtlety and finesse the next. As raw as Etta is, there's a great intelligence and wisdom in her singing." Born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles in 1938, James was largely abandoned by her teenage mother at a young age, and was raised by her grandparents and foster families. She formed the the doo-wop singing group Creolettes with her friends in the early 1950s, and they even scored a minor hit with "Roll Me Henry" in 1955. James signed as a solo act to Chess Records in 1960, kicking off the first great period of her long career. Working with producers Harvey Fuqua and Ralph Bass, she landed on the charts with "My Dearest Darling" and "All I Could Do Is Cry." Leonard Chess heard tremendous potential in her voice, and in 1961 had her record the ballad "At Last" with a string section. The song became a massive hit, and remained her signature song for the rest of her career. Despite her incredible success, James started to use heroin in the mid-1960s and it began to have serious effects on her career. At various points she was committed to a Los Angeles psychiatric hospital, though she still occasionally scored hits – most notable the R&B classic "Tell Mama" in 1967. In the 1970s, James hit the club circuit to support herself. The Rolling Stones took her on tour in 1978, which exposed her music to a whole new generation of rock fans. That same year she signed to Warner Brothers and cut the classic LP Deep in the Night with Jerry Wexler. Her drug habit resumed in the 1980s, but a 1988 stay at the Betty Ford Clinic set her on a much better course. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. James continued to tour until illness sidelined her a couple of years ago. She made headlines in 2009 when she criticized Beyoncé's performance of "At Last" at President Obama's inauguration, but the public didn't realize that she was suffering from dementia at that point. In 1997, James spoke with Rolling Stone about her life. "Life's been rough," she said. "But life's been good. If I had to go back and do it all over again, I would live it the exact same way."](http://media.trb.com/media/thumbnails/story/2012-01/67521594-20153236.jpg "Etta James, one of the great voices of the 20th century who fused R&B with gospel and blues, and scored landmark hits with "At Last,\" \"Tell Mama\" and \"All I Could Do Was Cry,\" died today from complications related to leukemia. She was 73. James had been battling health problems for many years. James had an enormously turbulent personal life with numerous periods of drug addiction and poverty, but she channeled all of that heartache into her music. \"There's a lot going on Etta James' voice,\" Bonnie Raitt told Rolling Stone in 2008. \"A lot of pain, a lot of life, most of all, a lot of strength. She can be so raucous and down one song, and then break your heart with her subtlety and finesse the next. As raw as Etta is, there's a great intelligence and wisdom in her singing.\" Born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles in 1938, James was largely abandoned by her teenage mother at a young age, and was raised by her grandparents and foster families. She formed the the doo-wop singing group Creolettes with her friends in the early 1950s, and they even scored a minor hit with \"Roll Me Henry\" in 1955. James signed as a solo act to Chess Records in 1960, kicking off the first great period of her long career. Working with producers Harvey Fuqua and Ralph Bass, she landed on the charts with \"My Dearest Darling\" and \"All I Could Do Is Cry.\" Leonard Chess heard tremendous potential in her voice, and in 1961 had her record the ballad \"At Last\" with a string section. The song became a massive hit, and remained her signature song for the rest of her career. Despite her incredible success, James started to use heroin in the mid-1960s and it began to have serious effects on her career. At various points she was committed to a Los Angeles psychiatric hospital, though she still occasionally scored hits – most notable the R&B classic \"Tell Mama\" in 1967. In the 1970s, James hit the club circuit to support herself. The Rolling Stones took her on tour in 1978, which exposed her music to a whole new generation of rock fans. That same year she signed to Warner Brothers and cut the classic LP Deep in the Night with Jerry Wexler. Her drug habit resumed in the 1980s, but a 1988 stay at the Betty Ford Clinic set her on a much better course. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. James continued to tour until illness sidelined her a couple of years ago. She made headlines in 2009 when she criticized Beyoncé's performance of \"At Last\" at President Obama's inauguration, but the public didn't realize that she was suffering from dementia at that point. In 1997, James spoke with Rolling Stone about her life. \"Life's been rough,\" she said. \"But life's been good. If I had to go back and do it all over again, I would live it the exact same way.\"")
Etta James, one of the great voices of the 20th century who fused R&B with gospel and blues, and scored landmark hits with "At Last," "Tell Mama" and "All I Could Do Was Cry," died today from complications related to leukemia. She was 73. James had been...Tags: Alzheimer's Disease, Music, Entertainment, Heroin, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
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Comments about Michelle Obama's rear end are a throwback
During the '60s civil rights juggernaut, the "black is beautiful" movement flowered. It was the next logical step in America's extreme racial makeover. It affirmed the African aesthetic. It issued a counterpunch to centuries of stiff jabs about the...
Tags: Elections, Overweight, Nancy Reagan, Hillary Clinton, F James Jr Sensenbrenner
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Father Martin's Ashley celebrates 30 years
Father Martin's Ashley, the non-profit alcoholism and drug addiction treatment center co-founded by Father Joseph C. Martin and Mae Abraham, is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Ashley's opened its doors to the first five patients in 1983, and since then,...Tags: Culture, Ceremonies, Alcohol Addiction, Human Interest, Arts and Culture
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'Drinking with Men': Life, one glass at a time
Rosie Schaap is not a celebrity. Not even close. She's a writer who happens to moonlight as a bartender. Or, if you prefer, she's a part-time drinks-slinger who happens to pen The New York Times Magazine's Drink column and contribute to NPR's "This...Tags: Substance Abuse, Ford, Alcohol Addiction, Chicago Tribune, Grateful Dead (music group)
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Tracy Letts plays his part in illuminating Edward Albee's 'Woolf'
NEW YORK — Tracy Letts has his hands full these days writing plays and preparing for the release of the movie version of his Pulitzer-Prize-winning drama, "August: Osage County." But he's added another formidable task to his agenda: elucidating...Tags: Clybourne Park (play), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (movie), Tony Awards, Richard Burton, Drugs and Medicines
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Legal drugs, deadly outcomes
Terry Smith collapsed face-down in a pool of his own vomit. Lynn Blunt snored loudly as her lungs slowly filled with fluid. Summer Ann Burdette was midway through a pear when she stopped breathing. Larry Carmichael knocked over a lamp as he fell...
Tags: Heroin, Alcohol Addiction, U.S. Congress, Bipolar Disorder, Vicodin (drug)
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Ford Honored In Wreath Ceremony
Anchor/ReporterA wreath-laying ceremony was held on Saturday at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids outside the tombs of former President Gerald R. Fordand former First Lady Betty Ford. The event is held each year by the Ford family on July 14th in...Tags: Gerald Ford, Culture, Death and Dying Customs, Arts and Culture, Barack Obama
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Dr. James West dies at 98; a founder of Betty Ford Center
Dr. James W. West stood on the cutting edge of medicine in the middle of the 20th century and recognized "it sounded bizarre to remove an organ from a dead person and expect it to work." He was part of a team of surgeons who helped change that perception...
Tags: Genes and Chromosomes, Addiction, Prescription Drugs, Medical Specialization, General Practitioners
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How celebrity florist David Jones' career blossomed
The gig: David Jones, who owns a floral studio bearing his name in West Hollywood, has counted some of the world's most powerful people among his clients. From humble beginnings growing up in the Midwest, the florist has traveled the world —...Tags: Music, Entertainment, Australia, Bunny (music group), Elizabeth Taylor
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Fish Fry is a tradition unlike any other in Costa Mesa
Rollo McClellan, 92, is looking forward to the fish fry next weekend like it was his first. The first Costa Mesa Newport Harbor Lions Club Fish Fry was in 1945, and McClellan hasn't missed one since. Well, he had to cut out a day early once to go take a...
Tags: Hospitals and Clinics, Arts and Culture, Health, Festive Events
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Dorothy Townsend dies at 88; L.A. Times reporter broke newsroom barrier
The only woman in a sea of men in suits, Dorothy Townsend can't help but stand out in the official photograph of the Los Angeles Times team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 1966 for coverage of the Watts riots.
The picture also inadvertently documents...Tags: Journalism, Newspapers, Grupo Bimbo, Disneyland Park, Cancer
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President Ford's Rancho Mirage home sells for $1.675 million
The Rancho Mirage estate of the late President Gerald Ford and Betty Ford has sold for $1.675 million.
The buyers are entertainment business manager John McIlwee and Dreamworks Animation executive Bill Damaschke, who announced their intentions to...Tags: Gerald Ford, White House, Real Estate Buyers, Realty
Jan 20, 2012
|Story| WSBT Radio
Feb 15, 2013
|Column| Orlando Sentinel
Jan 28, 2013
|Story| Baltimore Sun
Jan 25, 2013
|Story| Chicago Tribune
Dec 1, 2012
|Story| Los Angeles Times
Nov 11, 2012
|Story| Los Angeles Times
Jul 14, 2012
|Story| WXMI
Aug 5, 2012
|Story| Los Angeles Times
Jul 29, 2012
|Story| Los Angeles Times
May 28, 2012
|Story| Daily Pilot
Mar 21, 2012
|Story| Los Angeles Times
Mar 22, 2012
|Story| Los Angeles Times
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