RIP Etta James

Etta James

Legendary singer Etta James has passed away at Riverside Community Hospital from complications due to leukemia. The “Matriarch of Blues” was 73 years old.

Etta was born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles in 1938. Her manager took her first name and reversed it to come up with “Etta James”

The singer, known for her earthy and gritty voice, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2010. She also had hepatatis C and suffered from dementia.

James lived a troubled and eventful. She became a singing sensation as a teenager with “The Wallflower (Roll with Me, Henry).

In 1960, she joined Chess Records, and had a bevy of pop and R&B hits throughout the decade. Her most memorable song is perhaps “At Last,” which is a mainstay at weddings everywhere.

She also battled and overcame an heroin addiction, which is an amazing feat in and of itself.

Rest in peace, Etta. Your memory will live on forever in your music, which is timeless.