Singer (You need telling?) Jamesetta Hawkins (Etta James) was born in Los Angeles, California on January 25, 1938. She began singing gospel music in Church and on the radio as a child under the supervision of James Earl Hines. She met Johnny Otis when she was 14. Otis came up with her professional name. Etta and an uncredited Richard Berry recorded “this “Roll with me Henry”, a rock and roll classic, in 1955 when they were members of a doo-wop group called The Peaches, Etta being just 16, and the record was issued at first as by The Peaches then by Etta James and the Peaches. It was recorded in a single take and became a hit record. On the original issue the song was called The Wallflower. After the success Etta left The Peaches for a solo career. The nickname “Peaches” followed her. In 1960 she signed to Chess Records and stayed with them until the label was dissolved in 1978.
Her life was marked with problems including substance abuse, severe physical abuse and incarceration. She was arrested in 1966 for writing bad cheques, and in 1969 spent ten days inside for breaking the conditions of her parole.
She continued to record some fine albums along the way, picking up a collection of awards.
A struggle between her sons and her husband developed as she became more ill, as he sought to control her estate. Her sons Donto and Sametto James had power of attorney over her affairs. Etta James died in Riverside, California, age 73, from complications from Dementia, Kidney problems and Leukemia, on January 20, 2012.
Image: AP Photo/Jeff Christensen (AP 2006)
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