Etta James

Jamesetta Hawkins, known as Etta James, possessed one of the most powerful and versatile voices in American music, capable of singing blues, R&B, soul, jazz, gospel, and rock with equal conviction. Discovered as a teenager in San Francisco, she scored her first hit with 'The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry)' in 1955 for Modern Records. Her career reached its creative peak at Chess Records in the early 1960s with 'At Last,' 'Tell Mama,' 'I'd Rather Go Blind,' and 'Something's Got a Hold on Me.' Heroin addiction and personal turmoil derailed her career for much of the 1970s, but she made a triumphant comeback in the late 1980s and 1990s, winning six Grammy Awards and demonstrating that her voice had only deepened with age and experience. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.