James was raised by friends and relatives instead of her mother through most of . [24] The B-side of "Tell Mama" was "I'd Rather Go Blind", which became a blues classic and has been recorded by many other artists. James has received six Grammy Awards. Howlin Wolf guitarist was a huge inspiration for the Stones The funeral for Chicago blues great Hubert Sumlin, the longtime guitar player for Howlin Wolf who died Sunday at age 80, will be paid for by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones. James countered with a coy follow-up called Hey! Two of her early songs have been given Grammy Hall of Fame Awards for "qualitative or historical significance": "At Last", in 1999,[72] and "The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry)" in 2008. Though the record was not as successful as expected, her rendition has become the best-known version of the song. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. James's continuing appeal to new generations was proved when the R&B superstar Beyonc played James in the 2008 film Cadillac Records. And the family name, Czy, became Chess. Chess Records co-founder Leonard Chess envisioned James as a classic ballad stylist who had potential to cross over to the pop charts and soon surrounded the singer with violins and other string instruments. [19] Later that same year (1960), James released a second studio album, The Second Time Around. [4] Around this time, she became involved in a relationship with the singer Harvey Fuqua, the founder of the doo-wop group the Moonglows. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Thereafter (until the massive success of At Last) the hits stopped coming, though the quality of James work did not diminish an iota. Our Mission Cover of Etta James: The Essential Modern Records Collection, Chops: What Bassists Listen for in Drummers, The 10 Best Jazz Albums of the 1950s: Critics Picks, Year in Review: The Top 40 Jazz Albums of 2022, Year in Review: The Top 10 Historical Albums of 2022, Chops: What Bassists Listen for in Drummers. For instance, while the film plays heavily on a romantic relationship with Chess Records head, Leonard Chess, this information was never once mentioned in Ettas autobiography. The 1974 album Come a Little Closer, recorded while she was in rehab at apsychiatric hospital, features James at her best. In particular, her song "Something's Got a Hold on Me" has been recognized in many ways. Sign in to continue reading, Christopher Loudon on the release of a new compilation of vintage material from the legendary singer. Leonard Chess set new standards for the industry in artist development, deal making, networking, and marketing and promotion"[12] He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, posthumously, in the non-performer category.[13]. About Us James referred to her mother as "the Mystery Lady". As many families did, when they arrived in the United States the Czy family changed their name. How to Market Your Business with Webinars. She agreed, lied to him that she was 18 and, when he demanded her mother's signed consent, went home and forged it Dorothy was then in prison. The true story is that in 1928, Lejzor and Fiszel Czy moved to the U.S. with the rest of their family from a small village named Motal in what's Belarus today. What did Etta James say about Leonard Chess? Unfortunately, his role and importance wasnt highlighted in the script of Cadillac Records. [19] The first string-laden ballad James recorded was "My Dearest Darling" in May 1960, which peaked in the top five of the R&B chart. (Berry has already served as the subject for one of the better rockumentaries: Taylor Hackford's 1987 Chuck Berry Hail! Dueting with Harvey Fuqua, James recorded for Argo Records (later renamed Cadet Records), a label established by Chess. [67] In 2020, James was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame. The label's many talents included Jimmy Reed, Bo Diddley, John Lee Hooker, Robert Nighthawk, Muddy Waters, Gene Ammons, Jimmy Rogers,. Rock'n'Roll (1987), opened stadium dates for the Rolling Stones and was inducted into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. All rights reserved, Cadillac Records: The "UNTRUE" Story of Etta James, Kashif Presents: The History of R&B music, Morris Day and Sheila E. Bring the Funk to Kiss 104.1 Flashback Festival, Jazz 91.9 WCLK Presents Patti LaBelle with Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for 45th Anniversary Benefit Concert, #SoulfulSaturday : How Deep Is Your Love PJ Morton Feat. After beginning to date Harvey Fuqua, a singer for the Moonglows, James signed with Argo Records, a subsidiary of Chess Records. An album of the same name was also released that year and included her take on Otis Redding's "Security". "It never happened." He. A shift to Warner Brothers in 1978 did not return her to a wide audience and, although she often worked with major producers, James remained beloved more by critics and blues-soul aficionados than a mass audience. Indeed, when most people think of James, they focus on her post-1960 career, particularly her years at Chess Records where, beginning with the iconic At Last, label owner Leonard Chess transformed her from a gutsy blues shouter to a power balladeer. In 2008, James was portrayed by Beyonc Knowles in the film Cadillac Records, a fictional account of Chess Records, James's label for 18 years, about how label founder and producer Leonard Chess helped the careers of James and others. James was a star, yet one seemingly set on self-destruction. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. Perhaps most intriguing are, however, James explosive reinvention of the traditional ditty Shortnin Bread (a song that Brian Wilson would subsequently become obsessed with) and the colorful short story The Pick Up, with a coolly assured Etta swapping salty lines with a blistering sax. Etta James: The Essential Modern Records Collection (Virgin/EMI) includes 15 tracks spanning 1954-57. [1][2][3][4] He and his brother, Fiszel, sister, Malka, and mother arrived in New York in 1928 from Poland. Confronting Satan in a Dark Spanish Castle, sung by Beyoncto Barack and Michelle Obama. (You can hear his own, more psychedelic take on the song, called Id Rather Be a Blind Man, on YouTube.) [20] In 1963, she had another major hit with "Pushover" and released the live album Etta James Rocks the House, recorded at the New Era Club in Nashville, Tennessee. Since 1989 (notably rather late in her career, after nearly thirty years of prior recording), James has received over 30 awards and recognitions from eight different organizations, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum[64] and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences which organizes the Grammys.[65]. Waters, recorded one day in the field by Alan Lomax (Tony Bentley), reckons he's got a future in the Big City and treads the tracks till he reaches Chicago. Roll With Me Henry was retitled The Wallflower Modern Records decided the original title was too explicit and Otis renamed his protege Etta James. Fabrications in the name of movie myth-making are, of course, to be expected from a genre that demands condensing lives into a handful of Defining Episodes; all biopics reduce and trivialize. In fact, as truly great as that song is, James recorded another that was even betterand its one she co-wrote, although, for tax reasons, she gave songwriting credit to her then boyfriend. Though Etta had a mother figure in an older woman affectionatelynamed Mama Lu, Ettas life spiraled after her death. Shescored a surprising (and sole) UK top 10 hit in 1996 when her threatening reading of I Just Want to Make Love to You became the soundtrack to a Diet Coke advertisement. Early life 19381959: Childhood and career beginnings, 19601978: Chess and Warner Brothers years, Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album, list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, "Etta James Hospitalized, Tour Suspended", "Etta James | American singer | Britannica", "The 35 Greatest R&B Artists Of All Time", "Etta James: Acclaimed Soul Singer Who Fought to Overcome Her Personal Demons", "Nashville's smoldering R&B; scene where Jimi Hendrix 'learned to play' was invisible to Music City", "Taters, and Other Fascinating People: NO QUARTER", "Talent on Stage: Richard Pryor, Etta James", "Happy Birthday Etta James: Grateful Dead Sit-In On New Year's 1982", "Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Opening Ceremony Complete", "Playboy Jazz Festival Historical Highlights", "North Sea Jazz program archive | NN North Sea Jazz Festival", "Beyonce to Portray Legendary Blues Singer Etta James in 'Cadillac Records', "Etta James Says Rip on Beyonce Was a Joke", "Hospitalized Etta James Battling Alzheimer's, Infection, Son Says", "Etta James Remembered by will.i.am, Hayley Williams", "Rhythm & Blues Foundation Preserving America's Soul", "Interview: Shinedown Vocalist Inspired by Chris Cornell, Otis Redding", "100 Greatest Artists of All Time:Etta James", "Etta James, the husky-voiced R&B singer, dies at 73", "Etta James' husband, sons battle over money for her care", "James pours heart, soul into set To the 'Last', "Remembering Etta James, Stunning Singer", "Etta James Faces New Cort Action In Los Angeles", "Son says singer Etta James changes hospitals", "Etta James' estate settled in wake of terminally ill diagnosis", "Etta James Dies at 73; Voice Behind 'At Last', "Highly regarded L.A. tenor, alto saxophonist played with A-list stars", "Singer Etta James Displays Her Star With U S Nieuwsfoto's | Getty Images Nederland | 1939332", "Recording Academy Honors Etta James, Simon & Garfunkel, Alan Lomax | News", "The Blues Foundation: About The Blues Foundation", "The Blues Foundation: Past Blues Music Awards", Burnin' Down the House: Live at the House of Blues, Miss Etta James: The Complete Modern and Kent Recordings, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Etta_James&oldid=1149759960, African-American women singer-songwriters, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners, 21st-century African-American women singers, 20th-century African-American women singers, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox musical artist with associated acts, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2022, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2021, All articles with vague or ambiguous time, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, In 2006, James received the Billboard R&B Founders Award, This page was last edited on 14 April 2023, at 07:52. FAQs [50], James was married to Artis Mills from 1969 until her death in 2012. These sessions yielded her comeback hit "Tell Mama", co-written by Clarence Carter, which reached number ten on the R&B chart and number twenty-three for pop. Like the song says, I just dont want to be free. When Leonard Chessthe founder of Jamess label, Chess Recordsfirst heard the song, James says, he got up and left the room cause he started crying When he came back in the room, he said, Etta, its a mother its a mother.. As Etta so candidly stated to the New York Posts Page Six in 2007, she is going to have a hill to climb, because Etta James aint been no angel!. 1 What happened between Etta James and Leonard Chess? They quickly went to Chicago to join their father, Joseph, who was already engaged in the liquor business, which was illegal at the height of Prohibition and controlled in Chicago by Al Capone. Chess was the focus of 2008 movies Cadillac Records (portrayed by Adrien Brody) and Who Do You Love? Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Etta James was born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles, California on January 25, 1938; her mother was just 14 years old at the time, and she never knew her father, though she would later say she had reason to believe he was the well-known pool hustler Minnesota Fats. [18] In early 1955, she and an aspiring singer, the 19-year-old Elvis Presley, then recording for Sun Studios and an avid fan of King's, shared a bill in a large club just outside Memphis. 4 When did Etta James move to Los Angeles? [33] She performed nine times at the legendary Monterey Jazz Festival and five times at the San Francisco Jazz Festival. Rock 'n' Roll.[29]. In 1989, she signed with Island Records and with them released the albums Seven Year Itch and Stickin' to My Guns, both of which were produced by Barry Beckett and recorded at FAME Studios. Artist(s) that make her freak out as a music fan: Sheila E., Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Quincy Jones. He's especially upset over how 'Cadillac Records,' a film that stars Beyonce as Etta James and Oscar-winner Adrien Brody as Leonard Chess, cuts Leonard's brother, Phil, the co-founder of . [51][52], James had two sons, Donto James and Sametto James, born to different fathers. Chess contacted Sam Phillips (of Sun Records) to help find and record new artists from the South. [19] After a couple of years of minor hits, James's career started to suffer after 1965. Etta James was born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles, California on January 25, 1938; her mother was just 14 years old at the time, and she never knew her father, though she would later say she. [3] He was buried at Westlawn Cemetery in Norridge, Illinois. Phil and his brother, Leonard Chess, emigrated to the. In 1941, he married Revetta Sloan who was also Jewish; they had three children: son Marshall, daughter Pam, and another son Kevin. In April 2009, at the age of 71, James made her final television appearance, performing "At Last" on the program Dancing with the Stars. love music etta you one the great woman singer g. Etta was beautiful, dynamic, and such a Soulstress Of Epic Magnetism!! [28] In 1987, she performed "Rock and Roll Music" with Chuck Berry in the documentary film Hail! Stories on how they met vary. James was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame a full eight years before her 2001 inclusion in the Blues Hall of Fame. The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. James possessed the vocal range of a contralto. James won six Grammy awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. When her contract with Modern came up for renewal in 1960, she signed a contract with Chess Records instead, with which she would go on to become one of the label's earliest stars. [27] and was a guest on John Mayall's Blues Breakers 1982 reunion show in New Jersey.In 1984, she contacted David Wolper and asked to perform in the opening ceremony of the 1984 Summer Olympics, at which she sang "When the Saints Go Marching In". On her 2004 release, Blue Gardenia, she returned to a jazz style. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999, and the Blues Hall of Fame in 2001. Tell Mama's B-side was I'd Rather Go Blind, a brooding, agonised ballad ofloss and jealousy which now stands asJames's most celebrated recording and one of the classic sides of soul music. What happened to the owner of Chess Records? She bounced checks, forged prescriptions and stole from her friends to finance her addiction. Adrien, who played Leonard Chess, is considered to be one of the greatest male actors in the entertainment world. What did Leonard Chess son say about Etta James? Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. she has been hailed as a pioneer who helped bridge the gap between rhythm and blues and rock and roll and thereby contributed significantly to American musical history. independent local journalism in Dallas. Shes also a proud Florida Girl born and raised inFt. Lauderdale, Fl. While Etta wondered much about the true identity of her father, most of her issues of rejection and insecurity stemmed from her mother, Dorothy, a single teenage mother who traveled in and out of Ettas life like a bad storm. She was placed on probation and ordered to pay a $500 fine. (It bugs me to this day that he still receives royalties, James wrote in 1995.). A raunchy answer song to Ballards equally suggestive Work With Me Annie, the track was considered too racy for mainstream radio airplay. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. After leaving the Peaches, James had another R&B hit with "Good Rockin' Daddy" but struggled with follow-ups. After leaving jail in Anchorage, Alaska, in 1969, she met and married Artis Mills. Phil Chess, co-founder of the iconic Chicago blues and rock 'n' roll label Chess Records, died Wednesday in Tucson, Ariz. Brussels music act Vaya Con Dios covered the song on their 1990 album Night Owls. James went on to record a string of hits in the late 1950s and `60s including "Trust In Me," "Something's Got a Hold On Me," "Sunday Kind of Love," "All I Could Do Was Cry," and of course, "At Last." Chess Records, whose founder, Leonard Chess, called James their first soul singer, she wrote. [61][62] Her death came three days after that of Johnny Otis, the man who had discovered her in the 1950s. No wonder Martin doesn't let the audience hear more than snatches of tunessave for Knowles' three extended numbers, clearly intended to sell the soundtrack. Stevie Wonder and Christina Aguilera gave musical tributes. Knowles also recorded her own version of James signature song, At Last for the soundtrack. Indeed, hurt, anger and self-destructive behaviour boiled beneath the surface of her vocals. Her first hit singles with Fuqua were "If I Can't Have You" and "Spoonful". Janis Joplin modelled her singing closely on James and covered Tell Mama. James performed at the top jazz festivals in the world, such as the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1977, 1989, 1990 and 1993. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Now for a woman to confess her trials of domestic abuse, her mindset of being an addict and other uncensored tidbits, having an affair with the boss would have easily been a drop in the bucket unless it never happened. It is simply my hope to witness someone who will have the guts to really tell that story in the spirit Etta gave and deserves..the truth! Learn how your comment data is processed. Both artists issued statements of condolence upon James's death. In 1995 James recorded Mystery Lady, the first in a series of jazz vocal albums where she channelled the influence of Billie Holiday. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has We calculated our top 40 new releases of 2022 We calculated our top 10 historical/reissue You never quite knew what Chicago bassist Kelly Sill was going to play (or what he was going to say). At the beginning of her recording career, in the mid-1950s, James was marketed as an R&B and doo-wop singer. From her first R&B hit, in 1955, the risqu Roll With Me Henry cut when she was only 15 through a series of classic 1960s soul sides (thelush ballad At Last, theraucous house rocker Tell Mama and the emotional agony of I'd Rather Go Blind), then a series of critically acclaimed 1970s and 1980s albums that won her a broad rock audience, to more recent albums of jazz vocals, James proved capable of developing and changing asan artist. Hope is known for her creativity, sense of humor and quirky perfectionism. 2023 Madavor Media, LLC. Her approach to both singing and life was throughout one of wild, often desperate engagement that included violence, drug addiction, armed robbery and highly capricious behaviour. While Hollywood may try their best, her story is more brilliant and compelling than any writer could create. As the 1960s progressed, Chess's recording enterprise branched out into other genres including gospel, traditional jazz, spoken word, comedy, and more. He helped sign (and then performed with) Black Merda, a Detroit outfit that has been described as the first all black rock band, and which has built a cult following during the last decade. Thank you so much for your comment! Most notable are the growly, hulking Howlin' Wolf, blues-gone-pop belter Etta James and country-tinged rock-and-roller Chuck Berry. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. [19] The album won James her first Grammy Award, for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female, in 1994. Who was the co-founder of Chess Records? [20] James followed this with "Trust in Me", which also included string instruments. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Before joining the cast, Adrien took home the 2003 Oscar Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for the 2002 film The Pianist.After his fantastic portrayal of Leonard in Cadillac Records, he went on to star in a plethora of films and TV series that include Midnight in Paris, Clean . The film Cadillac Records, a heavily fictionalised biopic about Chess Records, attracted wide attention due to Beyonc's appearance asJames. It's all too much and not enough; either make the epic the story deserves or don't bother. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Of these, Howlin' Wolf in particular became very popular, and Chess Records had to vie for him with other companies which had also been supplied with Wolf recordings by Phillips. In the 1950s, Chess Records' commercial success grew with artists such as Little Walter, The Moonglows, The Flamingos, and Chuck Berry, and in the '60s with Etta James, Fontella Bass, Koko Taylor, Little Milton, Laura Lee, and Tommy Tucker, as well as with the subsidiary labels Checker, Argo, and Cadet. Yes. The title was changed to the less evocative The Wallflower and, despite its notoriety (or, more likely, because of it), it soared to number 1 on the R&B charts. Now if youre looking for a name to sell movie tickets, I can definitely see the follow the money rationale. Lejzor Szmuel Czy (March 12, 1917 October 16, 1969), best known as Leonard Sam Chess, was a Polish-American record company executive and the co-founder of Chess Records. In the 40s, the two brothers owned a blues nightclub on the southside of Chicago where several blues artists would perform at night. In time, Chess begins assembling his pieces: Howlin' Wolf, played with almost cartoonish ferocity by Eamonn Walker; Dixon, who here comes off as nothing more than a sideman; Chuck Berry, rendered as a savvy country boy who liked to show gals his ding-a-ling in the backseat of his car; and James, who already had a career before Chess signed the tormented torch singer in 1960, not that you'd know it here. and currently resides in Atlanta, GA as a Georgia Peach. local news and culture, Robert Wilonsky James believed that King's hit single "Sweet Sixteen" was about her. That was in 1956. "[7], The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame called hers "one of the greatest voices of her century" and says she is "forever the matriarch of blues. James participated with the rap singer Def Jef on the song "Droppin' Rhymes on Drums", which mixed James's jazz vocals with hip-hop. Other details are missing or rearranged. Photograph: Sherry Rayn Barnett/Getty Images, Etta James: 'I was like a punker I'd spit in a minute' a classic interview from the vaults, Etta James - famous fans pay tribute on Twitter, Etta James to undergo court-ordered medical exam. She added that she would have sung the song better. But nothing has an impact or leaves a mark, least of all the songs, watered down by actors doing miniature impersonations of giants. How many children did Leonard Chess have with Revetta Sloan? 1 Did Leonard Chess really die in his car? Typically, whenever the subject of the early architects of rock n roll arises, names like Howlin Wolf, Big Joe Turner, Hank Ballard, Bo Diddley and Big Mama Thornton are bandied about. [10][11] On October 16, 1969, a few months after selling his namesake label to General Recorded Tape, Leonard Chess died of a heart attack. On his release in 1981, the couple reunited. The New York Times went so far as to describe James as the Powerful Voice Behind At Last in the headline of the papers obituary.
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