I want to encourage that you continue your great posts, The trauma of her foster father forcing her to sing under these humiliating circumstances caused her to have difficulties with singing on demand throughout her career. Video unavailable Watch on YouTube Watch on And, in 2008, Rolling Stone ranked her at number 22 in its rock-focused list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. Polish-American record executive (19171969), Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Phil Chess, co-founder of blues label Chess Records, dies", "Will the real music mogul stand up? [36] The film included "At Last," performed by Beyonce. Read More Joe Williams: Beyond the Blues, As a JazzTimes writer, I can talk about the powers of a dynamic drummer until Im blue in the face: the weight of each tom-toms Read More Chops: What Bassists Listen for in Drummers, America's jazz resource, delivered to your inbox. Shes also a proud Florida Girl born and raised inFt. Lauderdale, Fl. [59], James was hospitalized in January 2010 to treat an infection caused by MRSA, a bacterium resistant to many antibiotics. [74][75], The members of the Blues Foundation, a nonprofit organization set up in Memphis, Tennessee, to foster the blues and its heritage,[76] have nominated James for a Blues Music Award nearly every year since its founding in 1980; and she received some form of Blues Female Artist of the Year award 14 times since 1989, continuously from 1999 to 2007. In another instance, Cadillac insinuates Ettas drug abuse stemming from her father issues. So it is. It produced two hit singles, "Fool That I Am" and "Don't Cry Baby".[23]. [30] They were part of her touring band. 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]. [11], Sarge, like the musical director for the choir, was also abusive. What characteristics allow plants to survive in the desert? While James was on tour with Richard, pop singer Georgia Gibbs recorded a version of her song and released it under the again-altered title "Dance With Me, Henry." After a period of isolation, she returned to recording in 1967 and reemerged with more gutsy R&B numbers thanks to her recording at the legendary FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. [19] The album won James her first Grammy Award, for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female, in 1994. At the beginning of her recording career, in the mid-1950s, James was marketed as an R&B and doo-wop singer. 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. With Fuqua, Etta went on to sing songs like I Just Want to Make Love to You, If I Cant Have You and later became the duo Betty & Dupree on Kent Records while also recording on Chess due to the lack of money they were paid on Chess. Musician Bobby Murray toured with James for over 20 years. In 1954, she moved to Los Angeles to record The Wallflower. Her career had begun to soar by 1960, due in no small part to songs like Id Rather Go Blind and At Last.. All of this. 0. He is portrayed by Rob Morrow on CMT's drama series titled Sun Records. They're faint echoes of classics, soulless and gutless. She was buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Los Angeles County, California. Now if youre looking for a name to sell movie tickets, I can definitely see the follow the money rationale. Etta James's "I'd Rather Be Blind": The Story Behind a Classic After an excerpt of that song was featured in a Diet Coke advertising campaign in the UK, the song again charted, reaching the top ten on the UK charts in 1996.[16]. During Ettas early days at Chess, she was very open in having a relationship with Harvey Fuqua, member of the Moonglows and later played a pivotal role in the formation of Motown Records. [61][62] Her death came three days after that of Johnny Otis, the man who had discovered her in the 1950s. 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. In her 1995 autobiography A Rage to Survive, she said that the time she spent in the hospital changed her life. She added that she would have sung the song better. James possessed the vocal range of a contralto. Just 52 years old, the elder brother had died of a heart attack in his car less than two blocks from the Chess headquarters. Chess contacted Sam Phillips (of Sun Records) to help find and record new artists from the South. [24] Also in 1989 James was filmed in a concert at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles with Joe Walsh and Albert Collins for the film Jazzvisions: Jump the Blues Away. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. James continued to perform on occasion in the early 1980s, including two guest appearances at Grateful Dead concerts in December 1982. [73] In 2003, she was given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Following this brief success, however, she left Chess Records and did not record for another ten years while she struggled with drug addiction and alcoholism. [7] In 1950, the Chess brothers renamed the company Chess Records. [16][8], James signed with Private Music Records in 1993 and recorded a Billie Holiday tribute album, Mystery Lady: Songs of Billie Holiday. [51][52], James had two sons, Donto James and Sametto James, born to different fathers. He was the co-founder of the legendary Chess Records label, which was responsible for signing and starting the careers of some of music's biggest stars. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. "My Foolish Heart" (Gene Ammons), "Rollin' Stone" (Muddy Waters), and "That's All Right" (Jimmy Rogers) were among the first releases on the new label. The film Cadillac Records, a heavily fictionalised biopic about Chess Records, attracted wide attention due to Beyonc's appearance asJames. In 1952, she met musician Johnny Otis who helped the band sign to Modern Records and changing their name to the Peaches and gave the singer her stage name reversing Jamesetta into Etta James. When paired with the right producer and material, she delivered superb albums: Seven Year Itch (1989), Matriarch of the Blues (2000) and even her swansong The Dreamer (2011) find her interpreting lyrics with grace and venom. All contents In 1995 James recorded Mystery Lady, the first in a series of jazz vocal albums where she channelled the influence of Billie Holiday. 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!. By 1998, with the release of Life, Love & the Blues, James had added as backing musicians her own sons, Donto and Sametto, on drums and bass, respectively. 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. James ventured into rock and funk with the release of her self-titled album in 1973, with production from the famed rock producer Gabriel Mekler, who had worked with Steppenwolf and Janis Joplin. James wrote or co-wrote several of her greatest songs. She performed at the Playboy Jazz Festival in 1990, 1997, 2004, and 2007. It opens with James rather notorious Roll With Me Henry, recorded when she was just 16. James formed a vocal trio, the Creolettes, with two teenage friends. [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. Enter a Melbet promo code and get a generous bonus, An Insight into Coupons and a Secret Bonus, Organic Hacks to Tweak Audio Recording for Videos Production, Bring Back Life to Your Graphic Images- Used Best Graphic Design Software, New Google Update and Future of Interstitial Ads. Become a member and get exclusive access to articles, live sessions and more! Did Leonard Chess really die in his car? - KnowledgeBurrow.com Phil Chess, Co-Founder Of Chess Records, Dies At 95 : NPR Like the movie shows, Howlin Wolf did sing the song Smokestack Lightnin for Chess Records. Of course we all saw Beyonces role in the movie Cadillac Records but unfortunately that role was not the factual life of Etta James. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. Is the movie Cadillac Records based on a true story? 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. [10] Her mother was frequently absent from their apartment in Watts, conducting relationships with various men, and James lived with a series of foster parents, most notably "Sarge" and "Mama" Lu. 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. [24] The album did not produce any major hits, however, and neither did the follow-up album, Come a Little Closer, in 1974, though, like '73's Etta James before it, the album was also critically acclaimed. 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. I was blind in my love life, and I was blind in my personal ways. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. During her hospitalization, her son Donto revealed to the public that she had been previously diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2008. "[citation needed] In 1954, James recorded and was credited as co-author for "The Wallflower" (a title change to the aforementioned song, "Work with Me, Annie"), which was released in early 1955. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. But rarely is Etta James recognized among those pioneers. That success was quickly followed by "Stop the Wedding", which reached number six on the R&B chart and also had gospel elements. He was influential in the development of electric blues, Chicago blues, and rock and roll . 6 Who was the co-founder of Chess Records? December 4, 2008 Rage to Survive, James's autobiography, was published in 1995 and proved as blistering as her singing. That year, James's influence was everywhere, with avariety of black female singers (including Turner, Gladys Knight and Candi Staton) employing her defiant, abrasive vocal style. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. 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. King, Janet Jackson, Teddy Riley and many others. In 1941, he married Revetta Sloan, who was also Jewish; they had three children: son Marshall and two daughters, Elaine and Susie[9]. She continued recording for Private Music, which released the blues album Matriarch of the Blues in 2000, on which she returned to her R&B roots. Contribute Etta James, who has died aged 73 after suffering from leukaemia, was among the most critically acclaimed and influential female singers of the past 50 years, even if she never achieved huge popular success. I will make certain to bookmark your blog and will often come back Her 1963 album EttaJames Rocks the House was recorded live at the New Era club in Nashville and documents a formidable performer. All you need to Know about Revetta Sloan's Husband Leonard Chess James sang background vocals for her labelmate Chuck Berry on his "Back in the U.S.A."[20][21], Her debut album, At Last!, was released in late 1960 and was noted for its varied selection of music, from jazz standards to blues to doo-wop and rhythm and blues (R&B). Etta James (Jamesetta Mills), singer, born 25 January 1938; died 20 January 2012, Blues and soul singer with a raw, emotional vocal style, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. What happened between Etta James and Leonard Chess? The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. In 1950, Mama Lu died, and James's biological mother took her to the Fillmore district of San Francisco. 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. Her husband Artis Mills accepted responsibility when they were both arrested for heroin possession, and served a 10-year prison sentence. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Presley died a year later. He was influential in the development of electric blues, Chicago blues, and rock and roll. From the age of five, she sang gospel in the local church and later acknowledged the influence of the choirmaster, Professor James Earl Hines. He said Id gotten all my moral values from Mama Lu, but I never knew a normal life.And then when Mama Lu died and Dorothy snatched me away, everything went haywire., While there was a number of other omissions such as the exclusion of Leonard Chesss brother, co-founder and partner Phil Chess, the question still stands, why were these truths never told? 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. Often controversial, always entertaining, JazzTimes is a favorite of musicians and fans alike. [9], James received her first professional vocal training at the age of five from James Earle Hines, musical director of the Echoes of Eden choir at the St. Paul Baptist Church in South-Central Los Angeles. In 1959 James signed with the Chicago blues label Chess, which began marketing her as the "Queen of Soul". local news and culture, Robert Wilonsky Phil and his brother, Leonard Chess, emigrated to the. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Here's one interesting reviews of this flick: Cadillac Records chronicles the success of Chess Records owned by shrewd business man Leonard Chess and the rise and fall of its Negro blues recording artists with race, sex, violence and drugs as the backdrop. [5] The family name was changed to Chess, with Lejzor becoming Leonard and Fiszel becoming Philip. During this period, she became addicted to methadone and would mix her doses with heroin. [1][2][3][4] He and his brother, Fiszel, sister, Malka, and mother arrived in New York in 1928 from Poland. Fortunately, the best of those early recordings, all for Modern Records, have now been assembled in a single-disc collection. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". This self discovery wasnt revealed until Etta checked into a program in the Tarzana Psychiatric Hospital. How to Market Your Business with Webinars. He also takes issue with the onscreen love affair between Leonard and Etta James. (Muddy Waters' first trip to the UK was in 1958, not 1967; it is also unlikely that Leonard Chess and Etta James had a love affair. have a nice afternoon! According to Marshall Chess, son of Leonard Chess, he had these words to say concerning the issue of this affair: Now, my father was no angel, but (he) was never caught in an affair, Chess said. 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. He was 95. Between this internal tug of war and growing up in a business that didnt cater much to a growing teenager, Ettas life journey was surrounded by upheaval and survival. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Record Producer, Music Executive. According to Marshall Chess, son of Leonard Chess, he had these words to say concerning the issue of this affair: "Now, my father was no angel, but (he) was never caught in an affair," Chess said. James knew Malcolm X and was a member of the Nation of Islam for around 10 years, taking the name Jamesetta X. 4 When did Etta James move to Los Angeles? [56] In 1969, she spent 10 days in jail for violating probation.[51]. [60] She died on January 20, 2012, five days before her 74th birthday, at Riverside Community Hospital in Riverside, California. [50], James was married to Artis Mills from 1969 until her death in 2012. As many families did, when they arrived in the United States the Czy family changed their name. We talked about what it felt like being abandoned by a mother. Etta was definitely one of the greats! The alterations are distracting and head-scratching and ultimately dismissive, to the point where Wright's Muddy Waters is reduced to a mere spectator in his own story, just some guy who hangs around the Chess studios to glower at Howlin' Wolf and panhandle Chess for money. Published since 1970, JazzTimesAmericas Jazz Magazineprovides comprehensive and in-depth coverage of the jazz scene. Thanks for a marvelous posting! This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. "Shewas never there when I got off from school," James recalled, "so I could pretty much do what I wanted to do drinking, smoking weed." Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. When did Etta James change her name to Peaches? A life long lover of music, Hope is a graduate of Full Sail University where she studied music engineering. [71] Two other albums have also won awards, Let's Roll (Best Contemporary Blues Album) in 2003, and Blues to the Bone (Best Traditional Blues Album) in 2004. The same sample was used by the east coast rapper Flo Rida in his 2011 hit single "Good Feeling". down the road. [19] That same year, James was the opening act for the Rolling Stones and performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival. An elite fanclub ensured James sang at the Los Angeles Olympics opening ceremony in 1984, appeared in Taylor Hackford's celebrated Chuck Berry feature Hail! Their truth is not built with the intent of gimmick-like controversy but a need to be true to themselves no matter the cost. Hines abused James while she was under his tutelage; he often punched her in the chest while she sang to force her voice to come from her gut. Another version, performed by Christina Aguilera, was in the 2010 film Burlesque. 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. "It never happened." He even asked James, a longtime friend, and she told him, "He kissed me on the cheek once." 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. 5 How many children did Leonard Chess have with Revetta Sloan? 'Cadillac Records,' Staying True To The Tunes : NPR Once you indulge yourself in her life, you quickly comprehend the fierce spirit, complexities and facts never fully realized in the Beyonce produced film, Cadillac Records. 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. In 1941, he married Revetta Sloan who was also Jewish; they had three children: son Marshall, daughter Pam, and another son Kevin. It never happened. He even asked James, a longtime friend, and she told him, He kissed me on the cheek once.. [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. In November 2011, James released her final album, The Dreamer, which was critically acclaimed upon its release. What happened to the owner of Chess Records? 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. Fiszel became Phil. But rarely is Etta James recognized among those pioneers. The album set a trend of incorporating more jazz elements in James's music. When Jamesetta's adoptive mother died, Dorothy reappeared and took her 12-year-old daughter to San Francisco. The film stars Adrien Brody as Leonard Chess, Cedric the Entertainer . 2023 Her first was in 1995, when she was awarded Best Jazz Vocal Performance for the album Mystery Lady, which consisted of covers of Billie Holiday songs. Hope West isamusic enthusiast and music photographer who has captured artists like B.B. In fact, Phil, who was also left out of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame proceedings upon Leonard's introduction as a pioneer in 1987, is never mentioned at all. [citation needed], In 1975, James opened up for comedian Richard Pryor at the Shubert Theatre in Los Angeles.[26]. Love Ms. Etta James!! She announced that this would be her final album. What did Etta James say about Leonard Chess? [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. Something's Got a Hold on Me - Wikipedia If youd like to share your comments about Etta James, or have suggestions for future installments of Hearing Voices, please email [emailprotected]. Hail! What are the 4 main characteristics is shared by all living things? Etta James, who has died at the age of of 73, had a rich, contralto voice that breathed life into a host of musical genres, from blues to jazz, R&B to soul. James was once considered one of the most overlooked blues and R&B musicians in the music history of the United States. There's no Bo Diddley either, a woeful oversight for a film in need of his hubris and humor. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Pianist Prez was then a professor at the New England Conservatory; his student, Read More Explaining the Taubman Approach, Everyone knows that Joe Williams sang the hell out of the blues, but do you know what else he sang the hell out of? James became a natural replacement for Joplin after the latter's death in 1970. James referred to her mother as "the Mystery Lady". 3 Who was Harvey Fuqua dating before Etta James? 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. So it is. Etta James, one of the great American pop singers of the last half-century, died this morning. Etta James - Wikipedia 53: Cadillac Records | Based on a True Story Podcast 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. Chess was born to Polish-Jewish parents in Motal, now in Belarus. The Impact of Chess Records - Black Music Scholar Who was the singer that played Etta James? Her records continued to chart in the R&B Top 40 in the early 1970s, with singles such as "Losers Weepers" (1970) and "I Found a Love" (1972). Many of the much deserved tributes to appear so far have singled out her most famous single, the great At Last, enormously popular at weddingsand famously sung by Beyoncto Barack and Michelle Obama upon his inauguration as president (possibly still, somewhat regrettably, my favorite moment from the entire Obama presidency).
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