Four of the Best of Etta James

American singer Jamesetta Hawkins also known as Etta James, was born on January 25, 1938 and died on January 20, 2012. She gained fame with hits such as "Something's Got a Hold on Me”, “All I could do was Cry", "At Last", and "I'd Rather Go Blind”

James' enduring relevance was affirmed in 2011 when the late Swedish DJ Avicii achieved substantial chart success with the song "Levels", which samples her 1962 song "Something's Got a Hold on Me".

James's deep and earthy voice bridged the gap between rhythm and blues and rock and roll. She won six Grammy Awards and 17 Blues Music Awards. 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. She also received a Grammy lifetime achievement award in 2003.

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 the blues.

One of my favourite songs ever is Etta James singing, “All I could do was Cry.”

James was born in Los Angeles, California, to Dorothy Hawkins, who was 14 at the time. Although her father has never been identified, James speculated that she was the daughter of pool player Rudolf "Minnesota Fats" Wanderone, whom she met briefly in 1987

James lived with a series of foster parents, most notably "Sarge" and "Mama" Lu. James referred to her mother as "the Mystery Lady"

In 1950, Mama Lu died, and James's biological mother took her to the Fillmore district of San Francisco. Within a couple of years, she began listening to doo-wop and was inspired to form a girl group, the Creolettes.

At the age of 14, she met musician Johnny Otis.

Otis took the Creolettes under his wing and helped them sign to Modern Records, at which point they changed their name to Peaches. At this time Otis also gave James her stage name, transposing "Jamesetta" (her given first name) into "Etta James.

Musician Bobby Murray toured with James for over 20 years. He wrote that James had her first hit single when she was 15 years old and went steady with B.B. King when she was 16. James believed that King's hit single "Sweet Sixteen" was about her.

In early 1961, James released what was to become her signature song, a Glenn Miller tune, which reached number two on the R&B chart and number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100. Though the record was not as successful as expected, her rendition has become the best-known version of the song.

That song has endured for over sixty years as one of the greatest love songs ever recorded and to this day is a staple at weddings around the world. That song is the classic, “At Last.”

After a couple of years of minor hits, James's career started to suffer after 1965. After a period of isolation, she returned to recording in 1967 and re-emerged with gutsier R&B numbers. These sessions yielded her comeback hit Tell Mama.

The B-side of "Tell Mama" showcased her incredible voice and went on to become a blues classic which has been recorded by many other artists. That song is "I'd Rather Go Blind".

In 2001, she was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, the latter for her contributions to the developments of both rock and roll and rockabilly.

In 2003, she received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Her final album for Private Music, Let's Roll, released in 2005, won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album.

In April 2009, at the age of 71, James made her final television appearance, performing "At Last" on the program dancing with the Stars. In May 2009, she received the Soul/Blues Female Artist of the Year award from the Blues Foundation, the ninth time she won that award.

She carried on touring but by 2010 had to cancel concert dates because of her gradually failing health; by this time she was suffering from dementia and leukemia.

In November 2011, James released her final album, The Dreamer, which was critically acclaimed upon its release. She announced that this would be her final album.

Below is a video of a new bride singing "At Last" to her husband, at their wedding reception.