In time, other important artists signed with Chess Records, including Bo Diddley and Sonny Boy Williamson, while Willie Dixon and Robert Lockwood Jr. took on a significant role behind the scenes. The story is too fragmented to deciphera sloppily arranged sequence of sketches that's like a who's who without the why. [77] Her albums Life, Love, & the Blues (1999), Burnin' Down the House (2003), and Let's Roll (2004) were awarded Soul/Blues Album of the Year,[77] and in 2001 she was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.[71]. 'Cadillac Records' takes gross liberties with Chess' tale What did Etta James say about Leonard Chess? It opens with James rather notorious Roll With Me Henry, recorded when she was just 16. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. [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. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". King when she was 16. First, a key spoiler: Cadillac Records is not the story of Chess Records, the blues label started in Chicago in 1950 by brothers Leonard and Phil Chess that featured among its stable of artists Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry and Etta James, plus many others who birthed rock 'n' roll. Also along for the ride are Chess' and Waters' women, Revetta (Entourage's Emmanuelle Chriqui) and Geneva (Gabrielle Union), respectively, who do little other than quietly frown and tolerate their husbands' myriad dalliances. 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. 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. In 1959 James signed with the Chicago blues label Chess, which began marketing her as the "Queen of Soul". (Berry has already served as the subject for one of the better rockumentaries: Taylor Hackford's 1987 Chuck Berry Hail! It was not until the early 1990s, when she began receiving major industry awards from the Grammys and the Blues Foundation, that she received wide recognition. This self discovery wasnt revealed until Etta checked into a program in the Tarzana Psychiatric Hospital. All rights reserved. [67] In 2020, James was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame. [50], James was married to Artis Mills from 1969 until her death in 2012. [39] James' original classic music again charted after these 21st-century re-interpretations. Something's Got a Hold on Me - Wikipedia 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 "I'd Rather Go Blind" and "At Last." When did Etta James change her name to Peaches? In 2010, James received treatment for a dependency on painkillers. Obituary: Etta James - BBC News Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. Perhaps her voice, so raw and emotionally expressive, was too fierce for the general public. Thanks for a marvelous posting! Adrien Brody portrays Leonard Chess, left, and Jeffrey Wright portrays Muddy Waters in a scene from "Cadillac Records." (Courtesy of Sony TriStar) "Cadillac Records" is a story . [58] In 1974, James was sentenced to drug treatment instead of serving time in prison. Her 1978 album Deep in the Night, produced by Jerry Wexler for Warner Bros., incorporated more rock-based music in her repertoire. Thank you so much for your comment! Minnesota Fats, Muddy Waters, and Etta James - AzBilliards Forums 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. [42] The following year, 1990, she received an NAACP Image Award, which is given for "outstanding achievements and performances of people of color in the arts;"[66] it was an award she cherished as it "was coming from my own people". 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. But as early as 1954, James was, under the guidance of Johnny Otis, pivotal among the artists erecting musical signposts for Elvis, Jerry Lee and others who would follow. 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. Among the women on that list, only Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner ranked higher. Pretty Lights sampled the song in "Finally Moving", followed by Avicii's dance hit "Levels", and again in Flo Rida's single "Good Feeling". Published since 1970, JazzTimesAmericas Jazz Magazineprovides comprehensive and in-depth coverage of the jazz scene. Etta James: The Essential Modern Records Collection (Virgin/EMI) includes 15 tracks spanning 1954-57. First, a key spoiler: Cadillac Records is not the story of Chess Records, the blues label started in Chicago in 1950 by brothers Leonard and Phil Chess that featured among its stable of. The label's many talents included Jimmy Reed, Bo Diddley, John Lee Hooker, Robert Nighthawk, Muddy Waters, Gene Ammons, Jimmy Rogers,. and currently resides in Atlanta, GA as a Georgia Peach. Already a member? I agree, the Etta James story needs no embellishment. Like most of her tone-deaf predecessors, Martin feels the need to make the truth more entertaining and ends up desecrating the history books. Lejzor became Leonard. Hoochie Coochie Men | Arts Stories & Interviews | Detroit | Detroit 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. [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. [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. Etta James - Wikipedia 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. The same sample was used by the east coast rapper Flo Rida in his 2011 hit single "Good Feeling". 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. 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. Just clear tips and lifehacks for every day, 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. So heres to both Jordan and James, and to the great song they wrote together. What did Leonard Chess son say about Etta James? In 2003, she received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Both artists issued statements of condolence upon James's death. [55] James was arrested in 1966 for writing bad checks. [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. (He is, however, a central player in Jerry Zaks' Who Do You Love, the other Chess bio that had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.) 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). In February 1955, the song reached number one on the Hot Rhythm & Blues Tracks chart. During this period, she became addicted to methadone and would mix her doses with heroin. The Hollywood Blues: "Cadillac Records" | Vanity Fair Very concisely written. Etta James Dead: Legendary Singer Passes Away At 73 Years Old - HuffPost Leonard and his brother Phil became involved in the black nightclub scene on the South Side of Chicago in 1938 running a series of jazz clubs, culminating in the Macomba Lounge. [citation needed] In her autobiography, she noted how impressed she was with the young singer's manners. Former Artie Shaw vocalist Georgia Gibbs, signed to the far more powerful Mercury label, released a cleaned-up cover version, safely entitled Dance With Me Henry. It spent three weeks at number one on the pop charts. During her hospitalization, her son Donto revealed to the public that she had been previously diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2008. 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. Do you need underlay for laminate flooring on concrete? 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. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. It never happened. He even asked James, a longtime friend, and she told him, He kissed me on the cheek once.. The Chess brothers moved the company away from black pop and jazz and other genres into down home blues music with artists such as Muddy Waters. (You can hear his own, more psychedelic take on the song, called Id Rather Be a Blind Man, on YouTube.) A Toast to 2018, the Year Movies Roared Back. Hail! The film follows the exciting but turbulent lives of some of America's greatest Negro . [30] They were part of her touring band. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. A life long lover of music, Hope is a graduate of Full Sail University where she studied music engineering. "[8], James was born on January 25, 1938, in Los Angeles, California, to Dorothy Hawkins, who was 14 at the time. "It never happened." He even asked James, a longtime friend, and she told him, "He kissed me on the cheek once." In 1967 Leonard Chess, the founder ofChess Records, sent James to Alabama to record at Fame studios with the producer Rick Hall. Its also an opportunity to mention her friend and co-writer, the far less famous Ellington Fugi Jordan. 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? On October 16, 1969, a few months after selling his namesake label to General Recorded Tape, Revetta's husband Leonard Chess died of a heart attack. It never happened. He even asked James, a longtime friend, and she told him, He kissed me on the cheek once.. As the 1960s progressed, Chess's recording enterprise branched out into other genres including gospel, traditional jazz, spoken word, comedy, and more. [19] 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. James formed a vocal trio, the Creolettes, with two teenage friends. The story of the early days of Chess Records was brought to the big screen as Cadillac Records in 2008, with singer Beyonc Knowles playing James in the film. [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. 1 Did Leonard Chess really die in his car? In more recent years,[when?] Like the movie shows, Howlin Wolf did sing the song Smokestack Lightnin for Chess Records. James was once considered one of the most overlooked blues and R&B musicians in the music history of the United States. After beginning to date Harvey Fuqua, a singer for the Moonglows, James signed with Argo Records, a subsidiary of Chess Records. 5 How many children did Leonard Chess have with Revetta Sloan? If youd like to share your comments about Etta James, or have suggestions for future installments of Hearing Voices, please email [emailprotected]. 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.. [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. [1] She faced a number of personal problems, including heroin addiction, severe physical abuse, and incarceration, before making a musical comeback in the late 1980s with the album Seven Year Itch. [5][6] Billboard's 2015 list of "The 35 Greatest R&B Artists Of All Time" also included James, whose "gutsy, take-no-prisoner vocals colorfully interpreted everything from blues and R&B/soul to rock nroll, jazz and gospel. [3] He was buried at Westlawn Cemetery in Norridge, Illinois. The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. 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). DMCA, General Contact I seriously enjoyed reading it, you 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. Legendary soul singer Etta James dead at 73 | Fox News James encountered a string of legal problems during the early 1970s due to her heroin addiction. It's all too much and not enough; either make the epic the story deserves or don't bother. Starting her career in 1954, she gained fame with hits such as "The Wallflower", "At Last", "Tell Mama", "Something's Got a Hold on Me", and "I'd Rather Go Blind". Our Mission 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. 53: Cadillac Records | Based on a True Story Podcast She notched up such hits as All I Could Do Was Cry, If I Can't Have You and AtLast.
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