We were saddened to hear of the passing of gospel, blues and soul vocalist, Etta James on Friday. Etta died age 73 after battling illness for many years.
Etta James is a true legend and without doubt one of the most influential female vocalists since the 1960s with an unbelievably contagious, raw power in her voice and the deep and personal subject matter she chose to sing about.
We would recommend having a read of Greg Wilson’s blog post about Etta’s most popular songs and their impact, or lack of, in the UK pop charts and t
he comprehensive look at her somewhat turbulent life and career in The Guardian’s obituary from Friday. Both say it better than we could.
In the meantime, remember her through two, of many, standout tracks from her prolific recording legacy.
“When I sing for myself, I probably sing for anyone who has any kind of hurt, any kind of bad feelings, good feelings, ups and downs, highs and lows, that kind of thing.”
Rest In Peace – Etta James