Etta James

Etta James

Etta James Obituary

Published by Legacy Remembers on Jan. 20, 2012.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Etta James, the feisty R&B singer whose raw, passionate vocals anchored many hits and made the yearning ballad "At Last" an enduring anthem for weddings, commercials and even President Obama, died Friday. She was 73.

James had been suffering from dementia, kidney problems, and battling leukemia. In December 2011, her physician announced that her leukemia was terminal, and asked for prayers for the singer. During her illness, her husband Artis Mills and her two sons fought bitterly over control of her $1 million estate, though a deal was later struck keeping Mills as the conservator and capping the singer's expenses at $350,000.

James died at Riverside Community Hospital, with her husband and sons at her side, De Leon said.

"It's a tremendous loss for her fans around the world," he said. "She'll be missed. A great American singer. Her music defied category."

Boldness was as much a trademark of James, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as her platinum-dyed mane.

She scored her first hit when she was just a teenager with the suggestive "Roll With Me, Henry," which had to be changed to "The Wallflower" in order to get airplay. Over the years, she'd notch many more, carving a niche for herself with her husky, soulful voice and her sassy attitude, which permeated her songs.

But it was her jazz-inflected rendition of "At Last" that would come to define her and make her legendary. The song, which starts with sumptuous strings before James begins to sing, was a remake of a 1941 standard. James made it her own, and her version became the new standard.

Over the decades, countless brides have used it as their song down the aisle, and it has been featured in car commercials and films like "American Pie," But perhaps most famously, U.S. President Barack Obama and the first lady danced to a version of "At Last" at his inauguration ball.

But the tender, sweet song belied the turmoil that James - born Jamesette Hawkins in Los Angeles - would endure for much of her life. Her mother - whom she described in her 1995 autobiography "Rage to Survive" as a scam artist, a substance abuser and unstable - was a fleeting presence in her life during her youth.

She never knew her father, although she had been told that he was the famous billiards player Minnesota Fats. When she was older, she met him and asked about the rumor. He wouldn't confirm or deny it: as James recalled, he simply told her: "I don't remember everything. I wish I did, but I don't."

Her mother would come in and out of her life, so she was raised by Lula and Jesse Rogers, who owned the rooming house her mother once lived in. The pair brought up James in the Christian faith, and even as a young girl, her voice stood out in the church choir. James would soon get solos and became so well known, she said that Hollywood stars would come to see her perform.

But she wouldn't stay a gospel singer for long. Rhythm and blues soon lured her away from the church, and she found herself drawn to the grittiness of the music.

"My mother always wanted me to be a jazz singer, but I always wanted to be raunchy," she recalled in her book.

She was doing just that when bandleader Johnny Otis found her singing on San Francisco street corners with a couple of girlfriends in the early 1950s.

"At the time, Hank Ballard and the Midnighters had a hit with 'Work With Me, Annie,' and we decided to do an answer. We didn't think we would get in show business, we were just running around making up answers to songs," James told The Associated Press in 1987.

And so, they replied to Ballard with the song "Roll With Me, Henry."

When Otis heard it, he told James to get her mother's permission to accompany him to Los Angeles to make a recording. Instead, the 15-year-old went home and forged her mother's name on a note claiming she was 18.

"At that time, you weren't allowed to say 'roll' because it was considered vulgar. So when Georgia Gibbs did her version, she renamed it 'Dance With Me, Henry' and it went to No. 1 on the pop charts," the singer recalled. The Gibbs song was one of several in the early rock era where white singers got hits by covering songs by black artists, often with sanitized lyrics.

After her 1955 debut, James toured with Otis' revue, sometimes earning only $10 a night. Things changed for the better in 1959, when she signed with Chicago's legendary Chess label and began cranking out the hits and going on tours with performers such as Bobby Vinton, Little Richard, Fats Domino, Gene Vincent, Jerry Lee Lewis and the Everly Brothers.

"We would travel on four buses to all the big auditoriums. And we had a lot of fun," she recalled in 1987.

She also had a lot of success. 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 founder Leonard Chess called James their first soul singer, she wrote.

"He went up and down the halls of Chess announcing, 'Etta's crossed over! Etta's crossed over!' I still didn't know exactly what that meant, except that maybe more white people were listening to me. The Chess brothers kept saying how I was their first soul singer, that I was taking their label out of the old Delta blues, out of rock and into the modern era. Soul was the new direction," she said in her autobiography. "But in my mind, I was singing old style, not new."

In 1967, she cut one of the most highly regarded soul albums of all time, "Tell Mama," an earthy fusion of rock and gospel music featuring blistering horn arrangements, funky rhythms and a churchy chorus. A song from the album, "Security," was a top 40 single in 1968.

Her professional success, however, was balanced against personal demons - drug addiction.

"I was trying to be cool," she told the AP in 1995, explaining what had led her to try heroin.

"I hung out in Harlem and saw Miles Davis and all the jazz cats," she said. "At one time, my heavy role models were all druggies. Billie Holiday sang so groovy. Is that because she's on drugs? It was in my mind as a young person. I probably thought I was a young Billie Holiday, doing whatever came with that."

She was addicted to the drug for years, beginning in 1960, and it led to a harrowing existence that included time behind bars and sapped her singing abilities and her money, almost destroying her career. It would take her at least two decades to beat her drug problem - her husband even went to prison for years, taking full responsibility for drugs during an arrest, even though James was culpable.

"My management was suffering. My career was in the toilet. People tried to help, but I was hell-bent on getting high," she wrote of her drug habit in 1980.

After she hit rock bottom, she finally quit the habit and managed herself for a while, calling up small clubs and asking them, "Have you ever heard of Etta James?" in order to get gigs. Eventually, she got regular bookings - even drawing Elizabeth Taylor into an audience. In 1984, she was asked to sing the national anthem at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, and her career got the resurgent boost it needed, though she fought addiction again when she got hooked on painkillers in the late 1980s.

Drug addiction wasn't her only problem. She struggled with her weight, and often performed from a wheelchair as she got older and heavier. In the early 2000s, she had weight-loss surgery and shed some 200 pounds.

James performed well into her senior years, and it was "At Last" that kept bringing her the biggest ovations. The song was a perennial that never aged, and on Jan. 20, 2009, as crowds celebrated that - at last - an African-American had become president of the United States, the song played as the first couple danced.

But it was superstar Beyonce who sang the song to the Obamas, not the legendary singer. Beyonce had portrayed James in "Cadillac Records," a big-screen retelling of Chess Records' heyday, and had started to claim "At Last" as her own.

An audio clip surfaced of James at a concert shortly after the inauguration, saying she "can't stand Beyonce" and the singer had "no business singing my song." But she told the New York Daily News later that she was joking, even though she had been hurt that she did not get the chance to participate in the inauguration.

James did get her accolades over the years. She was inducted into the Rock Hall in 1993, captured a Grammy in 2003 for best contemporary blues album for "Let's Roll," one in 2004 for best traditional blues album for "Blues to the Bone," and one for best jazz vocal performance for 1994's "Mystery Lady: Songs of Billie Holiday." She was also awarded a special Grammy in 2003 for lifetime achievement and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

But her health went into decline, and by 2011, she was being cared for at home by a personal doctor. A struggle between her sons and her husband developed as she became more ill, as he sought to control her estate. Her sons, Donto James and Sametto James, had power of attorney over her affairs.

Her doctor, Elaine James, who was not related to the singer, said the legend needed help with basic tasks, such as feeding, dressing and hygiene.

In October 2011, James retired from recording. A final studio recording, "The Dreamer," was released, with the singer taking on classic songs - from Bobby "Blue" Bland's "Dreamer" to Guns N' Roses "Welcome To the Jungle" - and still rocking, a fitting end to her storied career.

ROBERT JABLON/Associated Press


Copyright © 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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1206 Entries

November 21, 2019

My heartfelt sympathy to the family's...My condolence...God is a God of all Comfort...

Vanessa. Wilson

October 6, 2017

Great talent. I think Beyonce did a great job portraying you in the movie Cadillac records. Thanks for the great music. R.I.P.

Vickie McKnight

March 20, 2017

R.I.P Sweet, sweet Miss Etta. U r sorely missed. U were the only thing I ever had that I shared with my Mom. Hope u run into each other, if that happens please sing for her. Thank u, God bless.

Valenda Newell

June 26, 2016

At last..Etta the DIVINE has called one's name, one will be missed, no one can sing and everyone has tried to sing your song. YOU ARE THE BEST.....THANK FOR SHARING...RIP MY SISTER

Michael Bates

May 14, 2016

Etta you always had a twinkle in your eye when you sang to us and the one you truly loved.

At last you are home yes at last and yes Lovers are forever. Blessing

beverly hudson

October 8, 2015

Mrs. Etta James...I love you and your music....I am learning sugar on the floor..I really love that song..You are truly missed...I love you rest in peach

Sandra Johnson

July 11, 2015

Miss Etta I live your music. Every time I hear any of your songs they touch my heart so. Thank You for all of your music. Love You Always!!!! R.I.P.

Dwayne Bickham,Sr.

May 12, 2015

In God's care rest in peace

J. Polk

December 19, 2014

Dear
Etta I will never forget your music and will always remember all your work RIP

Lois Weiss

October 18, 2014

will never forget my song Stop The Wedding.

A. Pierre Schaffer

September 28, 2014

R.I.P LvU!

Lisa Black

September 21, 2014

I just fall into another world hearing your music, its so amazing i almost cry. I love you and your singing, you will be greatly missed<3

Tonya Owens

May 17, 2014

Thank you Etta for the gr8 music u brought to us!!!

April 22, 2014

you kept it rolling from a women's point of view... you will be sorely missed
William J. Craig III

December 21, 2013

You were a great singer

Regina Flangy

March 18, 2013

Listening to you right now.You saved me after i went to see you in concert, I had the strength to get out of a 20 year Bad marriage. Your words, and the feeling you put into them will live on till I die !!! You may be gone but you will never be forgotten !!!!

tonya cummings

March 17, 2013

Your legacy will go on i love your song i rather go blind an at last rest in peace with your higher father old man daniel

Rickey Smith

March 16, 2013

Miss James you are truly a music icon god bless you rest in peace

Bernice Eaton

March 1, 2013

Etta really sang "AT LAST". I love that song wit a passion.RIP Etta. Love U

Norma Beasley

December 2, 2012

I love all of her music a true legend

Tonya Shepherd

November 20, 2012

Isaac Smith

October 18, 2012

Etta James was an awesome artist. May her family stay encouraged and know that she was a blessing to alot of people.

raymond burwell

October 9, 2012

LOVE

Scyvitria Rhodes-Parker

July 18, 2012

RIP Etta James you sang some of my favorite songs, I will always remember you.

E JAMES

June 23, 2012

TO THE FAMILY YOU SUFFERED A GREAT LOSS.I WANT TO SHARE MY CONDOLENCES. I LOVE ETTA JAMES MUSIC ESPECIALLY I RATHER BE BLIND. ETTA WAS VERY SPUNKY IN HER SONGS AND HER AUDIENCE LOOKED FORWARD TO HER PERFORMANCE.

MRS. JAMES

E. JAMES

June 23, 2012

I LOVE ETTA JAMES MUSIC ESPECIALLY I RATHER BE BLIND. ETTA WAS VERY SPUNKY IN HER SONGS AND HER AUDIENCE LOOKED FORWARD TO HER PERFORMANCE.

MRS. JAMES

Denise Morgan

April 27, 2012

Ms. Etta,
Was one of a kind. She will be in God's hands now. May the family be blessed and my heart goes out to eath one of you.

barbara decker

April 2, 2012

we go about our daily lives and raise a family who we trust will carry on our spirit of love and one day you hear a voice that is now in your heart forever in a song, god has a new angel,,rest sweet lady,you are in my heart forever

La Martini Sterling

March 9, 2012

Dear Miss Etta, My Family and I are your biggest Fans....Fly Free, Sleep Well, and Godspeed to you and your Family. Till we meet on the Other Side, I'll dance "IN THE BASEMENT"! :)

Karen Lathon-Campbell

March 3, 2012

A beautiful woman with a beautiful voice, we were blessed to have her, there will never be another like her, she is now blessing a Heavenly choir "Sing on Etta".

Erica Lebron

February 29, 2012

may the lord keep your family and there lives be filled with love and the memory, of your beautiful expression of the blues. May the God of Comfort be with you and yours.
With Deepest Sympathies,

sharon

February 27, 2012

may god bless you and your family in this time of sorrow at last i find my love rest in peace etta

yunish nephatallie

February 26, 2012

y the lord keep your family and there lives be filled with love and the memory, of your beautiful expression of the blues and songs that will be with us always , in our hearts we love you etta and appreciate you you will be missed sincerely , yunish lucious nephatallie, seattle washington

KAREN PAONESSA

February 24, 2012

Etta, make sure you do all you can to encourage Diamond Lil to keep her promise to continue with the music...She has always brought great homage regarding your songs...We can all use an Etta "fix". Thank you for sharing your gift.

Ann

February 23, 2012

To The Family of Etta James and Friends
What a truly talented singer and entertainer. She was really a special person to share her gift with others. May all the wonderful memories that you have carry you through these challenging times in addition to all the well wishes and internet messages. May they assist you as well. May the God of Comfort be with you and yours.
With Deepest Sympathies,

Jones

February 20, 2012

How well do I remember Etta so many years ago.She was in my time of beautiful music and a wonderful person. The world will truly miss her.Psalms 90:10.

Tanisha

February 20, 2012

Etta James was a remarkable entertainer, and singer. She was dedicated to singing, and gave her all too every performance she ever made She was a true diva and had a God given talent that could not be ignored and she is gone to soon. I will definitely keep the family in my prayers, and may God be with the family forever. With love and deep sympathies

Dorothy Crisp

February 18, 2012

To The James Family: May your hearts be filled with wonderful memories of joyful times together as you celebrate a life well live..At last, Rest In Peace, Etta.

Will Vaclavik

February 16, 2012

R.I.P. Etta. You an inspiration to the music industry. You will be sorely missed.

R.I.P. ETTA. We love you,DJ SWEET DADDY JOE& MARILYN

February 16, 2012

JOE DANIEL

February 16, 2012

R.I.P. Etta James. To The James Family: You have our deepest sympathy for the lost of your love one. I will continue to play her music and help keep her memory alive. DJ SWEET DADDY JOE & MARILYN

MBUNWE HENRIETTA

February 15, 2012

may your soul rest in peace dear ETTA JAMES.

February 15, 2012

To the family I am sorry about your loss. I know you will miss her. May the God of comfort be with you.
J.L.M
LAFAYETTE, ALA.

Abraham Martin

February 13, 2012

The world has lost a great voice. I hope that we will have another person that can comes close to replacing her.

Kim Yarbrough

February 13, 2012

RIP ms Etta you will be missed

Rossetta Trammel

February 11, 2012

Etta's voice will now be amongst the angelilc choir.God be with you. You are all in our prayers for comfort. God be with you always.

Cathy G.

February 11, 2012

Etta, I loved style of the blues (jazz) and you will always be my favorite singer. You had a lot of obstacles to overcome- and you left us on a high note!!!!! At last YOU have a Sunday Kind of Love.

BARBARA SIMPSON

February 9, 2012

Etta will truly be missed,At last is my favorite song my you REST IN PEACE.

Wendy Lanza

February 8, 2012

You flirted with my husband so dirty at the house of blues I told you don't make me come up there Etta. She laughed so hard.

Rosemary Burks

February 8, 2012

Etta, you are and always will be my favorite singer. I have loved your music since the mid fifties. When my husband and I renewed our marriage vows in 2007, I jokingly told a couple of my friends that I was trying to get in touch with you, so you could sing "At Last". Etta, others will try, but that song was your heart. No one can ever measure up to "U".R.I.P.

February 7, 2012

I truly cried when I heard about her death. I quickly YouTube her to hear her sing the most famous "At Last"...but my other favorites by her was "Tell Mama" & "I rather go blind" thank you Ms Etta James for your voice, your style of singing most of all the talent you brought to the would. Your songs will live on... again thank you... (a fan from Campbell OH)

ANN ROSE

February 3, 2012

My thoughts and prayers are with you

February 2, 2012

YOU WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBER , THE ZOLLICOFFER FAMILY FRON SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

Mrs. Rosemary,Wanda Williams & Family

February 2, 2012

May God Bless the James Family and Keep you Strong. Etta you will be Misses. Will live on God Bless you all we will always. Love You Etta. Mrs. Rosemary,Wanda Williams & Family

Amanda King

February 1, 2012

I loved your music when I first heard your song, "Pushover." I was around 7 or 8 years old, and said wow, I love this song. Later years, I would love some of the most memorable of all of them, "I'd Rather Go Blind." Thanks for many, many years of wonderful music. May you rest in peace until we all meet again. You were truly one of the greatest singers to ever grace this planet.

Jacqueline B

February 1, 2012

Ms Etta James will truly be missed. Her song "At Last" is one for the history books. As you now sing for another audience may you find comfort in knowing GOD's continued love for you has come along at last. Our prayers are with the family during this difficult time of bereavement.

Cherry Baucham

February 1, 2012

I can still feel your music down in my soul.There will never be another Etta James.R.I.P. Mrs.Etta

Nazarene Mckinney

January 31, 2012

Thank you for sharing your lovely voice in music that is timeless as well as classic. Unforgetable is what you are to me. May your family find comfort in the God of all Comfort, Jehovah!

ms peggy giovanni

January 31, 2012

MS.ETTA,MS.ETTA THANK YOU FOR GRACING OUR DAY WITH UR STYLE AND VOICE.WHEN I SAW MY CHILDHOOD LOVE AFTER 40YRS.,THE Ist.SONG WAS UR"AT LAST"THANK YOU MS.ETTA.ENJOY UR REWARDS IN HEAVEN AS WE CONTINUE TO ENJOY YOU DOWN HERE

Debra D.

January 31, 2012

I STILL HEAR YOUR MOMMA PRAYING..., THE PRAYER THAT SHE'S PRAYING, IS TO "KEEP YOU DAY BY DAY", OH, I STILL HEAR MOMMA PRAYIN FOR ME".. that's how the song goes... Momma Etta is Praying with with My Momma who is ALSO in heaven praying to God to keep "their children", "US", uplifted and strenghtened ... Donto & Sametto, she's STILL SINGING IN HEAVEN! May Gods comfort keep you in the palm of his hand!

I will continue to pray for you & your family.

Ted Wysinger

January 30, 2012

R.I.P Etta , No more Pain , No more Pain .

M Ballard

January 30, 2012

RIP!!! In my eyes you will always be the Queen of Blues! Love your music and sassy style.

January 30, 2012

Rest in Peace, Mrs. Etta James
J.Tennard/Houston, Tx

Kathy Lawes

January 30, 2012

You will be sadly missed. Beyonce made an effort. But you had the real thing. You sang with passion, soul and fire. You knew what you could do and what you couldn't do. May you rest in peace in heaven, girl. BRAVO!!!!!!!
Sincerely,

wanda mckeller

January 30, 2012

MAY GOD BLESS THE JAMES FAMILY AND KEEP YOU STRONG. ETTA YOU WILL BE MISSES.AND YOUR LEGACY WILL LIVE ON. GOD BLESS YOU ALL.WE WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU ETTA WANDA MCKELLER AND FAMILY

Sabrina Singleton

January 30, 2012

I was intruduced to Etta James music at 41 yrs I'm 44 now and can't get enough . My grandchildren knows who she is and sings her songs with me THANKS MRS ETTA JAMES

Kevan Moragne

January 30, 2012

May God's peace, comfort, goodness and mercy be with your family -- and may Etta have life everlasting with the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Etta you will be missed.... Kevan R. Moragne, Bridgeport, CT

Sonia Hunt

January 30, 2012

When I first got my new iPhone one of the first ringtones I purchased was " Tell Mama". I have always admired Ms. James's voice and musical talent all my life. Her voice was distinguishable from other singers . She was in a class of her own. She will be sorely missed. My deepest condolences go out her family.

Diana Cogmon

January 30, 2012

Our Deepest Condolences Goes Out To Ms.Etta James Family And Friends.Malik And I Got A Chance To See Ms.Etta James Live In Concert In San Ramon,Ca.She Was Great.She Will Be Dearly Missed.RIP Ms.Etta James.
Much Love,Diana And Malik.

LaDora Wilcox

January 29, 2012

To the James Family may the Grace of God
comfort you in you time of sorrow.
Thank you for sharing your mother with
us. She will be truly missed.
Ladora Wilcox

Karen Wilborn

January 29, 2012

Rest in Peace beautiful Etta. We attended your visitation and the funeral. It was such a blessing to us to be there with the family. We all love you and miss you so much. Until we meet again in Heaven...... we'll be thinking of you with much love and adoration

cassandra Aguilar

January 29, 2012

I LOVE YOUR MUSIC. YOU WILL BE MISSED, BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN AT LAST WILL ALWAYS BE A SPECIAL SONG AS IT WAS THE SONG MY HUSBAND AND I WALKED BACK DOWN THE ISLE AFTER WE SAID I DO. YOU WILL ALWAY BE REMEMBERED AS A LEGEND AND A REMARKABLE WOMEN!!

Nandi Crawford

January 29, 2012

Missing you and thanking you for your wonderful talent. RIP.

DOROTHY KEITH

January 29, 2012

I LOVE YOUR SINGING. SA SAD THAT YOU ARE GONE. YOU WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED

Barbara Harris

January 29, 2012

Mrs.James a wonderful star that will shine forever. God bless her family .

Pat James

January 29, 2012

Good Night Sweet Princess

MARY BROWNING

January 29, 2012

Celebrating a life well lived. We will cherish the memories forever.

Marsha Evans- Weatherford

January 28, 2012

Prayers goes to the family of ETTA James,your singing is the best...your music, commands attention..

Public Viewing at Funeral Home

T. Beckley

January 28, 2012

Crowds form for public viewing

T. Beckley

January 28, 2012

Public Viewing at Funeral Home

T. Beckley

January 28, 2012

Rev. Al Sharpton Eulogy

T. Beckley

January 28, 2012

Harmonica Solo by Stevie Wonder

T. Beckley

January 28, 2012

Stevie Wonder performs at Funeral Service

T. Beckley

January 28, 2012

Christina Aguilera Sings "At Last" at Funeral

T. Beckley

January 28, 2012

Funeral Service Photograph

T. Beckley

January 28, 2012

Funeral Service Image

T. Beckley

January 28, 2012

Mr. Wendell G. Dean II

January 28, 2012

To the family of this great lady, who touched some many around the world in some very many ways with her voice through music, will always be remembered and missed.

I used her song to meet my wife coming up the isle at our wedding almost four years ago. Even though it was the Lou Rawles version.

May you find peace and comfort in knowing that mother was loved around the world and is now recieving more love now from God her creator.

LINDA MOORE

January 28, 2012

ETTA U WILL BE TRULY MISSED I BEEN A FAN OF YOUERS SINCE TIME MAY GOD BLESS YOUER FAMILY AT THIS SAD TIME

Penny Jones

January 28, 2012

such an amazing woman! she will be greatly missed and always remembered. Peace and love goes out to her sons and her husband. She fought a good fight and now she is at peace and in pain no more living in paradise with the father. RIP Mrs. Jamesetta Hawkins.

Joyce Hines

January 28, 2012

You were a great contributor in this world, and I know you will always be remembered. May you be in Heaven with God's angels!! Rest on Etta!!

Bruce Blankenship

January 28, 2012

OH Etta, "At Last" in you're in Heaven. You Go Girl!

Genesis Enriquez

January 28, 2012

my deepest condolences go out to her family and freinds. my god this women was a very fine,unique and beautiful singer.you were all very lucky to have her in your life we were all lucky... there will never be another like her in this life time. when she would sing it was like she lifted you with her heart and soul and truly made you feel what she sang. she was a true gift from up above you will truly be missed. p.s. my heart cried many times but with that amazing voice u lifted me to a better place.

Jackie lawrence

January 28, 2012

I grew up listening to you because my mother loved your music. My adult children grew up listening to you because I played your music endlessly. Blues was definitely your business. You will be missed. Rest in peace.

Dolores Hamilton

January 28, 2012

May you RIP Etta thank you for the Memories..and Songs..I will keep you and your Family forever n My Heart..You Will Be Missed Greatly Songbird

Rhythm Penne

January 28, 2012

I love Etta James. Her voice is like Honey to a Hot cup of tea. (Sweet) Her voice will always light up my soul like a candle to a match. It has been my pleasure to have heard her voice and listened to her music during my life time. RIP Etta God's Angel

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