Etta James, the R&B legend who recorded soulful hits such as “At Last” and “Tell Mama,” has died. She was 73. James had chronic leukemia, which led to her death. Since March 2010, James had received round-the-clock medical care at her home in Riverside.
She is regarded as having bridged the gap between rhythm and blues and rock and roll. The singer battled drug addiction throughout her career, but launched a comback in the 1970s. Her 1973 album was nominated for a Grammy and she signed with Warner Brothers Records in the late 1970s.
She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. James continued performing into the 1990s, and “Let’s Roll” won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album in 2003. James won another Grammy — Best Traditional Blues Album — for 2004’s “Blues to the Bone.”
Rolling Stone magazine ranked James number twenty-two on their list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time and number sixty-two on the list of the 100 Greatest Artists.
