Photo: John K. Addis / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Etta James, born on January 25, 1938 in Los Angeles, California, United States, was a singer, singer-songwriter and jazz musician. Etta James died on January 20, 2012 at the age of 73. Schooling on record includes Jefferson High School (Los Angeles). Awards on record include Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2003), star on Hollywood Walk of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1993).
My Take
Etta James had one of those voices that seemed to carry the whole weight of a life inside it, sweetness and scar tissue at once. Coming up through the Chitlin' Circuit, she absorbed blues, jazz, R&B, and gospel and fused them into something unmistakably her own. The 2003 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and her 1993 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction are well earned, but accolades feel beside the point with her. What I value most is her refusal to sing anything she didn't feel. She passed in 2012, yet that voice still stops people cold. That's immortality.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Etta James
- Name (Japanese)
- エタ・ジェイムズ
- Reading
- えた・じぇいむず
- Born
- January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aquarius / Tiger
- Origin
- Los Angeles, California, United States
- Occupation
- singer / singer-songwriter / jazz musician / recording artist / musician
2. Background
- High school
- Jefferson High School (Los Angeles)
Awards & achievements
- 2003 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
- 1993 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
3. Links
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etta%20James
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%A8%E3%82%BF%E3%83%BB%E3%82%B8%E3%82%A7%E3%82%A4%E3%83%A0%E3%82%BA
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q182725
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-17
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Etta James born?
Born January 25, 1938.
When did Etta James die?
Died January 20, 2012, aged 73.
Where was Etta James from?
Etta James was from Los Angeles, California, United States.
What did Etta James do?
Etta James worked as singer, singer-songwriter, jazz musician, recording artist, musician.
Singer — see all → · Singer-songwriter — see all → · More people from the United States →