More sad news for blues and music fans this year. The manager of longstanding musical icon Etta James has stated today that the soul and blues singer is terminally ill with late-stage leukemia; suffering kidney failure and dementia.
Lupe De Leon, her manager, says that she has been placed on 24 hour care. Fans have known about Etta’s health problems since her hospitalization in January of last year, when her son revealed she had been diagnosed with Alzheimers. One year later she was diagnosed with leukemia, though the extent of her illness has never been publicly known until now.
The powerful singer’s last album was The Dreamer, released two and a half years ago. “It’s ironic”, De Leon told Entertainment Weekly today, “because she sounded so vibrant and powerful on it.”
James has been looked after by a live-in doctor, Dr. Elaine James (no relation), who told the Riverside Press Enterprise that she would “ask for the prayers of her fans and friends.”
James began singing at a young age, and was quickly picked up by Chess Records, the iconic Chicago-based independent record label known for it’s powerful Blues Music hitmaking machine in the 50s. Her most famous album, At Last!, was released in 1961, wich featured her wildly popular songs “At Last”, “All I Could Do Was Cry”, and “Trust in Me”. The album quickly shot her to international super-stardom. Beyonce Knowles portrayed James in the recent hit movie, Cadillac Records. In 2009, James sang “At Last” as a guest performer on Dancing with the Stars. To date, James has won six Grammy awards, is a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Blues Hall of Fame inductee, and a seventeen-time Blues Music Award winner, including a multiple-time winner of Soul/Blues Female Artist of the Year.
11 Comments
Etta’s vocals and music are so powerful and moving. Thank you, Etta, for giving us so much…
I wanna “ta-ta” U Etta for your talent and your music.
Godspeed.
What a beautiful soul. Go in Peace my sister.
Etta James is one of the many inspirations for Music Moves Me, our project about what music does to heal and inspire people. We thank her for her incredible contribution to the music world as a whole and each of us individually. Her music is timeless in it’s ability to take us on a beautiful ride. God bless you, Etta James.
Thank you Etta for showing us what REAL talent is. You will leave a legacy that will never be forgotten.
Etta James was an amazing icon..She and her music will live on..It is so sad as we have lost many legands these last few months..Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with her as she leaves this plain and goes to the next..She will be missed greatly. I hope that there is a heaven so she and Muddy, Lil Walter, Howlin Wolf and so many others can have the biggest jam session ever..
My thoughts and prayers to Etta James, her family, friends and loved ones.With all due respect to Mr.Marshall, Etta James, was a “star” before she signed with Chess Records.She recorded with Johnny Otis on a suggestive tune”Roll with me Henry”, AKA “Dance with me Henry” or “The Wall Flower” It was Johnny Otis who discovered her and developed her as he did Ester Philips . That clarification needs to be made. Thank you all.
I love Etta Jame’s voice. A living history legend.
Thank You !! Etta for all the wonderful songs that have made so many People around the world “Love You”. You are a Legend and the world will always know and respect you for the enjoyment that you have given us all. GOD BLESS !!.
I Understand XX.
WOW WHAT A SAD DAY TO HEAR THE BBC ANNOUNCE THE DEATH OF ETERNAL ETTA.
WE LOVED ALL YOUR FAB RECORDS BUT ESPECIALLY THE JAZZ AND BLUES CONCERTS THAT STOLE OUR HEARTS AWAY
LONG MAY YOU BE REMEMBERED FOR THE SOUL SONGS AND ALL THAT JAZZ!!!!
FROM THE HENRY SONGS TO THE