James performed at the top jazz festivals in the world, such as the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1977, 1989, 1990 and 1993. Phil Chess, Co-Founder Of Chess Records, Dies At 95 : NPR We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. "Something's Got a Hold on Me" is a song by American singer Etta James. All you need to Know about Revetta Sloan's Husband Leonard Chess James became a natural replacement for Joplin after the latter's death in 1970. James would go on to publicly criticize Beyonce, who was invited to perform the song at Barack Obama's inaugural ball, but later added that her critical remarks were meant to be received as a joke and stemmed from personal hurt over not having been invited to the sing the song herself for the Obama inauguration. Obituary: Etta James - BBC News In her autobiography, Rage to Survive, she wrote that she heard the song outlined by her friend Ellington "Fugi" Jordan when she visited him in prison. In 1995 James recorded Mystery Lady, the first in a series of jazz vocal albums where she channelled the influence of Billie Holiday. No wonder Martin doesn't let the audience hear more than snatches of tunessave for Knowles' three extended numbers, clearly intended to sell the soundtrack. 2 What did Etta James say about Leonard Chess? Etta James - I'd Rather Go Blind Watch on Hope West However when you fully inhale the intricacies of Ms. Jamess defiant nature and understand the surrounding issues that followed her life and compare them to Beyonces persona and acting range, it just doesnt scream a perfect match. Like most of her tone-deaf predecessors, Martin feels the need to make the truth more entertaining and ends up desecrating the history books. During drunken poker games at home, he would awaken James in the early morning hours and force her with beatings to sing for his friends. 'Tell Mama': How Etta James Birthed One Of The Finest 60s Soul Albums It produced two hit singles, "Fool That I Am" and "Don't Cry Baby".[23]. What The "Cadillac Records" Movie Didn't Tell You About Etta James's "I So in conclusion, when I think of an artist whos invested 58 years in writing and singing songs that come from the real chapters of her life, it seems only fitting that she have the honor of a real depiction. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Thirty-six days after her death, her sideman Red Holloway also died.[63]. She notched up such hits as All I Could Do Was Cry, If I Can't Have You and AtLast. Adrien Brody portrays Leonard Chess, left, and Jeffrey Wright portrays Muddy Waters in a scene from "Cadillac Records." (Courtesy of Sony TriStar) "Cadillac Records" is a story . It was, instead, the wailing Good Rockin Daddy, co-written by Richard Berry (who can be heard singing counterpoint on Roll With Me Henry) and Joe Bihari (who, with his brother Jules, owned Modern Records) that earned James her second major hit. Her first hit singles with Fuqua were "If I Can't Have You" and "Spoonful". Though James continued to record for Chess, she was devastated by the death of record executive Leonard Chess in 1969. Thanks for the share.. An elite fanclub ensured James sang at the Los Angeles Olympics opening ceremony in 1984, appeared in Taylor Hackford's celebrated Chuck Berry feature Hail! About Etta James She added that she would have sung the song better. 5 How many children did Leonard Chess have with Revetta Sloan? The story is too fragmented to deciphera sloppily arranged sequence of sketches that's like a who's who without the why. Everything. In 1950, Mama Lu died, and James's biological mother took her to the Fillmore district of San Francisco. According to Marshall Chess, son of Leonard Chess, he had these words to say concerning the issue of this affair: "Now, my father was no angel, but (he) was never caught in an affair," Chess said. James participated with the rap singer Def Jef on the song "Droppin' Rhymes on Drums", which mixed James's jazz vocals with hip-hop. [6] In 1947, Leonard became associated with Aristocrat Records, increasing his share in the company over time; eventually he and Phil would acquire complete control. [3] He was buried at Westlawn Cemetery in Norridge, Illinois. Hoochie Coochie Men | Arts Stories & Interviews | Detroit | Detroit [42] James has influenced a wide variety of musicians, including, notably, Diana Ross, Christina Aguilera, Janis Joplin, Brandy, Bonnie Raitt, Shemekia Copeland, Beth Hart, Hayley Williams of Paramore[43] and Brent Smith of Shinedown[44] as well as British artists The Rolling Stones,[45] Elkie Brooks,[46] Paloma Faith,[47] Joss Stone,[48] Rita Ora, Amy Winehouse, and Adele,[49] and the Belgian singer Dani Klein. (Berry has already served as the subject for one of the better rockumentaries: Taylor Hackford's 1987 Chuck Berry Hail! This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. [33] She performed nine times at the legendary Monterey Jazz Festival and five times at the San Francisco Jazz Festival. Well, thats a good question especially when Ms. Jamess book was published in 1995, 13 years before the release of the movie, Cadillac Records. Confronting Satan in a Dark Spanish Castle, sung by Beyoncto Barack and Michelle Obama. This self discovery wasnt revealed until Etta checked into a program in the Tarzana Psychiatric Hospital. Just 52 years old, the elder brother had died of a heart attack in his car less than two blocks from the Chess headquarters. 2023 Madavor Media, LLC. Rage to Survive, James's autobiography, was published in 1995 and proved as blistering as her singing. [67] In 2020, James was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Minnesota Fats, Muddy Waters, and Etta James - AzBilliards Forums [4] Around this time, she became involved in a relationship with the singer Harvey Fuqua, the founder of the doo-wop group the Moonglows. (It bugs me to this day that he still receives royalties, James wrote in 1995.). A shift to Warner Brothers in 1978 did not return her to a wide audience and, although she often worked with major producers, James remained beloved more by critics and blues-soul aficionados than a mass audience. The trauma of her foster father forcing her to sing under these humiliating circumstances caused her to have difficulties with singing on demand throughout her career. What happened to the owner of Chess Records? It was not until the early 1990s, when she began receiving major industry awards from the Grammys and the Blues Foundation, that she received wide recognition. Typically, whenever the subject of the early architects of rock n roll arises, names like Howlin Wolf, Big Joe Turner, Hank Ballard, Bo Diddley and Big Mama Thornton are bandied about. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 4:00AM. That is the stern virtue that I highly respect in the artistry and legend of Ms. Etta James. They renamed it Chess,. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The true story is that in 1928, Lejzor and Fiszel Czy moved to the U.S. with the rest of their family from a small village named Motal in what's Belarus today. December 4, 2008 Although her father has never been identified,[9] James speculated that she was the daughter of pool player Rudolf "Minnesota Fats" Wanderone, whom she met briefly in 1987. Describing the song in her autobiography, James wrote, I was blind. He said Id gotten all my moral values from Mama Lu, but I never knew a normal life.And then when Mama Lu died and Dorothy snatched me away, everything went haywire., While there was a number of other omissions such as the exclusion of Leonard Chesss brother, co-founder and partner Phil Chess, the question still stands, why were these truths never told? James referred to her mother as "the Mystery Lady". All rights reserved. Etta James Biography, Songs, & Albums | AllMusic Early life Of course we all saw Beyonces role in the movie Cadillac Records but unfortunately that role was not the factual life of Etta James. When paired with the right producer and material, she delivered superb albums: Seven Year Itch (1989), Matriarch of the Blues (2000) and even her swansong The Dreamer (2011) find her interpreting lyrics with grace and venom. [28] In 1987, she performed "Rock and Roll Music" with Chuck Berry in the documentary film Hail! The song reached No 1 on the R&B charts (while Georgia Gibbs's bland cover went to No 1 in the pop charts). As Etta so candidly stated to the New York Posts Page Six in 2007, she is going to have a hill to climb, because Etta James aint been no angel!. Her first solo hit was the doo-wopstyled rhythm-and-blues song "All I Could Do Was Cry", which was a number two R&B hit. For those of you whove never read the the autobiography of Etta James, Rage To Survive, I stronglyencourage you tocheckout thisbook. 2 What happened to the owner of Chess Records? Slate is published by The Slate Enter a Melbet promo code and get a generous bonus, An Insight into Coupons and a Secret Bonus, Organic Hacks to Tweak Audio Recording for Videos Production, Bring Back Life to Your Graphic Images- Used Best Graphic Design Software, New Google Update and Future of Interstitial Ads. Cadillac Records - Wikipedia What did Etta James say about Leonard Chess? Etta James was born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles, California on January 25, 1938; her mother was just 14 years old at the time, and she never knew her father, though she would later say she. What is causing the plague in Thebes and how can it be fixed? In the 40s, the two brothers owned a blues nightclub on the southside of Chicago where several blues artists would perform at night. It never happened. He even asked James, a longtime friend, and she told him, He kissed me on the cheek once.. But so egregious are the deficiencies and distortions herein this universe, The Rolling Stones came to the United States and The Beach Boys ripped off Chuck Berry long before anyone had ever heard of Elvis Presleythat it's almost impossible to discern whether there's anything decent about the moviemaking itself. [71] Two other albums have also won awards, Let's Roll (Best Contemporary Blues Album) in 2003, and Blues to the Bone (Best Traditional Blues Album) in 2004. During her hospitalization, her son Donto revealed to the public that she had been previously diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2008. Hail! [10][11] On October 16, 1969, a few months after selling his namesake label to General Recorded Tape, Leonard Chess died of a heart attack. [24] Also in 1989 James was filmed in a concert at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles with Joe Walsh and Albert Collins for the film Jazzvisions: Jump the Blues Away. Etta's crossed over!' She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. She continued recording for Private Music, which released the blues album Matriarch of the Blues in 2000, on which she returned to her R&B roots. local news and culture, Robert Wilonsky In 2003, she received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1954, she moved to Los Angeles to record "The Wallflower." Her career had begun to soar by 1960, due in no small part to songs like "I'd Rather Go Blind" and "At Last." When did Etta James change her name to Peaches? "Shewas never there when I got off from school," James recalled, "so I could pretty much do what I wanted to do drinking, smoking weed." After a period of isolation, she returned to recording in 1967 and reemerged with more gutsy R&B numbers thanks to her recording at the legendary FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Revetta Sloan: All you Need to Know About Leonard Chess' Wife [7] In 1950, the Chess brothers renamed the company Chess Records. In February 1955, the song reached number one on the Hot Rhythm & Blues Tracks chart. Video unavailable Watch on YouTube Watch on Chess Records began after Phil and Leonard acquired full ownership of Chicago-based Aristocrat Records in 1950, Leonard having bought an initial share in it in 1947. James won six Grammy awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. With everything so wrong, how can there be anything right about Cadillac Records? Etta James was born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles, California on January 25, 1938; her mother was just 14 years old at the time, and she never knew her father, though she would later say she had reason to believe he was the well-known pool hustler Minnesota Fats. In November 2011, James released her final album, The Dreamer, which was critically acclaimed upon its release. [10] Her mother was frequently absent from their apartment in Watts, conducting relationships with various men, and James lived with a series of foster parents, most notably "Sarge" and "Mama" Lu. While Hollywood may try their best, her story is more brilliant and compelling than any writer could create. Many of the much deserved tributes to appear so far have singled out her most famous single, the great At Last, enormously popular at weddingsand famously sung by Beyoncto Barack and Michelle Obama upon his inauguration as president (possibly still, somewhat regrettably, my favorite moment from the entire Obama presidency). She was buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Los Angeles County, California. Thanks for a marvelous posting! Like the movie shows, Howlin Wolf did sing the song Smokestack Lightnin for Chess Records. From her first R&B hit, in 1955, the risqu Roll With Me Henry cut when she was only 15 through a series of classic 1960s soul sides (thelush ballad At Last, theraucous house rocker Tell Mama and the emotional agony of I'd Rather Go Blind), then a series of critically acclaimed 1970s and 1980s albums that won her a broad rock audience, to more recent albums of jazz vocals, James proved capable of developing and changing asan artist. "It never happened." He. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. They're faint echoes of classics, soulless and gutless. Waters, recorded one day in the field by Alan Lomax (Tony Bentley), reckons he's got a future in the Big City and treads the tracks till he reaches Chicago. Dueting with Harvey Fuqua, James recorded for Argo Records (later renamed Cadet Records), a label established by Chess. [19] That same year, James was the opening act for the Rolling Stones and performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival. In early 1961, James released what was to become her signature song, "At Last", a Glenn Miller tune, which reached number two on the R&B chart and number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100. The true story is that the man who recorded under the pseudonym Howlin Wolf was a 300-pound farmer named Chester Burnette. A Christmas album, Etta James Christmas, was released in 1998. Etta James, who has died aged 73 after suffering from leukaemia, was among the most critically acclaimed and influential female singers of the past 50 years, even if she never achieved huge popular success. [30] They were part of her touring band. Just clear tips and lifehacks for every day, For instance, while the film plays heavily on a romantic relationship with Chess Records head, Leonard Chess, this information was never once mentioned in Ettas autobiography. In 2001, she was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, the latter for her contributions to the developments of both rock and roll and rockabilly. [39] James' original classic music again charted after these 21st-century re-interpretations. In 2010, James received treatment for a dependency on painkillers. She was born Jamesetta Hawkins to 14-year-old Dorothy Hawkins and an unknown white father, although James maintained he was the pool shark Rudolf "Minnesota Fats" Wanderone, and was raised at first in Los Angeles by adoptive parents. Her approach to both singing and life was throughout one of wild, often desperate engagement that included violence, drug addiction, armed robbery and highly capricious behaviour. She agreed, lied to him that she was 18 and, when he demanded her mother's signed consent, went home and forged it Dorothy was then in prison. Her husband Artis Mills accepted responsibility when they were both arrested for heroin possession, and served a 10-year prison sentence. James knew Malcolm X and was a member of the Nation of Islam for around 10 years, taking the name Jamesetta X. All rights reserved. Rock 'n' Roll.) According to Marshall Chess, son of Leonard Chess, he had these words to say concerning the issue of this affair: Now, my father was no angel, but (he) was never caught in an affair, Chess said. Hope West isamusic enthusiast and music photographer who has captured artists like B.B. Otis took the Creolettes under his wing and helped them sign to Modern Records, at which point they changed their name to Peaches. The movie is certainly being marketed as a Chess tell-all; the soundtrack, due December 5, counts among its offerings Chess standards recut by the film's actors, including Jeffrey Wright's woefully slight version of Muddy Waters' "Hoochie Coochie Man"; Mos Def's coy, sly take on Chuck Berry's "No Particular Place to Go"; and three tracks by Beyonc Knowles, whose purr never comes close to approximating Etta James' growl. He was 95. 'Cadillac Records' takes gross liberties with Chess' tale What happened between Etta James and Leonard Chess? Also included are her near-orgiastic reading of Lieber and Stollers Tears of Joy and the sunny Come What May, which finds James is a slightly mellower groove, presaging her Chess work that commenced just a couple of years later. Chess was the focus of 2008 movies Cadillac Records (portrayed by Adrien Brody) and Who Do You Love? James continued to perform on occasion in the early 1980s, including two guest appearances at Grateful Dead concerts in December 1982. "It never happened." He even asked James, a longtime friend, and she told him, "He kissed me on the cheek once." What did Leonard Chess son say about Etta James? Id Rather Go Blind (also, as it happens, sung by Beyonc, when she played Etta James in the film Cadillac Records) was reportedly begun by Ellington Fugi Jordan, a friend of Jamess, when he was in Chino Prison for robbery, and then completed by James later. On October 16, 1969, a few months after selling his namesake label to General Recorded Tape, Leonard Chess died of a heart attack. In 1995, her autobiography, A Rage to Survive, co-written with David Ritz, was published. After leaving jail in Anchorage, Alaska, in 1969, she met and married Artis Mills. Etta James (Jamesetta Mills), singer, born 25 January 1938; died 20 January 2012, Blues and soul singer with a raw, emotional vocal style, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. It does not store any personal data. Become a member and get exclusive access to articles, live sessions and more! [12], James frequently performed in Nashville's famed R&B clubs on the so-called "Chitlin' Circuit" in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s.[13]. Another version, performed by Christina Aguilera, was in the 2010 film Burlesque. [citation needed] In her autobiography, she noted how impressed she was with the young singer's manners. When her contract with Modern came up for renewal in 1960, she signed a contract with Chess Records instead, with which she would go on to become one of the label's earliest stars. [36] The film included "At Last," performed by Beyonce. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. 4 When did Etta James move to Los Angeles? In her 1995 autobiography A Rage to Survive, she said that the time she spent in the hospital changed her life. Where is the border between Italy and France? Polish-American record executive (19171969), Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Phil Chess, co-founder of blues label Chess Records, dies", "Will the real music mogul stand up? Hope is known for her creativity, sense of humor and quirky perfectionism. Glad you enjoyed it! Most notable are the growly, hulking Howlin' Wolf, blues-gone-pop belter Etta James and country-tinged rock-and-roller Chuck Berry. Born in Los Angeles, California, on January 25, 1938, Etta James was a gospel prodigy. Here her powerhouse contralto voice was matched with the sumptuous, bluesy string arrangements of Riley Hampton, and James truly came into her own as a singer. Though the record was not as successful as expected, her rendition has become the best-known version of the song. The Impact of Chess Records - Black Music Scholar 'Cadillac Records,' Staying True To The Tunes : NPR love music etta you one the great woman singer g. Etta was beautiful, dynamic, and such a Soulstress Of Epic Magnetism!! In a world filled with smoke and mirrors, it always inspires me to see and experience artists who exude a powerful sense of truth. Indeed, when most people think of James, they focus on her post-1960 career, particularly her years at Chess Records where, beginning with the iconic "At Last," label owner Leonard Chess transformed her from a gutsy blues shouter to a power balladeer. For instance, while the film plays heavily on a romantic relationship with Chess Records head, Leonard Chess, this information was never once mentioned in Ettas autobiography. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Etta James obituary | Etta James | The Guardian Wilson went on to live for another ten years in the care center Presley found for him. [73] In 2003, she was given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. All rights reserved. He was so impressed with James's voice and her songwriting skills that he offered to take her to Los Angeles the following day to record Roll With Me Henry. She also recalled how happy he made her many years later when she found out that it was Presley who had moved her close friend Jackie Wilson from a substandard convalescent home to a more appropriate facility and, as she put it, paid all the expenses. [55] James was arrested in 1966 for writing bad checks. There's no Bo Diddley either, a woeful oversight for a film in need of his hubris and humor. Chess contacted Sam Phillips (of Sun Records) to help find and record new artists from the South. Etta James - Every Syllable She Sings Resonates The Blues | uDiscover King when she was 16. The story of the early days of Chess Records was brought to the big screen as Cadillac Records in 2008, with singer Beyonc Knowles playing James in the film. In 1959 James signed with the Chicago blues label Chess, which began marketing her as the "Queen of Soul". She was placed on probation and ordered to pay a $500 fine. [19], By the mid-1990s, James's earlier musicby now considered classicwas being used in commercials, including "I Just Wanna Make Love to You," for example. [9], James received her first professional vocal training at the age of five from James Earle Hines, musical director of the Echoes of Eden choir at the St. Paul Baptist Church in South-Central Los Angeles. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. According to Marshall Chess, son of Leonard Chess, he had these words to say concerning the issue of this affair: Now, my father was no angel, but (he) was never caught in an affair, Chess said. James countered with a coy follow-up called Hey! [77] Her albums Life, Love, & the Blues (1999), Burnin' Down the House (2003), and Let's Roll (2004) were awarded Soul/Blues Album of the Year,[77] and in 2001 she was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.[71]. Subscribe, 2023 Grown Folks Music. "[7], The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame called hers "one of the greatest voices of her century" and says she is "forever the matriarch of blues. Fabrications in the name of movie myth-making are, of course, to be expected from a genre that demands condensing lives into a handful of Defining Episodes; all biopics reduce and trivialize. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". This brought her to yet another audience. Contribute Having finally conquered her drug addiction in 1988, she began to struggle with her weight in 2002, weighing more than 400lb, she had gastric bypass surgery and lost 200lb, which allowed her to return to active singing and performing. Janis Joplin modelled her singing closely on James and covered Tell Mama. By 1998, with the release of Life, Love & the Blues, James had added as backing musicians her own sons, Donto and Sametto, on drums and bass, respectively. Perhaps her voice, so raw and emotionally expressive, was too fierce for the general public. James wrote or co-wrote several of her greatest songs. In fact, as truly great as that song is, James recorded another that was even betterand its one she co-wrote, although, for tax reasons, she gave songwriting credit to her then boyfriend. Presley died a year later. (He is, however, a central player in Jerry Zaks' Who Do You Love, the other Chess bio that had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.) Already a member? Meanwhile, the film barely touches upon Chess' questionable business dealings that left these pioneers all but broke, save for the brand-new Cadillacs Chess would buy his artists upon their topping of the pops. [4] Rolling Stone magazine ranked James number 22 on its list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time; she was also ranked number 62 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Lejzor Szmuel Czy (March 12, 1917 October 16, 1969), best known as Leonard Sam Chess, was a Polish-American record company executive and the co-founder of Chess Records. James sang background vocals for her labelmate Chuck Berry on his "Back in the U.S.A."[20][21], Her debut album, At Last!, was released in late 1960 and was noted for its varied selection of music, from jazz standards to blues to doo-wop and rhythm and blues (R&B).
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