Etta James

Etta James was an American R&B/soul contralto vocalist, known as the most prominent female vocalist of the Chess label. She was discovered by Johnny Otis as a teenager and had her first hit in 1955. Etta recorded for Modern Records and Kent Records in the 1950s before signing with Chess in 1960. Despite battling heroin addiction from 1965 to the mid-1970s, she continued to make music.

In 1978, Etta James released "Deep in the Night," produced by Jerry Wexler. This marked her final recording until 1988 when she returned to Chess to record "Seven Years Itch." From then until 2006, she consistently released albums. Her talent and contributions were recognized when she was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.

The movie "Cadillac Records" depicted Etta James' career up until the late 1970s, with Beyoncé Knowles portraying her role and recording some of James' songs for the soundtrack. Throughout her early career, Etta used different last names for writing credits but is best known as Etta James. She was also a mother to two children.