Etta James honoured at LA funeral
Posted January 28, 2012 9:12 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Mourners remembered the influential 1950s rhythm-and-blues singer Etta James on Saturday at a funeral service near Los Angeles.
Best known for her show-stopping hit “At Last,” James died last Friday from complications of leukemia in a California hospital surrounded by her family.
She was 73.
Pop star Christina Aguilera performed “At Last” during the funeral service, which also included a performance by Stevie Wonder and a speech by Al Sharpton.
James was diagnosed with leukemia two years ago and had been in failing health for a number of years. Her live-in doctor said in December she was terminally ill with leukemia. James also suffered from diabetes, kidney problems and dementia and was hospitalized late in 2011 because she was struggling to breathe.
The three time Grammy-award winning R&B singer saw numerous ups-and-downs in her career and personal life. She struggled with obesity and heroin addiction, ran a hot-check scheme and had troubled relationships with men, including some gangsters. Her weight ballooned, and in 2003 she underwent gastric bypass surgery and lost more than 200 pounds.
Yet in the music industry, among fellow R&B artists and rock icons, James’ career was legendary. With songs like “The Wallflower” and “Good Rockin’ Daddy,” the three-time Grammy winner was a key figure in the early days of rock ‘n’ roll, and her signature song, the 1961 ballad “At Last,” proved her mastery of the blues.
But throughout her long career she diversified into mainstream blues, soul and R&B. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
Over the decades, James’ hit the R&B charts with 30 singles, and placed nine of those songs in pop music’s top 40.
She is survived by her husband, Artis Mills, two sons Donto and Sametto who played in James’ backing band, and four grandchildren.
