| Re: Etta James
In the last few years, you're unlikely to have heard much of her voice. In some ways, she's not so well known for her songs as for what she was a part of. She signed to Chess Records, alongside Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf, Chuck Berry and Willie Dixon. Before that, she mixed and performed with the likes of Little Richard and stepped out with B B King. You could very easily argue that if it had not been for those performers, rock music and much of modern popular music just wouldn't exist - Chess Records had Gordy Berry as a staff songwriter - he later co-founded Motown Records.
That said, I have some of her music on CD. She ranged from Blues, Doo-wop and Jazz to Rock & Roll, Soul and R&B. For me, All I Could Do Was Cry, is what I will always associate with her. A brilliant voice and a pioneer. |