Etta James Bio

Etta James had once been considered one of the most overlooked Blues and R&B musicians in American music history. It wasn't until the early 1990s when Etta James began receiving major industry awards from the Grammys and the Blues... [more]

Etta James had once been considered one of the most overlooked Blues and R&B musicians in American music history. It wasn't until the early 1990s when Etta James began receiving major industry awards from the Grammys and the Blues Foundation that she began to receive wide recognition.

In recent years, she has been seen as bridging the gap between rhythm and blues and rock and roll. James has influenced a wide variety of American musicians including Janis Joplin, Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, Christina Aguilera and even Hayley Williams of Paramore as well as British artists The Rolling Stones and Adele. Beyonce Knowles has also cited James as a musical influence. After completing the film in which she portrayed James (Cadillac Records), Knowles says she felt drawn to musical styles that she had previously considered off-limits. Knowles realized that she was no longer afraid to challenge herself to a different style of music, a theme James has used in her music as well. On her 2008 release, I Am...Sasha Fierce, Knowles incorporated acoustic sounds to certain songs, including the first single, "If I Were a Boy."

Source: Wikipedia.org