Etta James

Etta James was a powerful presence with an unwavering voice. Her influence can still be heard in the soulful defiance of singers such as ADELE and Beyoncé. Soul, blues, jazz, and early R&B were just some of the genres she mastered over the course of her multi-decade career. The string-soaked soul stunner, "At Last," is one of the most sublime love songs ever recorded. Her sassy, brassy personality came through early on with hits such as "Good Rocking Daddy" and crystallized into the soul genius that’s so evident on her Muscle Shoals-recorded classic, Tell Mama, and her triumphs and tragedies are never too far underneath the surface of her songs. Etta James laid the foundation for generations of female singers to bare their souls through song. She will be remembered as one of the greats.