Etta James (born
Jamesetta Hawkins; January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012) was an American singer who spanned a variety of music genres including
blues,
R&B,
soul,
rock and roll,
jazz and
gospel. Starting her career in 1954, she gained fame with hits such as "
The Wallflower", "
At Last", "
Tell Mama", "
Something's Got a Hold on Me", and "
I'd Rather Go Blind" for which she wrote the lyrics. She faced a number of personal problems, including
drug addiction, before making a musical resurgence in the late 1980s with the album
Seven Year Itch.