Etta James was an American singer who sung in multiple genres including jazz, blues, R&B, soul, rock and roll, and gospel. She was born on January 25, 1938, in Los Angeles, California to her mother Dorothy Hawkins who was only 14-years-old. Her mother was often gone from home in relationships with several men. James eventually lived with several different foster parents and at the age of five, she began her first professional vocal training. James was trained from a young age by James Earle Hines, the musical director of the "Echoes of Eden" choir at the St. Paul Baptist Church of Los Angeles.

She was often abused during her training with Hines who would punch her in the chest to make her voice come from her gut. Surprisingly, Hines abuse led to James developing an usually strong singing voice. Despite her lack of formal education, James found success in singing and by 1954 she was a rising star with hits such as "The Wallflower", "At Last", "Tell Mama", and "I'd Rather Go Blind". Throughout her life, she struggled with drug problems, physical abuse and even landed in jail. She passed away at the Riverside hospital in January 2010 after an infection caused by MRSA made her fatally ill.