Etta James: The Queen of Soul at Chess Records
Etta James, born Jamesetta Hawkins to a 14-year-old mother and an unknown father, grew up in Los Angeles during the 1940s.
Raised by a string of foster parents—many of whom were abusive—she also endured harsh treatment from her first mentor, a choir leader who would punch her while she sang to “strengthen” her voice.
By age 16, Etta had already recorded her first single and started touring with Little Richard.
At 22, her first record contract expired, and she signed with Chess Records. It was here she would release all her most well-known material and become one of the label’s biggest stars, alongside Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Four Tops, Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, Howlin’ Wolf, Elmore James, Muddy Waters, Otis Rush, and Ike Turner.
Chess was the blues label to be on, and Etta was its Queen—a title she embraced with the release of her fifth studio album.
Her debut album At Last (1960) was a major success. Featuring I Just Wanna Make Love To You, Stormy Weather, and the iconic title track At Last, it made Etta James a household name.
Her second album didn’t yield any hits, but the third brought success with Something’s Got a Hold on Me, which peaked at #4.
Across her career, Etta James released 29 studio albums between 1960 and 2011.
While not all were hits upon release, her most enduring songs—At Last, I Just Wanna Make Love To You, Something’s Got a Hold on Me, and I’d Rather Go Blind—were all recorded in the ’60s.
In 2011, Avicii sampled the intro vocal from Something’s Got a Hold on Me and launched his own career with the global hit Levels.
Etta James Tunes | Related Pages
At Last | CHords + TAB
You can learn how to play At Last by Etta James using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| F | Dm7 | Gm7 | C7 | F | Dm7 |
At last, my love has come along…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: At Last (Etta James) GUitar Lesson with TAB.
Etta James on the web
