But in this version of the taletold in flashback, with overwrought narration provided by Cedric the Entertainer as Chess producer, session musician and house songwriter Willie Dixonthere is no Phil Chess, only Leonard, played by an actor, Adrien Brody, who, with his anachronistically tousled hair and Forever Fonzie wardrobe, looks as much like Leonard Chess as he does, well, Howlin' Wolf. Thank you, Wayne. [42] James has influenced a wide variety of musicians, including, notably, Diana Ross, Christina Aguilera, Janis Joplin, Brandy, Bonnie Raitt, Shemekia Copeland, Beth Hart, Hayley Williams of Paramore[43] and Brent Smith of Shinedown[44] as well as British artists The Rolling Stones,[45] Elkie Brooks,[46] Paloma Faith,[47] Joss Stone,[48] Rita Ora, Amy Winehouse, and Adele,[49] and the Belgian singer Dani Klein. Leonard Chess played bass drum on one of Muddy Waters' sessions in 1951, specifically on the tracks "She Moves Me" and "Still A Fool".[8]. He is portrayed by Rob Morrow on CMT's drama series titled Sun Records. About Us Often controversial, always entertaining, JazzTimes is a favorite of musicians and fans alike. (A far better place to start would be Nadine Cohodas' 2001 book, Spinning Blues Into Gold, about the Chess Brothersyes, both of them.) These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. The 1974 album Come a Little Closer, recorded while she was in rehab at apsychiatric hospital, features James at her best. Although her father has never been identified,[9] James speculated that she was the daughter of pool player Rudolf "Minnesota Fats" Wanderone, whom she met briefly in 1987. James continued to record for Chess (now owned by All Platinum Records), releasing one more album in 1976, Etta Is Betta Than Evvah! Revetta passed away in 1983, at age 64 in California, United States of America. "[7], The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame called hers "one of the greatest voices of her century" and says she is "forever the matriarch of blues. There's no Bo Diddley either, a woeful oversight for a film in need of his hubris and humor. "[citation needed] In 1954, James recorded and was credited as co-author for "The Wallflower" (a title change to the aforementioned song, "Work with Me, Annie"), which was released in early 1955. [7] In 1950, the Chess brothers renamed the company Chess Records. Two other Berry tunes are included in this collection, the rollicking Number One (which cleverly references Henry as a bygone lover) and the stridently plaintive Im A Fool. James herself co-authored both the playfully sensual W-O-M-A-N and the high-octane Tough Lover, easily the equal of any of Little Richards thundering hits. [22] The album included the future classics "I Just Want to Make Love to You" and "A Sunday Kind of Love". Also in 1995, she recorded the album Time After Time. Etta James: The Essential Modern Records Collection (Virgin/EMI) includes 15 tracks spanning 1954-57. Etta James, who has died at the age of of 73, had a rich, contralto voice that breathed life into a host of musical genres, from blues to jazz, R&B to soul. Of these, Howlin' Wolf in particular became very popular, and Chess Records had to vie for him with other companies which had also been supplied with Wolf recordings by Phillips. Fiszel became Phil. But rarely is Etta James recognized among those pioneers. FAQs This brought her to yet another audience. James wrote or co-wrote several of her greatest songs. Here her powerhouse contralto voice was matched with the sumptuous, bluesy string arrangements of Riley Hampton, and James truly came into her own as a singer. She quickly became known for having an unusually strong voice for a child her age. Thank you so much for your comment! Waters, recorded one day in the field by Alan Lomax (Tony Bentley), reckons he's got a future in the Big City and treads the tracks till he reaches Chicago. What is causing the plague in Thebes and how can it be fixed? "It never happened." He. She won six Grammy Awards and 17 Blues Music Awards. As a teenager on tours with Otis, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Ike and Tina Turner and Little Richard, James encountered and quickly embraced much debauchery. Privacy Policy Etta James - Every Syllable She Sings Resonates The Blues | uDiscover An album of the same name was also released that year and included her take on Otis Redding's "Security". [51][52], James had two sons, Donto James and Sametto James, born to different fathers. So in conclusion, when I think of an artist whos invested 58 years in writing and singing songs that come from the real chapters of her life, it seems only fitting that she have the honor of a real depiction. Become a member to support the independent voice of Dallas In time, other important artists signed with Chess Records, including Bo Diddley and Sonny Boy Williamson, while Willie Dixon and Robert Lockwood Jr. took on a significant role behind the scenes.