Stories on how they met vary. James became a natural replacement for Joplin after the latter's death in 1970. They quickly went to Chicago to join their father, Joseph, who was already engaged in the liquor business, which was illegal at the height of Prohibition and controlled in Chicago by Al Capone. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999, and the Blues Hall of Fame in 2001. Less than a year after selling their label, Leonard Chess was dead. He helped sign (and then performed with) Black Merda, a Detroit outfit that has been described as the first all black rock band, and which has built a cult following during the last decade. Hail! She was buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Los Angeles County, California. A life long lover of music, Hope is a graduate of Full Sail University where she studied music engineering. The album took the same direction as her first, covering jazz and pop standards and with strings on many of the songs. [24] The album did not produce any major hits, however, and neither did the follow-up album, Come a Little Closer, in 1974, though, like '73's Etta James before it, the album was also critically acclaimed. [22] The album included the future classics "I Just Want to Make Love to You" and "A Sunday Kind of Love". local news and culture, Robert Wilonsky [38], James was diagnosed with leukemia in early 2011. In April 2009, at the age of 71, James made her final television appearance, performing "At Last" on the program Dancing with the Stars. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. I was blind in my love life, and I was blind in my personal ways. He was influential in the development of electric blues, Chicago blues, and rock and roll. Now if youre looking for a name to sell movie tickets, I can definitely see the follow the money rationale. Contribute [1] She faced a number of personal problems, including heroin addiction, severe physical abuse, and incarceration, before making a musical comeback in the late 1980s with the album Seven Year Itch. For all its copious flaws, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story perfectly nailed the trajectory of every single rockudrama that has tarnished a legend's legendthe big bang turned sad whimper. By 1998, with the release of Life, Love & the Blues, James had added as backing musicians her own sons, Donto and Sametto, on drums and bass, respectively. We talked about what it felt like being abandoned by a mother. Love Ms. Etta James!! In her 1995 autobiography A Rage to Survive, she said that the time she spent in the hospital changed her life. He's especially upset over how 'Cadillac Records,' a film that stars Beyonce as Etta James and Oscar-winner Adrien Brody as Leonard Chess, cuts Leonard's brother, Phil, the co-founder of . All rights reserved. 5 How many children did Leonard Chess have with Revetta Sloan? Both artists issued statements of condolence upon James's death. Photograph: Sherry Rayn Barnett/Getty Images, Etta James: 'I was like a punker I'd spit in a minute' a classic interview from the vaults, Etta James - famous fans pay tribute on Twitter, Etta James to undergo court-ordered medical exam. All rights reserved. And, in 2008, Rolling Stone ranked her at number 22 in its rock-focused list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. An elite fanclub ensured James sang at the Los Angeles Olympics opening ceremony in 1984, appeared in Taylor Hackford's celebrated Chuck Berry feature Hail! Subscribe, 2023 Grown Folks Music. Like the song says, I just dont want to be free. When Leonard Chessthe founder of Jamess label, Chess Recordsfirst heard the song, James says, he got up and left the room cause he started crying When he came back in the room, he said, Etta, its a mother its a mother.. Chess was born to Polish-Jewish parents in Motal, now in Belarus. Chess Records co-founder Leonard Chess envisioned James as a classic ballad stylist who had potential to cross over to the pop charts and soon surrounded the singer with violins and other string instruments. In 1973, James was arrested for possession of heroin. They renamed it Chess,. Perhaps most intriguing are, however, James explosive reinvention of the traditional ditty Shortnin Bread (a song that Brian Wilson would subsequently become obsessed with) and the colorful short story The Pick Up, with a coolly assured Etta swapping salty lines with a blistering sax. The film Cadillac Records, a heavily fictionalised biopic about Chess Records, attracted wide attention due to Beyonc's appearance asJames. Brussels music act Vaya Con Dios covered the song on their 1990 album Night Owls. Confronting Satan in a Dark Spanish Castle, sung by Beyoncto Barack and Michelle Obama. Presley died a year later. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. [24] The B-side of "Tell Mama" was "I'd Rather Go Blind", which became a blues classic and has been recorded by many other artists. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Their truth is not built with the intent of gimmick-like controversy but a need to be true to themselves no matter the cost. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Unfortunately, his role and importance wasnt highlighted in the script of Cadillac Records. Leonard and his brother Phil became involved in the black nightclub scene on the South Side of Chicago in 1938 running a series of jazz clubs, culminating in the Macomba Lounge. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Hail! What happened to the owner of Chess Records? He said Id gotten all my moral values from Mama Lu, but I never knew a normal life.And then when Mama Lu died and Dorothy snatched me away, everything went haywire., While there was a number of other omissions such as the exclusion of Leonard Chesss brother, co-founder and partner Phil Chess, the question still stands, why were these truths never told? These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. James's continuing appeal to new generations was proved when the R&B superstar Beyonc played James in the 2008 film Cadillac Records. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. Published since 1970, JazzTimesAmericas Jazz Magazineprovides comprehensive and in-depth coverage of the jazz scene. Privacy Policy The Slate Group LLC. Dec 4, 2008. In time, Chess begins assembling his pieces: Howlin' Wolf, played with almost cartoonish ferocity by Eamonn Walker; Dixon, who here comes off as nothing more than a sideman; Chuck Berry, rendered as a savvy country boy who liked to show gals his ding-a-ling in the backseat of his car; and James, who already had a career before Chess signed the tormented torch singer in 1960, not that you'd know it here. Also along for the ride are Chess' and Waters' women, Revetta (Entourage's Emmanuelle Chriqui) and Geneva (Gabrielle Union), respectively, who do little other than quietly frown and tolerate their husbands' myriad dalliances. Cadillac Records begins with Dixon laying the foundation of the story, introducing us to "one white boy from Chicago" (Chess, first seen mid-coitus) and "one sharecropper from Mississippi" (Waters, tilling the soil). 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. [19] The first string-laden ballad James recorded was "My Dearest Darling" in May 1960, which peaked in the top five of the R&B chart. The tracks crossover potential was limited by more than just its sexually charged lyrics. Meanwhile, the film barely touches upon Chess' questionable business dealings that left these pioneers all but broke, save for the brand-new Cadillacs Chess would buy his artists upon their topping of the pops. Thanks for the share.. From her first R&B hit, in 1955, the risqu Roll With Me Henry cut when she was only 15 through a series of classic 1960s soul sides (thelush ballad At Last, theraucous house rocker Tell Mama and the emotional agony of I'd Rather Go Blind), then a series of critically acclaimed 1970s and 1980s albums that won her a broad rock audience, to more recent albums of jazz vocals, James proved capable of developing and changing asan artist. Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer who performed in various genres, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul. In 1967 Leonard Chess, the founder of Chess Records, sent. Fabrications in the name of movie myth-making are, of course, to be expected from a genre that demands condensing lives into a handful of Defining Episodes; all biopics reduce and trivialize. Stevie Wonder and Christina Aguilera gave musical tributes. For those of you whove never read the the autobiography of Etta James, Rage To Survive, I stronglyencourage you tocheckout thisbook. Otis took the Creolettes under his wing and helped them sign to Modern Records, at which point they changed their name to Peaches. The trauma of her foster father forcing her to sing under these humiliating circumstances caused her to have difficulties with singing on demand throughout her career. 1 Did Leonard Chess really die in his car? [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. It became a crossover hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100, which angered James. Former Artie Shaw vocalist Georgia Gibbs, signed to the far more powerful Mercury label, released a cleaned-up cover version, safely entitled Dance With Me Henry. It spent three weeks at number one on the pop charts. love music etta you one the great woman singer g. Etta was beautiful, dynamic, and such a Soulstress Of Epic Magnetism!! [54], By the mid-1960s, James was addicted to heroin. [19] Later that same year (1960), James released a second studio album, The Second Time Around. Another story was that Otis spotted the Creolettes performing at a Los Angeles nightclub and sought for them to record his "answer song" to Hank Ballard's "Work with Me, Annie". First, a key spoiler: Cadillac Records is not the story of Chess Records, the blues label started in Chicago in 1950 by brothers Leonard and Phil Chess that featured among its stable of artists Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry and Etta James, plus many others who birthed rock 'n' roll. In Otis's version, she came to his hotel after one of his performances in the city and persuaded him to audition her. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. They auditioned for the maverick R&B band leader Johnny Otis. Video unavailable Watch on YouTube Watch on All contents Revetta passed away in 1983, at age 64 in California, United States of America. James started adding gospel elements in her music the following year, releasing "Something's Got a Hold on Me", which peaked at number four on the R&B chart and was a Top 40 pop hit. She carried on touring but by 2010 had to cancel concert dates because of her gradually failing health; by this time she was suffering from dementia and leukemia. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". 2 What did Etta James say about Leonard Chess? In fact, Phil, who was also left out of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame proceedings upon Leonard's introduction as a pioneer in 1987, is never mentioned at all. Money matters: Though Leonard Chess (Adrien Brody) . [55] James was arrested in 1966 for writing bad checks. When her contract with Modern came up for renewal in 1960, she signed a contract with Chess Records instead, with which she would go on to become one of the label's earliest stars. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Become a member to support the independent voice of Dallas And the family name, Czy, became Chess. When, in1971, the couple were arrested in San Antonio, Texas, on narcotics charges, Mills took the fall. On his release in 1981, the couple reunited. During Ettas early days at Chess, she was very open in having a relationship with Harvey Fuqua, member of the Moonglows and later played a pivotal role in the formation of Motown Records. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Etta James was born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles, California on January 25, 1938; her mother was just 14 years old at the time, and she never knew her father, though she would later say she had reason to believe he was the well-known pool hustler Minnesota Fats. [2], James's deep and earthy voice bridged the gap between rhythm and blues and rock and roll. Henry (also included on the disc), but it failed to make much noise. Sign in to continue reading, Christopher Loudon on the release of a new compilation of vintage material from the legendary singer. Just 52 years old, the elder brother had died of a heart attack in his car less than two blocks from the Chess headquarters. Dallas' independent source of [20] In 1963, she had another major hit with "Pushover" and released the live album Etta James Rocks the House, recorded at the New Era Club in Nashville, Tennessee. Her approach to both singing and life was throughout one of wild, often desperate engagement that included violence, drug addiction, armed robbery and highly capricious behaviour. Indeed, when most people think of James, they focus on her post-1960 career, particularly her years at Chess Records where, beginning with the iconic "At Last," label owner Leonard Chess transformed her from a gutsy blues shouter to a power balladeer. . Hope is known for her creativity, sense of humor and quirky perfectionism. Leonard Chess (March 12, 1917 - October 16, 1969) was an American record company executive and the co-founder of Chess Records. [19] After signing with Chess Records in 1960, James broke through as a traditional pop-styled singer, covering jazz and pop music standards on her debut album, At Last! [19] Chess Records co-founder Leonard Chess envisioned James as a classic ballad stylist who had potential to cross over to the pop charts and soon surrounded the singer with violins and other string instruments. down the road. Do you need underlay for laminate flooring on concrete? The alterations are distracting and head-scratching and ultimately dismissive, to the point where Wright's Muddy Waters is reduced to a mere spectator in his own story, just some guy who hangs around the Chess studios to glower at Howlin' Wolf and panhandle Chess for money. 2023 All you need to Know about Revetta Sloan's Husband Leonard Chess She quickly became known for having an unusually strong voice for a child her age. 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. Her first hit singles with Fuqua were "If I Can't Have You" and "Spoonful". How many children did Leonard Chess have with Revetta Sloan? Born in Los Angeles, California, on January 25, 1938, Etta James was a gospel prodigy. During this period, she became addicted to methadone and would mix her doses with heroin. Described as a soul enigma by MOJO magazine in 2002, Jordan has had a fascinating musical career of his own. Where is the border between Italy and France? However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. It's all too much and not enough; either make the epic the story deserves or don't bother. Though the record was not as successful as expected, her rendition has become the best-known version of the song. So it is. She also recalled how happy he made her many years later when she found out that it was Presley who had moved her close friend Jackie Wilson from a substandard convalescent home to a more appropriate facility and, as she put it, paid all the expenses. Many of the backing musicians were top-flight players from Los Angeles: Rick Rosas (bass), Michael Huey (drums), Ed Sanford (Hammond B3 organ), Kip Noble (piano) and Josh Sklair, James' longtime guitar player. Just clear tips and lifehacks for every day, For instance, while the film plays heavily on a romantic relationship with Chess Records head, Leonard Chess, this information was never once mentioned in Ettas autobiography. James participated with the rap singer Def Jef on the song "Droppin' Rhymes on Drums", which mixed James's jazz vocals with hip-hop. Two films highlight role of Jewish immigrants in popularizing blues and rock", "Fictional History: What It Was Like to Start Rock 'n' Roll, Sort Of", Chess Records: How Two Polish Brothers Made Music History, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Leonard_Chess&oldid=1145483368, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from December 2016, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 19 March 2023, at 11:03. [19] That same year, James was the opening act for the Rolling Stones and performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival. James countered with a coy follow-up called Hey! 4 What did Leonard Chess son say about Etta James? Here's one interesting reviews of this flick: Cadillac Records chronicles the success of Chess Records owned by shrewd business man Leonard Chess and the rise and fall of its Negro blues recording artists with race, sex, violence and drugs as the backdrop. When Leonard Chessthe founder of Jamess label, Chess Recordsfirst heard the song, James says, he got up and left the room cause he started crying When he came back in the room, he said, Etta, its a mother its a mother. So it is. Dorothy was a hustler and showed no inclination to change her lifestyle. She is survived by her husband and her sons, Donto and Sametto. Hope West isamusic enthusiast and music photographer who has captured artists like B.B. Group, a Graham Holdings Company. In 1995 James recorded Mystery Lady, the first in a series of jazz vocal albums where she channelled the influence of Billie Holiday. James was once considered one of the most overlooked blues and R&B musicians in the music history of the United States. [39] James' original classic music again charted after these 21st-century re-interpretations. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. A raunchy answer song to Ballards equally suggestive Work With Me Annie, the track was considered too racy for mainstream radio airplay. Artist(s) that make her freak out as a music fan: Sheila E., Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Quincy Jones. The British pop singer Adele said that it was buying an Etta James CD when she was 13 that made her want to sing. and help keep the future of the Observer, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our, Dallas Observer's The Morning After Brunch. (Muddy Waters' first trip to the UK was in 1958, not 1967; it is also unlikely that Leonard Chess and Etta James had a love affair. Rage to Survive, James's autobiography, was published in 1995 and proved as blistering as her singing. Two of her early songs have been given Grammy Hall of Fame Awards for "qualitative or historical significance": "At Last", in 1999,[72] and "The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry)" in 2008. Most gallingly, for a film "based on a true story," there doesn't seem to be a single fact contained within writer-director Darnell Martin's ham-fisted fiction, which renders pre-rock musical history as yet another downer soap opera bloated with smack and sex and premature corpses, as though that's all that defined the period and the people. [19] The album won James her first Grammy Award, for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female, in 1994. (It bugs me to this day that he still receives royalties, James wrote in 1995.). In the early 1960s, Chess became involved in the broadcasting business as part owner of WVON-AM radio and later acquired WSDM-FM, both in Chicago. Addicted to heroin and bad men, she lived a criminal lifestyle and was jailed several times. Etta's crossed over!' It does not store any personal data. 3 Who was Harvey Fuqua dating before Etta James? 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. Leonard Chess, decided James would . They're faint echoes of classics, soulless and gutless. James sang background vocals for her labelmate Chuck Berry on his "Back in the U.S.A."[20][21], Her debut album, At Last!, was released in late 1960 and was noted for its varied selection of music, from jazz standards to blues to doo-wop and rhythm and blues (R&B). Pianist Prez was then a professor at the New England Conservatory; his student, Read More Explaining the Taubman Approach, Everyone knows that Joe Williams sang the hell out of the blues, but do you know what else he sang the hell out of? [20] James followed this with "Trust in Me", which also included string instruments. Polish-American record executive (19171969), Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Phil Chess, co-founder of blues label Chess Records, dies", "Will the real music mogul stand up? These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. [71] Two other albums have also won awards, Let's Roll (Best Contemporary Blues Album) in 2003, and Blues to the Bone (Best Traditional Blues Album) in 2004. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. What characteristics allow plants to survive in the desert? [58] In 1974, James was sentenced to drug treatment instead of serving time in prison. [18] In early 1955, she and an aspiring singer, the 19-year-old Elvis Presley, then recording for Sun Studios and an avid fan of King's, shared a bill in a large club just outside Memphis. Her final album for Private Music, Let's Roll, released in 2005, won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album. Chess contacted Sam Phillips (of Sun Records) to help find and record new artists from the South. What did Etta James say about Leonard Chess? [3] She also received a Grammy lifetime achievement award in 2003. [74][75], The members of the Blues Foundation, a nonprofit organization set up in Memphis, Tennessee, to foster the blues and its heritage,[76] have nominated James for a Blues Music Award nearly every year since its founding in 1980; and she received some form of Blues Female Artist of the Year award 14 times since 1989, continuously from 1999 to 2007. Her 1963 album EttaJames Rocks the House was recorded live at the New Era club in Nashville and documents a formidable performer. The film stars Adrien Brody as Leonard Chess, Cedric the Entertainer . "Something's Got a Hold on Me" is a song by American singer Etta James. Leonard Chess Lejzor Szmuel Czy (March 12, 1917 - October 16, 1969), best known as Leonard Sam Chess, was a Polish-American record company executive and the co-founder of Chess Records. James had been at Chess Records since 1960 and Leonard Chess wanted her to record a new album for his Cadet Records subsidiary. 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. Etta was definitely one of the greats! In 1960, Etta James (born Jamesetta Hawkins), a moody singer with a contralto voice as striking as the platinum-blond beehive hairdo she wore in one iconic publicity shot, joined the Chess. Pretty Lights sampled the song in "Finally Moving", followed by Avicii's dance hit "Levels", and again in Flo Rida's single "Good Feeling". Hail! First, a key spoiler: Cadillac Records is not the story of Chess Records, the blues label started in Chicago in 1950 by brothers Leonard and Phil Chess that featured among its stable of. [5] The family name was changed to Chess, with Lejzor becoming Leonard and Fiszel becoming Philip. James continued to perform on occasion in the early 1980s, including two guest appearances at Grateful Dead concerts in December 1982. The ferocity of her voice documents a neglected child, awoman constantly entering into badrelationships and an artist raging against an industry and a society thathad routinely discriminated againsther. [3] He was buried at Westlawn Cemetery in Norridge, Illinois. Less than a year after selling their label, Leonard Chess was dead. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Who was Harvey Fuqua dating before Etta James? In a world filled with smoke and mirrors, it always inspires me to see and experience artists who exude a powerful sense of truth. He also takes issue with the onscreen love affair between Leonard and Etta James. [9], James received her first professional vocal training at the age of five from James Earle Hines, musical director of the Echoes of Eden choir at the St. Paul Baptist Church in South-Central Los Angeles. No wonder Martin doesn't let the audience hear more than snatches of tunessave for Knowles' three extended numbers, clearly intended to sell the soundtrack. (Berry has already served as the subject for one of the better rockumentaries: Taylor Hackford's 1987 Chuck Berry Hail! [59], James was hospitalized in January 2010 to treat an infection caused by MRSA, a bacterium resistant to many antibiotics. [25] According to her account, she wrote the rest of the song with Jordan but for tax reasons gave her songwriting credit to her partner at the time, Billy Foster. Martin tells the story elliptically with the occasional bold proclamation ("I don't know what the fuck it is," Chess says of Waters' music, "but I'm recording it!")
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