Wonder Woman of the Week: Etta James

Etta James is one of the most famous voices in the history of rock & roll music. Much of the singer's life outside of the stage however remains lost to history however as her powerful stage performances hid behind them a life of drug abuse, physical trauma, and a lifelong struggle for maintaining fame and fortune in an industry of one-hit wonders. James remained resilient however in the face of serious life obstacles to become a staple of American music heritage.

Etta James was born in 1938 in Los Angeles and rose to musical fame early in life as a gospel singer in California. The young performer expanded to doo-wop music- famous in her time for young African-American women- after moving to San Francisco. After performing in regional circuits across the Bay Area, James attracted the attention of Johnny Otis at only fourteen years old in 1955. It was at this time James received her stage name and toured under Otis' direction for the next five years.

In 1960, Etta James began working with the famous Chess Records where she recorded her debut album At Last!. The record made James famous and made her a household name in American music almost overnight. That fame hit hard however and James slowly descended into drug use and abuse. While publicly, James enjoyed commercial success, behind the scenes, managers and record labels used the musician to further their own careers- leaving James to fend for herself and struggle with drug addiction and poverty.

In 1984, Etta James resurfaced into the public sphere after years of desolation. The aging singer had overcome addiction and abuse from the previous decades to reemerge as a musical icon performing for her fellow aged peers, singing in Olympic opening ceremonies, and adding her voice to new records. James' name appeared on lists of the greatest American musicians of all time and entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.