Jamesetta Hawkins, 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. Starting her career in 1954, she gained fame with hits such as "The Wallflower", "At Last", "Tell Mama", "Something's Got a Hold on Me", and "I'd Rather Go Blind". 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.
Lejzor Szmuel Czyż, best known as Leonard Sam Chess, was a Polish-American record company executive and the co-founder of Chess Records. He was influential in the development of electric blues, Chicago blues, and rock and roll.
Chess Records was an American record company established in 1950 in Chicago, specializing in blues and rhythm and blues. It was the successor to Aristocrat Records, founded in 1947. It expanded into soul music, gospel music, early rock and roll, and jazz and comedy recordings, released on the Chess and its subsidiary labels Checker and Argo/Cadet. The Chess catalogue is owned by Universal Music Group and managed by Geffen Records.
Argo Records was a record label in Chicago that was established in 1955 as a division of Chess Records.
At Last! is the debut studio album by American blues and soul artist Etta James. Released on Argo Records in November 1960 the album was produced by Phil and Leonard Chess. At Last! also rose to no. 12 upon the Billboard Top Catalog Albums chart.
Tell Mama is the seventh studio album by American singer Etta James. Her second album release for Cadet Records, produced by Rick Hall at his FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, it was James's first album since 1964 to enter the Billboard 200 chart. It contained her first Top 10 R&B hits since 1964 – the title cut and "Security". The "Tell Mama" single gave James her all-time highest Billboard Hot 100 position, reaching number 23.
"Spoonful" is a blues song written by Willie Dixon and first recorded in 1960 by Howlin' Wolf. Called "a stark and haunting work", it is one of Dixon's best known and most interpreted songs. Etta James and Harvey Fuqua had a pop and R&B record chart hit with their duet cover of "Spoonful" in 1961, and it was popularized in the late 1960s by the British rock group Cream.
"Seven Day Fool" is an R&B song written by American songwriter Billy Davis, and first recorded by American singer Etta James for Argo Records in 1961. The track was released both on a 45 RPM single, paired with "It's Too Soon to Know", and on her album The Second Time Around. Although not a big hit upon release, only reaching 95 in the United States, it has since become very well known on the Northern Soul and Mod scenes in the United Kingdom.
Cadillac Records is a 2008 American biographical drama film written and directed by Darnell Martin. The film explores the musical era from the early 1940s to the late 1960s, chronicling the life of the influential Chicago-based record-company executive Leonard Chess, and a few of the musicians who recorded for Chess Records.
"Good Morning, School Girl" is a blues standard that has been identified as an influential part of the blues canon. Pre-war Chicago blues vocalist and harmonica pioneer John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson first recorded it in 1937. Subsequently, a variety of artists have recorded versions of the song, usually calling it "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl".
It's Everly Time is the third studio album by American singing duo The Everly Brothers, released in 1960. It peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Pop albums chart. It's Everly Time was their first album on Warner Bros. after leaving the independent label Cadence. Though Warner Brothers was based in Los Angeles, they continued to record in Nashville with top session players, laying down all the dozen tracks over the course of five sessions in March 1960.
The discography for the American singer Etta James consists of 29 studio albums, 3 live albums, and 12 compilations. She has also issued 58 singles, one of which, "The Wallflower ," reached number 1 on the Rhythm and Blues Records chart in 1955.
Etta James Sings for Lovers is the fourth studio album by American Blues artist, Etta James. The album was released on Argo Records in 1962 and was produced by Phil and Leonard Chess. The arrangements were by Al Poskonka and Riley Hampton.
Etta James Top Ten is the first compilation album by American rhythm and blues artist, Etta James. The album was released on Argo Records in 1963 and was produced by Leonard Chess. The album peaked at number 117 on the Billboard 200 in 1963, her first album to make that chart since 1961.
Queen of Soul is the fifth studio album by American Blues artist, Etta James. The album was released on Argo Records in December 1964, featuring the singles James had released during the year. It was arranged by Riley Hampton, Bert Keyes, Cliff Parman, Al Pokonka and Phil Wright.
Call My Name is the sixth studio album by American blues artist, Etta James. The album was produced by Leonard Chess and released on Cadet Records in 1967.
Brenda, That's All is the seventh studio album by American singer Brenda Lee. The album was released October 15, 1962 on Decca Records and was produced by Owen Bradley. It was the second of two studio albums released in 1962 and included two Top 10 hit singles on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1962 and 1963.
The Youngbloods is the debut self-titled studio album by the American rock band The Youngbloods, released in 1967. It was also reissued in 1971 under the title Get Together after the popular single from the album. The album peaked at number 131 on the Billboard 200 although two years later the single "Get Together" reached number five and sold more than a million copies.
"Something's Got a Hold on Me" is a song by American singer Etta James. The song was written by James, Leroy Kirkland and Pearl Woods, while production was handled by Leonard and Phil Chess. It was released in 1962 as the third single from her 1962 self-titled album as a 7" vinyl disc. Musically, "Something's Got a Hold on Me" is an R&B track with elements of soul, blues and gospel. Upon its release, the single was an R&B hit, peaking at number four on the Billboard Hot R&B Sides chart.
Etta James is the self-titled third studio album by American blues artist, Etta James. The album was released on Argo Records in 1962 and was produced by Ralph Bass.
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