Etta James

Etta James (b. Jamesetta Hawkins January 25, 1938 in Los Angeles, California) is an American Blues, R&B and gospel singer.

She received her first professional vocal training at the age of 5, from James Earle Hines, musical

Etta James (b. Jamesetta Hawkins January 25, 1938 in Los Angeles, California) is an American Blues, R&B and gospel singer.

She received her first professional vocal training at the age of 5, from James Earle Hines, musical director of the Echoes of Eden choir at St. Paul Baptist Church in Los Angeles. Her family moved to San Francisco, California in 1950, and in 1952 the trio (the Creolettes) she had formed with two of her friends came to the attention of Johnny Otis. Otis reversed the syllables of her first name to give her her stage name and began recording her. Her first record, and her first R & B hit, was her own composition, The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry), an answer song to Hank Ballard's Work with Me, Annie. She recorded it in 1954 with the Otis band and Richard Berry, who sang the second vocal. The song was later a hit in the white market for Georgia Gibbs, re-written as Dance with Me, Henry. She briefly recorded as Etta James & the Peaches, releasing several hits before signing to Chess Records in 1960.