A true icon of R&B, Etta James has been belting out hits with her beautiful and moving voice since the ‘50s. She was a teenager when, as a talented gospel singer, she set off for the Los Angeles scene to make it big in the recording industry. Later in life, she'd earn a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and place no less than three Grammy's on her mantle. The fact that she rose so quickly in prominence-plus the amazing music she created throughout her prolific career-are proof of the potential she had and clearly fulfilled.Born Jamesetta Hawkins, she first began her professional musical career in the mid-1950s with a group called the Peaches. Though they struggled in L.A. and eventually disbanded, James was persistent and eventually found herself a deal with the infamous, Chicago-based blues/R&B/gospel label Chess Records. It was 1960, and she had a record deal. James produced some fine early hits during this period-"All I Could Do Was Cry," "Trust in Me" and "Something's Got a Hold On Me" standing out quite prominently from this decade. In 1967, she recorded "Tell Mama," one of her most beloved songs.Issuing releases almost yearly since the start of her career, James passed through a vast series of musical phases, including everything from pop to rock, soul, and gospel. The variety in her music, combined with her amazing pipes, earned her a solid base of listeners that hung on her every word when she sang. Her output will tell you how she maintained such a loyal fan base. With songs that are both painfully honest and imbued with deep emotion, James was an extraordinary performer who could get you moving, laughing, crying or loving.In the ‘90s, Etta James began to explore jazz stylings, mixing up her ever unpredictable output even further. In 2001, she was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, cementing her legacy as an R&B performer. She continued recording, issuing the covers album All the Way in 2006, which included some very modern and unexpected choices, such as Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On?" and Prince's "Purple Rain".