Etta James, the famous blues singer whose music spanned several genres, died on Friday after a battle with leukemia and several other illnesses. She was 73.
The soulful singer is famous for her songs “At Last,” “Tell Mamma,” “I’d Rather Go Blind,” “Something’s Got A Hold On Me,” and dozens of other songs.
James was diagnosed with leukemia in 2010 and she was considered terminally ill, according to her live-in doctor, Dr. Elaine James who is not related to the singer.
In an interview last month with The Press Enterprise, the doctor said James was suffering from “many medical problems,” adding that the diagnosis was also made by an oncologist and an internist at a local hospital.
James was also suffering from dementia and chronic kidney disease, her doctor said.
She died at a hospital in Riverside, California, according to reports.
The powerful singer won four Grammy Awards in her lifetime and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. James suffered from drug addiction during her career and battled back to open for the Rolling Stones in 1978.
Her voice spanned several genres—blues, jazz and R&B—and she earned induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
Listen to Etta James:
