American R&B/soul contralto vocalist. Born: January 25, 1938 Died: January 20, 2012 Etta James was discovered as a teenager by Johnny Otis, with her first hit in 1955. She recorded for Modern Records and Kent Records for the remainder of the 50s. She signed with Chess in 1960, recording with them until 1976. From 1965 to the mid 70s she battled heroin addiction. In 1978 she recorded the Jerry Wexler produced "Deep in the Night", which was her final recording until 1988, returning to the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio to record "Seven Years Itch". From 1988 through 2006, she recorded frequent albums. She was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. In 2008, the movie "Cadillac Records" told the story of her career through the late 70s, with her role being played by Beyoncé Knowles, who also recorded some of James' songs for the soundtrack.