"When I'm performing for the people, I am me, then. I am that little girl who, when she was five years old, used to sing at church. Or I'm that 15-year-old young lady who wanted to be grown and wanted to sing and couldn't wait to be smokin' a cigarette, you know?"
Etta James was an American singer whose work spanned blues, rhythm and blues, soul, and jazz. She is best known for songs including At Last and Tell Mama and for her powerful vocal style. She received multiple Grammy Awards and broad critical recognition.