Soul legend Etta James has sadly passed away at the age of 73 after a lengthy battle against Leukemia. The icon, who was given a Grammy lifetime achievement award in 2004 for her influence on rock, soul, the blues and just music in general, enjoyed a brief revival in her career recently. Her legendary status was confirmed into history in 2008 when Beyonce sang her classic record, At Last, to President Obama and his wife Michelle at his inauguration.
James was a key figure in the formation of what we consider R&B music today and was most definitely an inspiration for artists like Beyonce. Winning award after award for her unique voice, At Last as a song continues to get plaudits, featuring at least once a year on X-Factor as yet another contestant tries to imitate her class.
She battled drug addiction and fought it, but could not beat Leukemia. Her manager announced on Friday that she died at Riverside Community Hospital in California with her two sons and husband by her side.
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