Etta James Dies at 73

(CNN) -- Etta James, whose assertive, earthy voice lit up such hits as "The Wallflower," "Something's Got a Hold on Me" and the wedding favorite "At Last," has died, according to her longtime friend and manager, Lupe De Leon. She was 73.

She died from complications from leukemia with her husband, Artis Mills, and her sons by her side, De Leon said.

She was diagnosed with leukemia in 2010, and also suffered from dementia and hepatitis C. James died at a hospital in Riverside, California. She would have turned 74 Wednesday.

" This is a tremendous loss for the family, her friends and fans around the world," De Leon said. "She was a true original who could sing it all -- her music defied category.

"I worked with Etta for over 30 years. She was my friend and I will miss her always."

The powerhouse singer, known as "Miss Peaches," lived an eventful life. She first hit the charts as a teenager, taking "The Wallflower (Roll With Me, Henry)" -- an "answer record" to Hank Ballard's "Work With Me, Annie" -- to No. 1 on the R&B charts in 1955. She joined Chess Records in 1960 and had a string of R&B and pop hits, many with lush string arrangements. After a mid-decade fade, she re-emerged in 1967 with a more hard-edged, soulful sound.

Throughout her career, James overcame a heroin addiction, opened for the Rolling Stones, won six Grammys and was voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Despite her ups and downs -- including a number of health problems -- she maintained an optimistic attitude.

"Most of the songs I sing, they have that blue feeling to it. They have that sorry feeling. And I don't know what I'm sorry about," she told CNN's Denise Quan in 2002. "I don't!"

Through it all, she was a spitfire beloved by contemporaries and young up-and-comers.

"Etta James is unmanageable, and I'm the closest thing she's ever had to a manager," Lupe DeLeon, her manager of 30-plus years, told CNN in admiration.

British songstress Adele named James as one of her favorite singers, along with Aretha Franklin.


"If you were to look up the word singer in the dictionary, you'd see their names," Adele said in an interview.


Etta James was born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles to a teen mother and unknown father. (She suspected her father was the pool player Minnesota Fats.)


Her birth mother initially took little responsibility and James was raised by a series of people, notably a pair of boardinghouse owners. But she was recognized from a young age for her booming voice, showcased in a South Central Los Angeles church.


In 1950, her mother took her to San Francisco, where James formed a group called the Peaches. Singer Johnny Otis, best known for "Willie and the Hand Jive," discovered her and had her sing a song he wrote using Ballard's tune as a model. "The Wallflower," with responses from "Louie Louie" songwriter Richard Berry, made James an R&B star.


Her signing to Chess introduced her to a broader audience, as the record label's co-owner, Leonard Chess, believed she should do pop hits. Among her recordings were "Stormy Weather," the Lena Horne classic originally from 1933; "A Sunday Kind of Love," which dates from 1946; and most notably, "At Last," a 1941 number that was originally a hit for Glenn Miller.


James' version of "At Last" starts out with swooning strings and the singer enters with confident gusto, dazzlingly maintaining a mood of joy and romance. Though the song failed to make the Top 40 upon its 1961 release -- though it did hit the R&B Top 10 -- its emotional punch has long made it a favorite at weddings.


James' career suffered in the mid-'60s when the British Invasion took over the pop charts and as she fought some personal demons. But she got a boost when she started recording at Rick Hall's FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Her hits included the brassy "Tell Mama" and the raw "I'd Rather Go Blind," the latter later notably covered by Rod Stewart.


She entered rehab in the 1970s for her drug problem but re-established herself with live performances and an album produced by noted R&B mastermind Jerry Wexler. After another stint in rehab -- this time at the Betty Ford Clinic -- she made a comeback album, "Seven Year Itch," in 1988.


James mastered a range of styles -- from R&B and soul to jazz and blues -- but she was always one step behind the popular genre of the day, said Michael Coyle, a Colgate University professor who has written about jazz and R&B and reviews records for Cadence Magazine.


"She never really got her moment in the sun," Coyle said.


But James soldiered on, and by the end of her life she had made so much meaningful music that she was considered a living legend. "By the mid-'90s, she's survived so long that people start to look up to her," Coyle said.


James was portrayed by pop star Beyonce in the 2008 film "Cadillac Records," about Chess. After Beyonce sang "At Last" at one of President Barack Obama's 2009 inaugural balls, James lashed out: "I can't stand Beyonce. She had no business up there singing my song that I've been singing forever." She later told the New York Daily News she was joking.


Earlier this year, news reports revealed that the singer's estate was being contested in a legal struggle between her husband, Artis Mills, and son Donto James. (Donto and her other son, Sametto, both played in her band.)


Over the years, James had her share of health problems. In the late 1990s she reportedly weighed more than 400 pounds and required a scooter to get around. In 2003 she had gastric bypass surgery and dropped more than half the weight, according to People magazine.


However, until her latest issues, James maintained a steady touring schedule and appeared full of energy even when sitting down -- as she sometimes did on stage, due to bad knees and her weight battles.


Even while sitting down, James gave it her all on stage, singing as though possessed, caressing every note like a long-lost love. If that seemed a little much to critics, well, the legendary singer had a show to put on, she told Quan.


"They said that Etta James is still vulgar," she said in the 2002 interview. "I said, 'Oh, how dare 'em say I'm still real vulgar! I'm vulgar because I dance in the chair?' What would they want me to do? Want me to just be still or something like that?


"I gotta do something."

New Springsteen album, "Wrecking Ball," coming in March

Bruce Springsteen finally announced the details of his highly anticipated 17th studio album on Thursday. The latest release is called Wrecking Ball and will hit shelves on March 6th. Additionally, Bruce released a stream of the lead single "We Take Care Of Our Own" on his official website.


"Bruce has dug down as deep as he can to come up with this vision of modern life," Springsteen's manager Jon Landau said in a statement. "The lyrics tell a story you can't hear anywhere else and the music is his most innovative of recent years. The writing is some of the best of his career and both veteran fans and those who are new to Bruce will find much to love on Wrecking Ball."

February 23rd:The George Harrison Guitar Collection

An ipad app will be released on iTunes on February 23rd, two days before George's birthday featuring George's guitars and many other in-depth features including audio of him telling stories about the guitar.  Go to his website here to read more and see a short video on the project George Harrison.

Bands you need to know: Alabama Shakes

Alabama Shakes, the rock and soul group who rose from obscurity to playing marquee venues without an album in 2011, will release their first full-length debut, Boys & Girls, on April 10^th courtesy of ATO Records.  

Relix reported that the Alabama Shakes were discovered by Patterson Hood (Drive-By Truckers) and toured last year with the North Mississippi Allstars, which quickly scored the band high critical acclaim from various music publications such as The New York Times, Paste Magazine, and Relix/Jambands.com.

Alabama Shakes have a busy schedule ahead…On February 7, the group will make their television debut on Conan O’Brien’s late night talk show.

In addition, Jack White’s Third Man Records has also chosen the Alabama Shakes to kick off its series of live 45 releases.

The two-song 7” from the band’s fall 2011 session at Third Man in Nashville is due out in late January.

Here’s the track listing from the Alabama Shakes upcoming debut album:

Hold On

I Found You

Hang Loose

Rise To The Sun

You Ain’t Alone

Goin’ To The Party

Heartbreaker

Boys & Girls

Be Mine

I Ain’t The Same

On Your Way

Bruce Springsteen plays surprise set at New Jersey benefit concert

By ANDY GREENE, Rolling Stone

To someone passing by the Paramount Theater in Asbury Park last night, the sight of fans standing in the freezing cold, desperately pleading with complete strangers for extra tickets probably seemed a little odd. After all, the biggest names on the bill for the Light of Day Parkinson's benefit were David Bromberg, Garland Jeffreys and Southside Johnny. They'd probably be even more shocked to learn that the face value of tickets ranged from $47 to $381, and the show sold out in seconds. 

The vintage Bruce Springsteen shirts that some of the fans were wearing would be a good clue as to what was going on. Anyone who lives in New Jersey knows that anytime any artist plays anywhere near Asbury Park rumors start flying that Bruce might show up. Usually he doesn't - but the Light of Day is a different story. He's been to nearly every one since the benefit shows began in 2000, and since the concerts got upgraded from tiny clubs to the Paramount Theater a few years ago, Springsteen's presence has pretty much been a guarantee. Some fans actually travel in from Europe for the show. I imagine that they did not leave disappointed. 

The night began with sets by local acts RockNRoll Chorus and Lisa Bouchelle, though I didn't get to my seat until shortly before Joe D'Urso & Stone Caravan began to play around 7:45 PM. Like many acts on the bill, D'Urso is a regional artist with a long history of playing on the Jersey Shore, but not a lot of national recognition. His energetic set featured his original composition "Noisy Guitars," which he mashed up with The Ramones' "I Wanna Be Sedated." He wrapped it up with a lovely rendition of the Steve Van Zandt-penned "All I Needed Was You," which Southside Johnny recorded on his 1991 disc Better Days. 

Next up was Garland Jeffreys, a New York songwriter who cut a series of acclaimed albums in the 1970s, but never moved beyond a cult audience. His set focused on material from his new LP The King of In Between, though at the end he did break out a great cover of "96 Tears" by Question Mark & The Mysterians. "I have a special guest in from the country," Jeffreys said shortly before wrapping up his thirty minute set. "I'd like to invite him onstage…Mr. Bruce Springsteen!" The crowd instantly jumped from their seats like they'd been electrocuted, and out came a ludicrous number of cellphone cameras. Springsteen added some tasty guitar licks to Jeffreys' most famous song "Wild In The Streets," which was memorably covered by the Circle Jerks in the early 1980s. You could feel the collective sigh of relief from everyone who dropped $381 on a ticket with the (well-placed) hope that Springsteen was going to show up.

John Eddie - yet another longtime Jersey Shore rocker who never quite made it big - had the difficult task of following that up. Eddie started in the 1980s recording Springsteen-like songs (even working with the E Street Band at the behest of his label), but his recent work has shifted more toward country rock. Kid Rock covered his song "Lowlife" on his mega-hit album Rock N Roll Jesus in 2007. "For the first time in my life, my rent was paid on time," Eddie said to the crowd before playing his own rendition of the tune. Eddie deserved that windfall. He's a great performer, and his ode to alcohol "I'm Gonna Drink You Pretty" had the entire crowd laughing and singing along.

Folk icon David Bromberg was originally billed as the headliner of the show, but after the schedule was laid out he wound up playing fourth to last. He had the challenge of doing a quiet acoustic set accompanied only by a poorly-amplified trombone player to a crowd growing increasingly impatient to see Springsteen come back out. He won them over with his incredible fingerpicking, and his mash-up of "Bring It With Me When You Come" with "Wooly Bully." 

After some filibustering by by the show's host, Vincent "Big Pussy" Pastore, the curtain lifted and Willie Nile and his band began a blistering set. At the risk of sounding repetitive, Nile is another critically acclaimed New York rocker who released a series of well-regarded albums in the early 1980s but never managed to reach a wide audience. His original song "Cell Phones Ringing In The Pockets of the Dead" and a great punk medley of "Blitzkrieg Bop/California Sun/Sheena Is A Punk Rocker" had the entire crowd on their feet, and just when they were about to sit down, his close friend Bruce Springsteen came out to play guitar and sing background vocals on the Nile-original "One Guitar." Nile often comes onstage at the end of Springsteen concerts, so it was nice to see Bruce return the favor. 

Southside Johnny's new group Southside Johnny And The Poor Fools were a late addition to the bill. Featuring E Street Band violinist Soozie Tyrell, the group performs stripped-down, acoustic versions of songs from Southside Johnny's vast catalog. Classics like "Love On The Wrong Side Of Town," "This Time It's For Real" and "I Don't Want To Go Home" have been performed countless times in Asbury Park, but they never sounded this quiet and mournful. Tyrell took over on vocals for a cover of the Lucinda Williams tune "Can't Let Go," and they wrapped up with "Trapped Again." Springsteen co-wrote that song, but he stayed backstage during the entire set by his good buddy. Maybe Southside wanted to showcase his new band without the whole thing being overshadowed by Bruce.

The curtain rose for the final act of the night to reveal Bruce Springsteen standing alone with an acoustic guitar. For only the second time in his career, he played "Incident On 57th Street" solo acoustic. A wonderful moment like that often gets swallowed up in a giant arena, but in a tiny theater it was absolutely spellbinding. The crowd sang along to every word, and was clearly savoring every moment of the long, beautiful song. Bruce then went back into the wings and gave the stage to Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers. Joe's story is very different from many of the previous night's performers. Yes, he released a series of beloved albums in the early 1980s and was pegged as the "next big thing," only to get dropped from his label and fade into obscurity. Yes, he's a friend of Bruce Springsteen. But he's not from New York or New Jersey. He's from Pittsburgh. (For more on Grushecky, check out this article.)

After bringing out David Bromberg for a blues number, Grushecky kicked off his set with "East Carson Street." It's a wonderfully powerful song that explains why he never left Pittsburgh. "Please understand," he sang. "The roots they run deep. I can feel this town breathe. I can feel its heart beat…It's where I had my best times. Where I want to grow old." It's hard not to admire a guy who never gave up on his rock and roll dreams. He has a full-time job as a special education teacher in Pittsburgh, but he's out playing bars and clubs whenever his schedule allows. About twice a year, however, he gets to play with arguably the single biggest rock star in the country. 

The camera phones came back out when Springsteen walked onstage to join Grushecky and the Houserockers for "Darkness On The Edge of Town." This is the seventh time that Springsteen has performed with this group since the last E Street Band tour ended in late 2009, and by this point they have the routine down cold. Bruce and Joe take turns leading the band as they alternate between Springsteen classics and songs that Joe and Bruce wrote together in the 1990s. Special attention was played to Darkness On The Edge of Town, with the group breaking out "Adam Raised A Cain" and the recently resurrected outtake "Save My Love." 

The highlight of the entire set may have been the back to back Nebraska songs "Atlantic City" and "Johnny 99." Both are stark, depressing songs about men with "debts no honest man can pay" who are reduced to crime. But they played them both like party anthems, with Springsteen jumping on top of the drum riser, teasing the crowd with false endings and guitar solo after guitar solo. It was absolutely incredible. If the much-fabled electric Nebraska actually exists, they really should release that thing one day. The world needs a Bruce Springsteen Bootleg Series. 

Before kicking into "Because The Night," Bruce called Willie Nile, John Eddie and Garland Jeffreys back to the stage. By this point it was well past 1:00 AM and much of the crowd had been there since the show began at 6:30 PM. Nobody seemed to mind in the least, though there must have been some babysitters in New Jersey last night making a killing on overtime pay. Springsteen dove into the crowd to lead a sing-along on "Waiting On A Sunny Day," and after the Grusecky original "Pumping Iron," Max Weinberg ran onstage and took over on drums for the concert's theme song "Light of Day." Every performer from the night came out of the wings to sing along, and they stuck around for a chaotic "Promised Land." 

It was now 2:00 AM and that sure seemed like a closer, but Bruce called out for "Twist and Shout" that went for a predictably long time. Big Pussy got in on the fun, walking to the center of the stage and breaking out some dance moves. Even the Bruce hardcores seemed drained at this point, but Springsteen was still a beam of energy. Someone brought out a birthday cake for Light of Day founder (and Parkinson's sufferer) Bob Benjamin, and Bruce shared some hysterical memories of how he met Bob at the opening date of the Darkness On The Edge of Town tour in Buffalo in 1978. "I was stalking you," Benjamin admitted. 

The night ended with a sing-along version of "Thunder Road." Like at last year's Light of Day, the crowd managed to almost completely drown out Springsteen. I've heard the song countless times, but it always takes on a special meaning at events like this. The song may be about a man trying to flee a "town full of losers," but last night it was about that town coming together to battle a horrible disease and throw a giant party. It was Springsteen's first appearance of 2012, and hopefully the kick-off of a busy and productive year. 

|

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/bruce-springsteen-plays-surprise-set-at-new-jersey-benefit-concert-20120115#ixzz1jiUACYem

For the Rev. Martin Luther King...

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

On the turntable this Sunday...Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is the eponymous debut album by the band of the same name, released in late 1976.

Initially following its release, the album received little attention in the United States. Following a British tour, it climbed to #24 on the UK album chart and the single "Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll" became a hit in the UK. After nearly a year and many positive reviews, the album reached the U.S. charts, where it climbed to #55 in 1978 and eventually went Gold. The single "Breakdown" cracked the Top 40 in the U.S. and "American Girl" became an FM radio staple which can still be heard today.

The album was recorded and mixed at the Shelter Studio, Hollywood, California.

All songs were written by Tom Petty, except where noted.

Side One:

1. "Rockin' Around (With You)" (Petty, Mike Campbell) – 2:26
2. "Breakdown" – 2:42
3. "Hometown Blues" – 2:12
4. "The Wild One, Forever" – 3:01
5. "Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll" – 2:24

Side Two:

1. "Strangered in the Night" – 3:30
2. "Fooled Again (I Don't Like It)" – 3:49
3. "Mystery Man" – 3:02
4. "Luna" – 3:57
5. "American Girl" – 3:31