By Joseph Akahome
Mourners trooped out in large numbers in Los Angeles, California, United States of America, to pay their last respects to legendary Rhythm and Blues singer, Etta James, who died January 20, 2012, at the age of 73.
Celebrities who were present at the solemn occasion included Stevie Wonder, Christina Aguilera and civil rights leader, Rev. Al Sharpton.
Al Sharpton gave a rousing speech about her rise from poverty and drug addiction to make music that crossed racial divides.
He read a statement from US President Barack Obama, who praised her part in ‘our nation’s musical heritage’.
‘Etta will be remembered for her legendary voice and her contributions to our nation’s musical heritage‘, Mr Obama said.
‘Etta James helped break down the culture curtain of America before the Civil Rights Act of 1964‘, he said. ‘She was able to get us to sing the same rhythms and melodies.’
Stevie Wonder and Christina Aguilera paid tributes to the late singer by performing some of her hits.
‘Out of all the singers that I’ve ever heard, she was the one that cut right to my soul and spoke to me‘, said Aguilera before her performance.
Etta James died on 20 January after battling leukaemia. She leaves husband Artist Mills and and two sons Donto and Sametto.
Born Jamesetta Hawkins, the legendary singer started her career in the mid-1950s, and gained fame with hits such as ‘Dance With Me, Henry‘, ‘At Last‘, ‘Tell Mama‘, and ‘I’d Rather Go Blind‘. She faced a number of personal problems, including drug addiction, before making a musical resurgence in the late 1980s with the album ‘The Seven Year Itch‘.
She is the recipient of six Grammy awards and 17 Blues Music Awards. She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, the Blues Hall of Fame in 2001, and the Grammy Hall of Fame in both 1999 and 2008.
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