James was born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles, California, on 25th January 1938, to an unmarried fourteen-year-old mother, Dorothy Hawkins. According to Etta, her mother claimed that her father was the white Rudolph "Minnesota Fats" Wanderone, and that they received financial support from him on the condition that they keep his paternity a secret. This seems unlikely, though it has not been definitively disproved. Etta was born in Los Angeles in 1938. At the time, Wanderone was known to be managing a pool hall in Washington, D.C. and had not yet become known to be the cross-country traveller he later became.
She received her first professional vocal training at five years old from James Earle Hines, musical director of the Echoes of Eden choir at St Paul Baptist Church in Los Angeles. Her family moved to San Francisco in 1950, and she teamed up with two other girls to form a doo-wop singing group. When the girls were fourteen, band leader Johnny Otis had them audition. They sang an answer to Hank Ballard's "Work with Me, Annie" called "Roll Wwth Me Henry". Otis particularly liked the song, and against her mother's wishes, James and the trio went to Los Angeles to record the song in 1954. The song was recorded on the label Modern Records. By this time, the trio renamed the song "The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry)" and released it in 1955. James named her vocal group The Peaches. Richard Berry, a Los Angeles doo-wop luminary, is featured on some of their records.
"The Wallflower" reached number two on the rhythm and blues charts in February 1955, but was undercut in the wider market by a rushed-out cover version by Georgia Gibbs on Mercury Records; in fact, the very first time Gibbs was recorded in studio, they used the first take recorded and it became number one on the top 100 songs nationally. The song's royalties were divided between Hank Ballard, Etta James, and Johnny Otis, and its huge success attracted the attention of the R&B world, resulting in James going on tour with Little Richard. On the tour, though, according to James, she witnessed and experienced situations to which minors are not usually privy, and she allegedly acquired a drug habit.
Soon after the success of "Wallflower", The Peaches and James parted company, but this did not halt her career. Shecontinued to record and release albums throughout much of the decade, and enjoyed more success. Her follow-up, "Good Rockin' Daddy", became another fifties hit. Other songs however, such as "Tough Lover" and "W-O-M-A-N" failed to gain any significant success. James toured with Johnny "Guitar" Watson and Otis Redding in the fifties, and has cited Watson as the most significant influence on her style..
In 1960, James signed a recording contract with Chess Records. She went on to have the biggest success of her career from this label, recording her biggest and most memorable hits. Chess went into high gear with James, releasing many duets with her then boyfriend, the married Harvey Fuqua, who was the lead singer of the Moonglows. One of her duets with Fuqua, "If I Can't Have You", became a hit on the R&B charts in 1960. As a solo artist however, she had more enduring success. One of her first singles released by Chess in 1960 was called "All I Could Do Was Cry"; this blues number became a big hit on the R&B charts in 1960. Leonard Chess, one of the founders of Chess Records, helped James along the way. He saw the potential for her to go in a more pop-oriented direction, and she started recording more pop tunes for the label.
The year 1961 became a year of great change for James. In 1961 came the release of one of her first pop-oriented tunes called "At Last". The song became a big hit in 1961, reaching number two on the R&B charts. The song even went as far as twenty-two on the pop charts that year. It became her signature song. Other songs, such as "Trust in Me", also became hits, and the 1962 tune "Something's Got a Hold On Me" showed more of James' gospel side, a genre she had sung since childhood.
She had other big hits in the 1960s, but mainly on the R&B charts: the song "Pushover" in 1963 and "Stop the Wedding", "Fool That I Am", and "Don't Cry Baby", were hits for her between 1961 and 1963. Her 1963 album Etta James Rocks the House, recorded at Nashville's "New Era" club, also gave her career a boost. James then became one of the most successful R&B artists of the 1960s, having many more top ten and top twenty hit singles. Performing in Memphis, Tennessee helped make her into a blues icon.
In 1967, James released her next hit single, "Tell Mama", and it became a top ten hit on the R&B charts. After a dry period of no hits for almost four years, the song once more made James a household name. The follow-up, "Security", was also a success, and proved that James had staying power on the charts again. Whilst less success came for James after this hit, she was still on the charts regularly and, despite the death of Leonard Chess, stayed with the Chess label into 1975. Towards the end of the Chess years though, she went into more rock-based songs. She recorded for many other labels, and continued to release albums, such as 1978's Deep In the Night on Atlantic Records.
Despite a dry period during the early to mid 1980s, James got back on track and began to record music again. She received accolades for her 1981 rendition of Randy Newman's "God's Song". Her 1988 album Seven Year Itch proved this comeback capability; the album showed more of her soul side. In 1989, she recorded the song "Avenue D" with David A. Stewart of Eurythmics. The song was featured on the soundtrack to the Robert Wise film Rooftops. She also performed with the Grateful Dead for two shows in 1982. In the 1990s she continued to record and perform. Her albums widely varied in styles and genres. Her 1992 album, The Right Time, was another soul album that was released by Elektra Records. She also began to record more jazz, which became the style for many of her 1990s albums.
Drug-related and romantic problems interfered with her career, but James managed to maintain a career throughout the latter half of the twentieth century. Later in life, she struggled with obesity, experiencing mobility and knee problems. In 2003, she underwent gastric bypass surgery.
In 2011, a vocal sample from Etta's "Something's Got a Hold on Me" was used in "Levels" by Avicii. "Levels" became a monster EDM hit, making Etta's "sometimes I get a good feeling" one of the most recognizable samples in 21st century music.
She died on 20th January 2012.
I'll Be Seeing You
Etta James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That this heart of mine embraces all day through
In that small cafe, the park across the way
The children's carousel, the chestnut trees, the wishing well
I'll be seeing you in every lovely summer's day
In everything that's light and gay
I'll always think of you that way
And when the night is new
I'll be looking at the moon
But I'll be seeing you
I'll find you in the morning sun
And when the night is new
I'll be looking at the moon
But I'll be seeing you
Etta James's song, "I'll Be Seeing You," is a poignant tune about the heartache that comes with separation from a loved one. The lyrics describe the singer's longing to see someone who is no longer with them. The song paints a vivid picture of the familiar places where the singer and the person used to spend time together, such as a small cafe, the park across the way, the children's carousel, the chestnut trees, and the wishing well. The singer knows that he or she will see the person he or she is missing in all these places, even if it's just in memories.
The lyrics also highlight how the singer feels the presence of the person even in things that are "light and gay," such as summer days. The line "I'll always think of you that way" emphasizes that the person is constantly on the singer's mind, even in happy moments. The final verse speaks to the singer's determination to keep looking for the person, even if it's just in the morning sun or the moon at night.
Overall, the song presents a universal theme of longing and heartache that many listeners can relate to. Through its vivid imagery and emotional lyrics, "I'll Be Seeing You" captures the power of memory and the way that the people we love stay with us, even when they're gone.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll be seeing you in all the old familiar places
I'll think of you whenever I visit familiar places that I love.
That this heart of mine embraces all day through
You are always in my thoughts and my heart cherishes our memories together.
In that small cafe, the park across the way
I'll remember you when I sip coffee at our favorite cafe, and when I stroll in the nearby park.
The children's carousel, the chestnut trees, the wishing well
Even little things like this carousel, chestnut trees, and wishing well remind me of you.
I'll be seeing you in every lovely summer's day
On every beautiful summer day, my thoughts and heart will always bring you to mind.
In everything that's light and gay
Even in happy and lighthearted moments, you'll be with me in my memories and thoughts.
I'll always think of you that way
I'll never stop thinking of you in those happy and loving ways.
I'll find you in the morning' sun
Your light and love will always shine, just like the morning sun.
And when the night is new
When the night falls and everything's quiet.
I'll be looking at the moon
Even as I look up at the moon and admire its beauty...
But I'll be seeing you
...my thoughts and heart will still be focused on seeing you.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: IRVING KAHAL, SAMMY FAIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rick Artdefoix
Great Etta James set up a milestone recording of this song. Some may find it better than the well known Carmen McRae one. With her deep and powerful voice Etta lead us to peaks of emotion. So much that it is not easy to think in someone so moving as Etta James could be. In everything she did, soul, ballads, blues or jazz, her voice was the dominating one. That velvet and harsh at once sound, remains familiar and unique to all of us who loved her. And the two cds she dedicated to Billie's music stands among the best jazz music ever recorded. Do not miss them. They are forever.
Mark Kubiak
Thanks, Axel! I'm going to order them right now. She's amazing!!
Selden Newton
A great singer and a great band
JG R
this is the best & most complete version of this lovely song
snowstorm5590
couldn't agree more ❤
Michele Mcguire
The first time I ever heard this song was in a commercial..I fell in love with it..❣️ and I just had to add it to my list..if you're a mother.. happy mother's day 🌹🌸
I've never heard this song.. until the last week..I'm 61..going On 62,on 5-26-21.
Cecile Kayijuka
My favourite version of one my favourite songs. R.I.P. Etta James
peginpalatine
Love Etta and this song!
wonkguy
Fell in love with this version years ago with an album I bought at Starbucks. Haven't been able to find it anywhere. Thanks!
Clint Jones
This album is bomb!