Etta James (1938-2012) was a U.S. blues, soul, R&B, rock & roll, and jazz … Read Full Bio ↴Etta James (1938-2012) was a U.S. blues, soul, R&B, rock & roll, and jazz singer and songwriter. She is the winner of four Grammies, seventeen Blues Music Awards, and 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).

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.

In My Diary
Etta James Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

In my diary
A lot of things
I'm gonna write, write about
The moon and lonely night

In my diary
Oh it's gonna tell her about you
Tell her all your charms

And the things you do

Diaries are made
Of the things you do
And of the people we've met

Ohhhh, but my diary is about you
And I don't want to forget

In my diary
I write as plain
As plain as I get
A picture with words
So the world can understand
Ohhhh so they can understand

So the world, world, world, world, world, world
Can understand

Overall Meaning

The song "In My Diary" by Etta James is an emotive piece that highlights the power of memories and the written word. The lyrics speak of a diary where the singer intends to write down her thoughts about a special someone. The opening lines, "In my diary, a lot of things I'm gonna write, write about the moon and lonely night," suggest that the singer's thoughts are deep and somewhat melancholic. The moon and the lonely night serve as vivid symbols of loneliness and longing. The lyrics go on to describe the writer's desire to tell the diary about the charms of the person she loves, and the things they do. The diary is a repository of memories, and the writer doesn't want to forget any of them. That's why she writes as plainly as possible, using pictures and words that can be easily understood. She wants the world to know about this love, and the diary is the perfect place to capture these moments, to hold onto them, and to remember them forever.

What adds to the power of the song is the raw emotion that Etta James brings to the delivery of the lyrics. Her soulful voice perfectly captures the depth of her feelings, giving the song a timeless quality. It's also interesting to note that "In My Diary" was written by Leonard Chess and Phil Chess of Chess Records, which was James' record label, and was produced by Mike Akopoff.

Line by Line Meaning

In my diary
The lyrics start with the singer talking about their diary, indicating that they will soon start writing things in it.

A lot of things
The diary is going to contain a lot of things, which will likely include thoughts, feelings, and events.

I'm gonna write, write about
The singer is determined to write about things in their diary, as they find it to be a cathartic way of processing their life experiences.

The moon and lonely night
One of the things that the artist plans on writing about is the moon and feeling of loneliness associated with it.

Oh it's gonna tell her about you
The artist's diary is going to tell a specific person about the subject of the diary's entries, who appears to be a romantic interest.

Tell her all your charms
In the diary, the singer details the charms and qualities of this romantic interest, likely to try to better understand their own feelings towards them.

And the things you do
The diary entries will also include descriptions of the romantic interest's actions and behaviors, which could help the singer analyze their own perceptions of the relationship.

Diaries are made
This line acknowledges that diaries are a common way to record one's thoughts and experiences in a private and personal way.

Of the things you do
Diary entries often center around the things that one does, as these actions can have a significant impact on both individual experiences and relationships with others.

And of the people we've met
Diaries can also include descriptions and reflections on the people that one encounters, whether they be friends, family members, or romantic interests.

Ohhhh, but my diary is about you
Despite the wide range of possible subjects, this diary is specifically about the singer's romantic interest.

And I don't want to forget
The artist values their diary as a way to ensure they don't forget important experiences, thoughts, or feelings related to their romantic interest.

I write as plain
The singer describes their writing style as plain, suggesting that their aim is to communicate their thoughts and experiences as straightforwardly as possible.

As plain as I get
The singer emphasizes the plainness of their writing style once again here, emphasizing that they are not writing for show or to impress others.

A picture with words
Despite their plain writing style, the singer is still able to create a vivid picture with their words, which is likely a testament to their writing skills and ability to convey meaning efficiently.

So the world can understand
The artist emphasizes that their diary is written not just for their own personal use, but in a way that others can understand, suggesting that they may hope to share it with someone someday.

Ohhhh so they can understand
The artist emphasizes once more that they want others to be able to understand what they are writing, likely seeking validation or empathy from others.

So the world, world, world, world, world, world
The repetition of the word 'world' emphasizes the singer's desire to connect with a wider audience, and perhaps also suggests a certain degree of loneliness or isolation that they feel in their own life.

Can understand
The singer concludes the song by reiterating their hope that others will understand what they are writing in their diary.

Writer(s): M.a. Graham, M. Silverman

Contributed by Emily O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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