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.
O Holy Night
Etta James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O holy night, O night divine!
Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
In "O Holy Night," Etta James sings about the night of Jesus' birth and the hope and joy it brought to a weary world. The stars are shining brightly, and the long-awaited redeemer has finally come, bringing with him the Holy Spirit which had been missing from the world. The lyrics encourage the listener to fall to their knees and hear the angel voices that herald the arrival of the divine child. It is a night of awe and reflection, both for those who stand in the presence of the manger and those who hear the story told through this song.
The second verse speaks of the wise men who came to see the baby Jesus, led by the light of faith. They bring gifts to the newborn King, recognizing him as the Lord of all. The lyrics also remind us that Jesus was born to be our friend, someone who understands our needs and weaknesses. They urge us to bend low before him in reverence and gratitude. Finally, the song turns to the teachings of Jesus, reminding us that he taught us to love one another and live lives of peace. His sacrifice would ultimately break the chains of oppression and bring freedom to all people. The song ends with a cry to lift our voices in praise of his power and glory.
Line by Line Meaning
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
The night is serene with bright shining stars, signaling the arrival of the savior.
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
The long awaited and cherished savior is finally born on this night.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
The world was lost in sin and mistakes, longing for redemption and salvation.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
With the appearance of the savior, the world was worth saving and the spirit rekindled.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
The exhausted world is filled with a hopeful feeling of excitement as the savior brings joy.
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
A new dawn is here, and it is beautiful and magnificent, full of grace and blessings.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
Kneel and listen to the angelic voices that announce the arrival of the savior.
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
This is the holy and divine night when the savior, Christ, was born.
O night, O holy night, O night divine!
This night is not just any night, but a holy and divine night filled with wonders and miracles.
Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
Guided by faith, with serene and radiant light shining through, we reach the savior.
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
Our hearts are overflowing with love and admiration as we stand by the savior's cradle.
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
A star shines sweetly over the world, guiding the wise men to the savior.
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The wise men from the East are coming to see the savior, guided by the star's light.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
The King of all kings is laid in a humble manger, showing his humility and love for all.
In all our trials born to be our friends.
The savior came into the world to be our friend, to help us through all our difficulties and challenges.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
The savior understands our needs and weaknesses, and is no stranger to our struggles.
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Look upon your King, and humble yourself before him.
Truly He taught us to love one another,
The savior's true teaching is to love one another, fostering kindness and compassion.
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
The savior's law is love, and his teachings bring peace to all who embrace them.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
The savior will break the chains of slavery, as all humans are brothers and sisters who deserve freedom.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
In the name of the savior, all oppression and tyranny will come to an end, promoting freedom and justice.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
We sing sweet and joyous hymns, with gratitude in our hearts and praises on our lips.
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
With all our hearts we lift our voices to praise and honor his holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
Christ is the Lord, and we will always praise him, now and forevermore.
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
We will proudly proclaim his power and glory forevermore, for he brings light and hope to all who believe.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Adolphe Adam
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Samir
Best version ever and ever!!!!!!
Blanca Santiago
muy bonita felicidades
Wendy Ridgway
Sing
It, Miss Etta. Best version EVER. 🎄🧑🏼🎄❄️
Shane Shipman
Blessed be!
Kim Sobat
wonderful
Fabio Max
very very nice
Mary Cunningham
Noël!