American soul legend Etta James dies

Legendary soul singer Etta James has passed away at the age of 73. Her friend and manager Lupe De Leon, confirmed she died of complications from leukemia, with her husband and her sons by her side.

She was diagnosed with leukemia in 2010 and also suffered from dementia and hepatitis C.

As a teenager, Etta James got her big break into music with the song The Wallflower (Roll With Me, Annie). It went straight to the top of the R&B charts in 1955. In 1960, she joined Chess Records and had a string of pop hits.

Some of her most memorable tracks include Something’s Got a Hold on Me, A Sunday Kind of Love and Stormy Weather. Arguably her most famous song is the epic ballad At Last.

Her career suffered in the 1960s as British pop bands dominated the charts but she made a comeback when she started recording at Rick Hall’s Fame studios, with songs such as Tell Mama and I’d Rather Go Blind.

Etta James was a towering presence in rock, blues and R&B. Lucy O’Brien

“Etta James was a towering presence in rock, blues and R&B,” music critic and author Lucy O’Brien told Channel 4 News.

“In an industry where many female artists fall into obscurity or give up, she had remarkable staying power and strength, and the extent of her achievement is only just being understood.”

She went into rehab in the 1970s with drug problems but made a second comeback with the album Seven Year Itch in 1988.

James also had a UK hit in the 1990s with her version of I Just Want to Make Love to You, originally written by by Muddy Waters, which was famously used in the Diet Coke adverts.

Beyonce played Etta James in the 2008 film Cadillac Records. However, after Beyonce sang At Last at President Barack Obama’s 2009 inaugural ball, James said: “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.

Fans of Etta James, including celebrities and singers, took to Twitter to pay their respects to the soul star.

British musician Jessie J tweeted: “Just been told the legend that is Etta James has passed. Thank you for your voice your dedication.”

Katy Perry posted: “RIP Etta James, talented woman with a beautiful voice.”

We've been asking you on Twitter which Etta James song we should play on tonight's Channel 4 News. You voted for At Last. But the Editor wanted I'd Rather Be Blind, so here it is: