R&B icon Etta James, who was known for her signature song “At Last,” died from complications of leukemia at a Riverside, Calif., hospital Friday morning.
With a golden voice full of both heartache and redemption, James became one of the most influential singers of her time. She was known for her bluesy riffs and slow-burning melodies, and inspired singers like Christina Aguilera and Bonnie Raitt. The woman with a fierce stubborn streak also spent much of her life fighting off personal demons, including drug addiction and obesity.
Paramedics rushed the 73-year-old platinum-blonde songstress to Park View Hospital at 6 p.m. Thursday from her ranch-style home in Riverside County after she went into cardiac arrest, according to her live-in-physician, Dr. Elaine James. Dr. James, who is not related to the Grammy winner, said hospital staff resuscitated the singer twice before she passed away at 8 a.m. in the hospital’s emergency room.
“She was a very generous, fun-loving person,” said James. “I hope she is remembered mostly by her true calling: her singing her songs.”
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