Etta James dies aged 73
Etta James, whose sizzling rendition of "At Last" made her the favorite of several generations, died Friday at age 73 in California after a long illness, with her sons Donto and Sametto, and her husband, Artis Mills, at her side. She would have turned 74 on Wednesday.
"So sorry to hear about Etta," Aretha Franklin said. "Etta James was one of the great soul singers of our generation. An American original! I loved 'Pushover,' 'At Last' and almost any and everything she recorded!!! When Etta sung, you heard it!"
James was out on the chitlin' circuit singing from her early teen years, and she and Little Willie John were notorious for acting up on the tour bus, throwing spitballs at the older performers.