Music icon Etta James has passed away due to complications from the final stages of leukemia. At the age of 73, James was diagnosed with the blood cancer in 2010 and was also dealing with dementia and Hepatitis C when she was released from a California hospital recently to spend time with her family. She would have turned 74 on Wednesday, Jan. 25.
James is responsible for some of the most well-known songs of the last 60 years. Her cover of "At Last" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 and she was protrayed in the movie "Cadillac Records" by Beyonce.
She received six Grammys, including a Lifetime Achievement Award and several Blues Foundations awards. James has also been cited as an inspiration by multiple singers, including Adele and Christina Aguilera.
The legendary singer conquered several obstacles in her life. She overcame a heroine and painkiller addiction, fought through legal troubles, and battled obesity.
Struggles aside, James will most be remembered for producing some of the best jazz and soul ballads of all time.
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