Legendary singer, Etta James, whose famous song, At Last, was performed by Beyoncé at Barack Obama's swearing in ceremony in 2009, passed away on January 20, 2012.

"Life is like a song" Etta James used to sing. Like every song, even the most beautiful ones, Etta James's life came to an end, in Los Angeles. Struck by leukemia and Alzheimer, the great rhythm and blues singer got a Hollywood film ending to a life of glamour and drama, one wrought with addictions and sad love stories.

James Etta Hawkins was born in 1938 in Los Angeles. Her mother was only 14 at her birth and Etta was raised by a host of strangers, neighbours and distant relatives.

She never got to know her father's real identity, although she was convinced he was a famous billiard champion, Minnesota Fats. Already at the age of 5 James flexed her vocal muscles at the Saint-Paul's Baptist church gospel choir. As an adolescent she would turn into more secular music.

At 15, Etta was discovered by the impresario Johnny Otis, who passed away on December 17, 2011 – a month before Etta. Otis produced her first single The Wall Flower, a song that whipped up a massive uproar scandal due to its rather evocative content.

The Wall Flower became a hit, reaching the top of the charts in 1954. However, and as was often the case, songs performed by black singers were often remade by white singers who performed a "softer" version of the song in order to reach a larger, mainly White, market. In 1960, James signed with Chess Records, where she recorded hit songs like All I Could Do Is Cry, Trust in Me, The Fool That I Am, and last but not least the album Tell Mama, from 1968.

Had it not been for Aretha Franklin, Etta James would have been the queen of soul

Musically James did not conform to any genre really. Her deep and sultry voice accompanied by her powerful breath allowed her to adopt various styles. Although she was considered as a Rhythm and Blues singer in the 1950s, it was by singing commercial pop that she shot to fame. Not least through songs like At Last from 1961.

I cannot stand Beyoncé

In 1995 James was awarded a Grammy for best jazz album, a Billie Holiday cover. And even though she gained international recognition, James never really made it to the forefront.

According to Michael Cole, a jazz specialist, "she has always been one step away from popular acclaim. Had it not been for Aretha Franklin, Etta James would have been the queen of soul."

In the 1970s, stuck in a heroine and alcohol abuse, James was in and out of rehab. Those years also marked her comeback with some very successful stage performances.

In 1978 she opened for the Rolling Stones, but it was not until 1988 that she went back into the recording studio. In 2003 she received another Grammy Award in the category of best contemporary blues album, Let's Roll. The last couple of months before her death, she was determined to finish her last album – The Dreamer (in stores now).

Etta James, a class act, was often invited to several famous music festivals. She has influenced artists like Janis Joplin and Tina Turner, and more recently the Late Amy Winehouse and Beyoncé.

The latter incarnated Miss James in the 2008 movie Cadillac Records and for President Barack Obama's swearing-in ceremony where she performed At Last. But James was not easy to please. "I cannot stand Beyoncé", she said, as she mocked the president "with them big ears".

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