Lejzor Szmuel Czy (March 12, 1917 October 16, 1969), best known as Leonard Sam Chess, was a Polish-American record company executive and the co-founder of Chess Records. Rock 'n' Roll.) When her contract with Modern came up for renewal in 1960, she signed a contract with Chess Records instead, with which she would go on to become one of the label's earliest stars. James wrote or co-wrote several of her greatest songs. Hail! Cover of Etta James: The Essential Modern Records Collection, Chops: What Bassists Listen for in Drummers, The 10 Best Jazz Albums of the 1950s: Critics Picks, Year in Review: The Top 40 Jazz Albums of 2022, Year in Review: The Top 10 Historical Albums of 2022, Chops: What Bassists Listen for in Drummers. And, in 2008, Rolling Stone ranked her at number 22 in its rock-focused list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. [73] In 2003, she was given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. What is causing the plague in Thebes and how can it be fixed? [42] The following year, 1990, she received an NAACP Image Award, which is given for "outstanding achievements and performances of people of color in the arts;"[66] it was an award she cherished as it "was coming from my own people". 5 How many children did Leonard Chess have with Revetta Sloan? First, a key spoiler: Cadillac Records is not the story of Chess Records, the blues label started in Chicago in 1950 by brothers Leonard and Phil Chess that featured among its stable of. She is survived by her husband and her sons, Donto and Sametto. In time, other important artists signed with Chess Records, including Bo Diddley and Sonny Boy Williamson, while Willie Dixon and Robert Lockwood Jr. took on a significant role behind the scenes. He also takes issue with the onscreen love affair between Leonard and Etta James. Do you need underlay for laminate flooring on concrete? Chess vs. 'Cadillac': The Chicago story - Chicago Tribune With Fuqua, Etta went on to sing songs like I Just Want to Make Love to You, If I Cant Have You and later became the duo Betty & Dupree on Kent Records while also recording on Chess due to the lack of money they were paid on Chess. What did Leonard Chess son say about Etta James? A life long lover of music, Hope is a graduate of Full Sail University where she studied music engineering. [20] In 1963, she had another major hit with "Pushover" and released the live album Etta James Rocks the House, recorded at the New Era Club in Nashville, Tennessee. Two of her early songs have been given Grammy Hall of Fame Awards for "qualitative or historical significance": "At Last", in 1999,[72] and "The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry)" in 2008. Adrien, who played Leonard Chess, is considered to be one of the greatest male actors in the entertainment world. Dallas' independent source of 6 Who was the co-founder of Chess Records? On his release in 1981, the couple reunited. In 1960, Etta James (born Jamesetta Hawkins), a moody singer with a contralto voice as striking as the platinum-blond beehive hairdo she wore in one iconic publicity shot, joined the Chess. [53] Both were musicians and eventually performed professionally with their mother; Donto played drums at Montreux in 1993, and Sametto played bass guitar circa 2003, among other performances and tours. The album set a trend of incorporating more jazz elements in James's music. The Hollywood Blues: "Cadillac Records" | Vanity Fair In 2001, she was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, the latter for her contributions to the developments of both rock and roll and rockabilly. [19] Later that same year (1960), James released a second studio album, The Second Time Around. Adrien Brody portrays Leonard Chess, left, and Jeffrey Wright portrays Muddy Waters in a scene from "Cadillac Records." (Courtesy of Sony TriStar) "Cadillac Records" is a story . Revetta passed away in 1983, at age 64 in California, United States of America. They auditioned for the maverick R&B band leader Johnny Otis. Starting her career in 1954, she gained fame with hits such as "The Wallflower", "At Last", "Tell Mama", "Something's Got a Hold on Me", and "I'd Rather Go Blind". [citation needed] In her autobiography, she noted how impressed she was with the young singer's manners. Here's Where the Cast of 'Cadillac Records' Is Today - Distractify There's no Bo Diddley either, a woeful oversight for a film in need of his hubris and humor. In Otis's version, she came to his hotel after one of his performances in the city and persuaded him to audition her. [2], James's deep and earthy voice bridged the gap between rhythm and blues and rock and roll. The trauma of her foster father forcing her to sing under these humiliating circumstances caused her to have difficulties with singing on demand throughout her career. In another instance, Cadillac insinuates Ettas drug abuse stemming from her father issues. She won six Grammy Awards and 17 Blues Music Awards. [55] James was arrested in 1966 for writing bad checks. Phil Chess, Co-Founder Of Chess Records, Dies At 95 : NPR Legendary soul singer Etta James dead at 73 | Fox News It never happened. He even asked James, a longtime friend, and she told him, He kissed me on the cheek once.. This brought her to yet another audience. Theyoung superstar made adecent job of portraying her as a foul-mouthed, two-fisted singer, yet lacked the raging bull quality that made James sounforgettable. The true story is that in 1928, Lejzor and Fiszel Czy moved to the U.S. with the rest of their family from a small village named Motal in what's Belarus today. Etta James and Leonard Chess never had a romantic or sexual relationship, as the film suggests (although James did have an affair with the married Harvey Fugua of the Moonglows, yet another Chess . (He is, however, a central player in Jerry Zaks' Who Do You Love, the other Chess bio that had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.) have a nice afternoon! Who was the co-founder of Chess Records? In 2010, James received treatment for a dependency on painkillers. On October 16, 1969, a few months after selling his namesake label to General Recorded Tape, Leonard Chess died of a heart attack. What did Etta James say about Leonard Chess? Chess, a junkyard owner, dreams of opening a nightclub, which he does: the Macomba Lounge. In the early 1960s, Chess became involved in the broadcasting business as part owner of WVON-AM radio and later acquired WSDM-FM, both in Chicago. When paired with the right producer and material, she delivered superb albums: Seven Year Itch (1989), Matriarch of the Blues (2000) and even her swansong The Dreamer (2011) find her interpreting lyrics with grace and venom. (A far better place to start would be Nadine Cohodas' 2001 book, Spinning Blues Into Gold, about the Chess Brothersyes, both of them.) [38], James was diagnosed with leukemia in early 2011. In 1967 Leonard Chess, the founder ofChess Records, sent James to Alabama to record at Fame studios with the producer Rick Hall. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". But Etta James was no one-hit wonder. In 1995, her autobiography, A Rage to Survive, co-written with David Ritz, was published. Musician Bobby Murray toured with James for over 20 years. For those of you whove never read the the autobiography of Etta James, Rage To Survive, I stronglyencourage you tocheckout thisbook. They quickly went to Chicago to join their father, Joseph, who was already engaged in the liquor business, which was illegal at the height of Prohibition and controlled in Chicago by Al Capone. [12], James frequently performed in Nashville's famed R&B clubs on the so-called "Chitlin' Circuit" in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s.[13]. She was continuously in and out of rehabilitation centers, including the Tarzana Treatment Centers, in Los Angeles, California. James was a star, yet one seemingly set on self-destruction. Leonard Chess set new standards for the industry in artist development, deal making, networking, and marketing and promotion"[12] He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, posthumously, in the non-performer category.[13]. 4 When did Etta James move to Los Angeles? Just clear tips and lifehacks for every day, For instance, while the film plays heavily on a romantic relationship with Chess Records head, Leonard Chess, this information was never once mentioned in Ettas autobiography. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. As Etta so candidly stated to the New York Posts Page Six in 2007, she is going to have a hill to climb, because Etta James aint been no angel!. [61][62] Her death came three days after that of Johnny Otis, the man who had discovered her in the 1950s. Other details are missing or rearranged. Like most of her tone-deaf predecessors, Martin feels the need to make the truth more entertaining and ends up desecrating the history books. Howlin Wolf guitarist was a huge inspiration for the Stones The funeral for Chicago blues great Hubert Sumlin, the longtime guitar player for Howlin Wolf who died Sunday at age 80, will be paid for by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones. Leonard Chess - Wikipedia Leonard S. Chess (1917-1969) - Find a Grave Memorial Appreciate your comment. During drunken poker games at home, he would awaken James in the early morning hours and force her with beatings to sing for his friends. He wrote that James had her first hit single when she was 15 years old and went steady with B.B. Cadillac Records begins with Dixon laying the foundation of the story, introducing us to "one white boy from Chicago" (Chess, first seen mid-coitus) and "one sharecropper from Mississippi" (Waters, tilling the soil). 2 What did Etta James say about Leonard Chess? and currently resides in Atlanta, GA as a Georgia Peach. James started adding gospel elements in her music the following year, releasing "Something's Got a Hold on Me", which peaked at number four on the R&B chart and was a Top 40 pop hit. Fiszel became Phil. In the 1950s, Chess Records' commercial success grew with artists such as Little Walter, The Moonglows, The Flamingos, and Chuck Berry, and in the '60s with Etta James, Fontella Bass, Koko Taylor, Little Milton, Laura Lee, and Tommy Tucker, as well as with the subsidiary labels Checker, Argo, and Cadet. All contents [4] Around this time, she became involved in a relationship with the singer Harvey Fuqua, the founder of the doo-wop group the Moonglows. [16][8], James signed with Private Music Records in 1993 and recorded a Billie Holiday tribute album, Mystery Lady: Songs of Billie Holiday. The title was changed to the less evocative The Wallflower and, despite its notoriety (or, more likely, because of it), it soared to number 1 on the R&B charts. In 1989, the newly formed Rhythm and Blues Foundation included James in their first Pioneer Awards for artists whose "lifelong contributions have been instrumental in the development of Rhythm & Blues music". Minnesota Fats, Muddy Waters, and Etta James - AzBilliards Forums At the age of 14, she met musician Johnny Otis. Rock 'n' Roll.[29]. Here her powerhouse contralto voice was matched with the sumptuous, bluesy string arrangements of Riley Hampton, and James truly came into her own as a singer. James' enduring relevance was affirmed in 2011 when the late Swedish DJ Avicii achieved substantial chart success with the song "Levels", which samples her 1962 song "Something's Got a Hold on Me". What are the 4 main characteristics is shared by all living things? In February 1955, the song reached number one on the Hot Rhythm & Blues Tracks chart. Submit Music Rock'n'Roll (1987), opened stadium dates for the Rolling Stones and was inducted into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. James' 1973 album, exhibiting a mixture of musical styles, was nominated for a Grammy Award. Brussels music act Vaya Con Dios covered the song on their 1990 album Night Owls. She also often performed at free summer arts festivals throughout the United States. Under GRT and All Platinum In 1969, the Chess brothers sold the label to General Recorded Tape (GRT) for $6.5 million. she has been hailed as a pioneer who helped bridge the gap between rhythm and blues and rock and roll and thereby contributed significantly to American musical history. Video unavailable Watch on YouTube Watch on [3] She also received a Grammy lifetime achievement award in 2003. [60] She died on January 20, 2012, five days before her 74th birthday, at Riverside Community Hospital in Riverside, California. He was influential in the development of electric blues, Chicago blues, and rock and roll . Two other Berry tunes are included in this collection, the rollicking Number One (which cleverly references Henry as a bygone lover) and the stridently plaintive Im A Fool. James herself co-authored both the playfully sensual W-O-M-A-N and the high-octane Tough Lover, easily the equal of any of Little Richards thundering hits. The album took the same direction as her first, covering jazz and pop standards and with strings on many of the songs.