Singer Etta James Through the Lens of Food
Water Boy on Peach Farm in Newman, Georgia in 1945, Courtesy of the Library of Congress
August is National Peach Month in America. Today we share this story on the famous “Miss Peach”, better known as Etta James and her life through the lens of food.
Singer Etta James (1938-2012) was born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles. James grew up as the child of a troubled teenager. As a result of her mother's lack of stability, James had a hard childhood filled with abandonment and abuse that continued into adulthood. Perhaps it's this history that gave her the ability to sing the blues with such authenticity. Similar to Aretha Franklin, James developed her sultry singing style in a black Baptist church, made her living singing secular music, and struggled with overeating. She made her mark in a cappella group called the peaches from which she derived the nickname Miss Peach. Early in her career James sang on the chitlin circuit with such notable artists such as Bo Diddley and little Richard.
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