Etta James (born Jamesetta Hawkins, January 25, 1938 - January 20, 2012) was an American singer. She was born in Los Angeles, California. Her styles included jazz, blues, soul and R&B. She received many awards during her career. She was active for almost sixty years. James died of leukemia in Riverside, California at 73, just before her 74th birthday. Beyoncé Knowles played James in the 2008 musical "Cadillac Records". James released her last album "The Dreamer" in 2011. The album is a collection of covers.