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Ruth Brown
Ruth Brown
American singer-songwriter (1928-2006)
1
Irma Thomas
Irma Thomas
American soul and rhythm and blues singer
2
Ike & Tina Turner
Ike & Tina Turner
American musical duo
3
Bettye LaVette
Bettye LaVette
American soul singer-songwriter
4
Bobby Bland
Bobby Bland
American soul & blues musician
5
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
American singer-songwriter
6
Maurice White
Maurice White
American musician, founder of Earth, Wind & Fire
7
Gene Chandler
Gene Chandler
American musician
8
Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke
American recording artist; singer-songwriter and entrepreneur
9
Bill Withers
Bill Withers
American singer-songwriter and musician
10
Ike Turner
Ike Turner
African American musician, songwriter, and producer (1931-2007)
11
Dinah Washington
Dinah Washington
American singer, songwriter, pianist
12
Four Tops
Four Tops
American Motown vocal group
13
Ray Charles
Ray Charles
American recording artist; musician, singer, songwriter
14
Al Green
Al Green
American singer
15
Delbert McClinton
Delbert McClinton
American blues rock and electric blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, harmonica player, and pianist
16
Buddy Guy
Buddy Guy
American blues guitarist and singer
17
Denise LaSalle
Denise LaSalle
American R&B, soul and blues singer, songwriter, and record producer
18
Big Maybelle
Big Maybelle
American R&B singer and pianist
19
The Famous Flames
The Famous Flames
American R&B band
20
Martha and the Vandellas
Martha and the Vandellas
American vocal group
21
Clifton Chenier
Clifton Chenier
American accordion player and Zydeco musician
22
Rose Marie McCoy
Rose Marie McCoy
American songwriter
23
Solomon Burke
Solomon Burke
American singer
24
Ledisi
Ledisi
American R&B and jazz recording artist, songwriter and actress.
25
Gladys Knight & the Pips
Gladys Knight & the Pips
American R&B/soul band
26
Kings of Rhythm
Kings of Rhythm
American musical group; R&B/Soul band led by Ike Turner
27
Gladys Knight
Gladys Knight
American singer
28
Esther Phillips
Esther Phillips
American R&B singer
29
Ralph Bass
Ralph Bass
R&B record producer
30
Leela James
Leela James
American musician
31
The Miracles
The Miracles
American rhythm and blues vocal group
32
Mary Wells
Mary Wells
American pop/soul singer
33
Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett
American singer and songwriter
34
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
American singer, songwriter, and pianist
35
Bobby Rush
Bobby Rush
American musician
36
Mavis Staples
Mavis Staples
American singer
37
Berry Gordy
Berry Gordy
American Music Executive, Record Producer
38
Mitty Collier
Mitty Collier
American musician
39
Nancy Wilson
Nancy Wilson
American singer (1937-2018)
40
Etta Jones
Etta Jones
American jazz singer
41
William Bell
William Bell
American soul singer and songwriter
42
Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer
43
John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker
American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist
44
Otis Redding
Otis Redding
American singer, songwriter and record producer
45
Koko Taylor
Koko Taylor
American Chicago blues musician
46
Joe Louis Walker
Joe Louis Walker
Blues musician
47
The Shirelles
The Shirelles
African American girl group
48
Percy Sledge
Percy Sledge
American singer
49
Leiber-Stoller
Leiber-Stoller
American songwriting and record producing duo
50
Howlin' Wolf
Howlin' Wolf
American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player
51
Melba Moore
Melba Moore
American singer, actress
52
Susan Tedeschi
Susan Tedeschi
American blues and soul musician
53
Minnie Riperton
Minnie Riperton
American singer-songwriter
54
Little Milton
Little Milton
American singer and guitarist
55
Jackie Wilson
Jackie Wilson
American singer
56
Willie Dixon
Willie Dixon
American blues musician, songwriter
57
Tina Turner
Tina Turner
American-born singer, dancer, actress, and author; naturalized Swiss citizen
58
Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley
American R&B musician
59
Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire
American band
60
Little Walter
Little Walter
American blues harmonica player
61
Patti LaBelle
Patti LaBelle
American singer-songwriter and actress
62
Johnny Otis
Johnny Otis
American singer, musician, composer, and record producer
63
The Staple Singers
The Staple Singers
American gospel, soul, and R&B singing group
64
Samuel David Moore
Samuel David Moore
American musician
65
Dorothy Moore
Dorothy Moore
American singer
66
Louis Jordan
Louis Jordan
American jazz, blues and rhythm and blues musician, songwriter and bandleader (1908-1975)
67
Natalie Cole
Natalie Cole
American singer and songwriter
68
Grady Champion
Grady Champion
musical artist
Intro
American recording artist; singer
Awards Received
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
News

Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer who performed in various genres, including blues, R&B, soul, rock and roll, jazz, and gospel. 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". She faced a number of personal problems, including heroin addiction, severe physical abuse, and incarceration, before making a musical comeback in the late 1980s with the album Seven Year Itch.

James's powerful, deep, earthy voice bridged the gap between rhythm and blues and rock and roll. She won six Grammy Awards and 17 Blues Music Awards. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Blues Hall of Fame in 2001. Rolling Stone magazine ranked James number 22 on its list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time; she was also ranked number 62 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Billboard's 2015 list of The 35 Greatest R&B Artists Of All Time includes James, whose "gutsy, take-no-prisoner vocals colorfully interpreted everything from blues and R&B/soul to rock n’roll, jazz and gospel".