Jamesetta Hawkins on January 25, 1938, in Los Angeles, CA; died January 20, 2012, Riverside, CA
Etta James was born Jansetta Hawkins on January 25, 1938 in Los Angeles Califor wild life began early on—she grew up in a single-mother household and was eventually expelled from her high school, by which time shed already formed more than one doo-wop group with her schoolmates.