Perhaps the finest soul singer of the rock era-but equally at home
singing blues and jazz -- Etta James is one of the great women of
American music. In Rage to Survive she tells her mesmerizing tale in
her uniquely big, bold, and unrepentant voice. Without a trace of
self-pity she describes her chaotic world of early R&B, depicts legends
like Sam Cooke and Little Richard, details her dependency on drugs and
bad men, and unsparingly recounts the golden age of soul, when her "Tell
Mama" topped the charts. Rage to Survive is a funky, ribald tale told
with unparalleled sass.