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Following this success, James became an in-demand concert performer though she never again reached the heyday of her early-to-mid 1960s success.

She continued to chart in the R & B Top 40 in the early 1970s with singles such as " Losers Weepers " ( 1970 ) and " I Found a Love " ( 1972 ).

Though James continued to record for Chess, she was devastated by the death of Chess founder Leonard Chess in 1969.

James ventured into rock and funk with the release of her self-titled album in 1973 with production from famed rock producer Gabriel Mekler, who had worked with Steppenwolf and Janis Joplin, who had admired James and had covered " Tell Mama " in concert.

The album, known for its mixtures of musical styles, was nominated for a Grammy Award.

The album did not produce any major hits, neither did the follow-up, Out On the Street Again, in 1974, though like Etta James before it, the album was also critically acclaimed.

James continued to record for Chess releasing two more albums in 1978, Etta Is Betta Than Evah and Deep in the Night, which saw the singer incorporating more rock-based music in her repertoire.

That same year, James was the opening act for The Rolling Stones and also performed at the Montreal International Jazz Festival.

Following this brief success, however, she left Chess Records and did not record for another ten years as she struggled with drug addiction and alcoholism.