Etta James

The first thing you think is what a remarkable career.  Her highs, followed by the lows of her heroin addiction, and then slowly coming back to form. A true survivor.   By the 90's she was making good records again.  Some even great.
Of course her essential sides are the Chess ones, but the Modern Records stuff that pre-dates it is also worthy.

Her later years deserve a decent compilation, which will probably come now.

But it was that voice, which could sing Soul, Jazz, Rock and Blues and anything else that I will always come back to.