Sales of Etta James’ Music Skyrockets After Her Passing…

The late, great Etta James makes a powerful impact on the Billboard charts this week, following her death on Jan. 20.

On the Billboard 200 chart, she nets her highest-charting album ever as "The Best of Etta James - 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection" rises from No. 162 to No. 46 with 8,000 sold (up 149% over the previous week)

 according to Nielsen SoundScan in a tracking week that reflected only two days of sales after her passing. Until this week, the R&B/blues legend had never gone higher than No. 68, when "At Last!" rose to that position in 1961.

For the week ending Sunday, Jan. 22 (2012) Etta  James' overall catalog of albums sold 30,000 copies. That marks a 378% increase over the previous week, when her collected albums moved just over 6,000 units.

James also debuts on the Billboard 200 at No. 59 with the 1997 hits collection "Her Best" (7,000; up 4,226%) and re-enters at No. 96 with  "At Last!" (5,000; up 907%).

For the week, James' catalog of songs sold 118,000 downloads (more than half of that were "At Last's" sales) -- for an overall gain of 1,091% compared to last week.

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R.I.P. ETTA ~
YOU'RE STILL ROCKIN' AND STRONGER THAN EVER!!!