Today's selection for Soul Sunday's is "At Last" & "I'd Rather go blind" A tribute to
the Legendary Soul Diva Etta James. She passed away this Friday the 20th of Jan.
due
to complications of leukemia at the age of 73.
Etta James (born Jamesetta Hawkins; January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012) was an
American singer whose style spanned a variety of music genres including blues,
rhythm and blues, rock and roll, soul, gospel and jazz. Starting her career in the
mid 1950s, she gained fame with hits such as "Dance With Me, Henry", "At Last",
"Tell Mama", and "I'd Rather Go Blind" for which she claimed she wrote the lyrics.
She faced a number of personal problems including drug addiction before making a
musical resurgence in the late 1980s with the album The Seven Year Itch.
She is regarded as having bridged the gap between rhythm and blues and rock and
roll, and is the winner of six Grammys and 17 Blues Music Awards. She was inducted
into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, the Blues Hall of Fame in 2001, and the
Grammy Hall of Fame in both 1999 and 2008. Rolling Stone ranked James number 22 on
their list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time and number 62 on the list of
the
100 Greatest Artists.
I'm including a clip from the movie Cadillac Records made in 2008. Written &
Directed by Darnell Martin.
Featuring Beyonce Knowles as Etta James & Adrien Brody as Chess. This film
explored the musical era in the early 1940's to the late
1960's. Beyonce sings I'd rather go Blind in this clip & She kills it.. I highly
recommend you see this movie.
The world lost another true legend but her legacy will continue.
I walked down the aisle to "At last" playing so I will forever remember & treasure
this song.
RIP- Etta James
Thanks for "Tooning" in! Stay humbled & embrace every moment.
Mrs Toons
