# Etta James: 1938-2012 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 20, 2012, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etta-james-1938-2012/610151 "2012-01-20T17:57:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etta-james-1938-2012/610151/1 "2012-01-20T17:57:51Z")
A[sad day](http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/21/arts/music/etta-james-singer-dies-at-73.html?_r=1&hp) for music. “At Last” is “our” song, and she did it best. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etta-james-1938-2012/610151/2 "2012-01-20T18:17:53Z")
Same link I was going to post. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etta-james-1938-2012/610151/3 "2012-01-20T18:20:14Z")
[The song](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-cbOl96RFM). ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etta-james-1938-2012/610151/4 "2012-01-20T18:28:40Z")
I just learned a few days ago that the Flo-Rida song in heavy rotation right now (Good Feeling) used a sample from an old [Etta](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzibSiJv8hc) song…at least I assume it’s her’s. I didn’t do much digging. ---
**Author:** ![brittekland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etta-james-1938-2012/610151/5 "2012-01-20T18:31:12Z")
RIP, Etta ~ ---
**Author:** ![akira5822](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/53a042/32.png) [@akira5822](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akira5822)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etta-james-1938-2012/610151/6 "2012-01-20T18:39:35Z")
☹ ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etta-james-1938-2012/610151/7 "2012-01-20T18:44:19Z")
Etta’s “At Last” was a DJ favorite of mine. It always loaded the dance floor for me. Thank you, Etta for your beautiful voice. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etta-james-1938-2012/610151/8 "2012-01-20T18:45:11Z")
At last. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etta-james-1938-2012/610151/9 "2012-01-20T18:56:19Z")
[B.B., Dr. John, Paul Butterfield…and Etta.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95wdm9o8Bjc) ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etta-james-1938-2012/610151/10 "2012-01-20T19:01:35Z")
“At Last,” indeed. RIP, Etta. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etta-james-1938-2012/610151/11 "2012-01-20T19:01:45Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#): > > Etta’s “At Last” was a DJ favorite of mine. It always loaded the dance floor for me. > > Thank you, Etta for your beautiful voice. Nice. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etta-james-1938-2012/610151/12 "2012-01-20T19:22:35Z")
I’d trade her for Koko Taylor in a minute, but it is a sad day for Jazz and Blues alike. ---
**Author:** ![Mixolydian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Mixolydian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mixolydian)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etta-james-1938-2012/610151/13 "2012-01-20T19:29:57Z")
Been listening to her latest, “The Dreamer”…she still had it right up until the end. Goodbye Etta, RIP…may your legend continue to grow. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etta-james-1938-2012/610151/14 "2012-01-20T19:35:43Z")
[My favorite movie appearance](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vmX00U13Jk) of _At Last_. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etta-james-1938-2012/610151/15 "2012-01-20T20:25:49Z")
My current favorite for this genre is [Ruby Wilson](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVhllEeuLAY), the Queen of Beale Street. When she sings “A Change is Gonna Come” or “At Last” or “A Song for You”, it’s a bit of heaven in a powerful voice. Sadly, her health is not very good either. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etta-james-1938-2012/610151/16 "2012-01-20T20:40:20Z")
> [@Don\_Draper](#): > > [B.B., Dr. John, Paul Butterfield…and Etta.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95wdm9o8Bjc) Is that an uncredited Dizzy Gillespie [horn with the funky bend turning the bell up at an angle]? ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etta-james-1938-2012/610151/17 "2012-01-20T20:44:30Z")
When Beyonce sang “At Last” at Obama’s inaugeration, Etta got into a bit of trouble when she said at a performance something like, ‘I’ll kick Beyonce’s ass, singing my song like I’m dead already’ or something like that. She ended up trying to apologize and explain that she wasn’t serious. I saw her live in Niagara Falls a few years ago. She did a lot of banter between songs, of course, and her personality shone through as brassy, sassy and very acerbic and strong. Anyone who saw her perform live knows that she wasn’t really serious about what she said about Beyonce. She was just kind of playing in that brassy way that a lady like her can pull off without being truly offensive. A shame she had to kind of recant because she was misunderstood. She was one of my favorites. What a voice. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etta-james-1938-2012/610151/18 "2012-01-20T21:15:26Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > When Beyonce sang “At Last” at Obama’s inaugeration, Etta got into a bit of trouble when she said at a performance something like, ‘I’ll kick Beyonce’s ass, singing my song like I’m dead already’ or something like that. She ended up trying to apologize and explain that she wasn’t serious. She shouldn’t have apologized. She had a valid point. If _anyone_ was going to sing _At Last_ to the first Black President, it should be: [ol] [li]The person who made it famous[/li][li]The person who has been waiting to sing it to him the longest.[/li][/ol] ---
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etta-james-1938-2012/610151/19 "2012-01-20T21:37:40Z")
Saw her in concert twice a few years back. Even in her 60s, she was a class act. RIP. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etta-james-1938-2012/610151/20 "2012-01-20T21:44:49Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > I saw her live in Niagara Falls a few years ago. Did she have the weight problem then and sing seated? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etta-james-1938-2012/610151.md?page=2)