I turned on the music and there she was. She had many fine moments on stage doing what she did best. Born to do it, you might say and I’d say you’re right. But this moment captured in a recording studio was perhaps her finest. As such, it is the one for which she is best known, although there are others that she left her indelible soul stamp upon.
It is her signature. Many have tried to duplicate her handwriting but no one has. Sure some have come close and have done well in the process. That’s the mark of a great song. Almost anyone can sing it and have success in swaying an audience. Then there are songs that are made great by an outstandingly talented artist. If a song can be both, it is Etta James’ version of “At Last”.
The title cut of her 1960 debut album, “At Last” was actually written for the 1941 movie “Sunny Valley Serenade” and performed by Glenn Miller. Up until that time she had recorded some solo singles and some with her group “The Peaches”. She even did some backing work helping out with Chuck Berry’s “Back in the U.S.A.”
There were other standouts on that album. “A Sunday Kind of Love” and “I Just Want to Make Love to You”. Her career would go on to produce other memorable music including “Tell Mama”, co-written by Clarence Carter, and one of my favorites “I’d Rather Go Blind”.
Her voice was perfect for the blues, gospel, jazz, and just about any chart you put in front of her. While her voice was a smooth instrument, at times her life was far from it. She had a mom who was often absent. So much so that she referred to her as “The Mystery Lady”. It would be just as accurate to describe her father in the same manner. She never knew who he was but suspected it was famous pool shark Rudolf Wanderone better known as “Minnesota Fats.”
Later drug abuse and failure to pay taxes lead to legal problems. A rocky marriage and raising children also kept her busy. Through it all she still performed when she could…and when she wasn’t in rehab.
Then in 1984 James was back on the world stage performing at the opening ceremonies of the 1984 Summer Olympics. Life seemed to get back on track as she returned to the studio doing what she did so well. She toured up until 2010 when her failing health and Alzheimer’s kept her from the stage.
In early 2011 she was diagnosed with leukemia, but it didn’t preclude her from recording. She released her last album later that year. “The Dreamer” would go on to critical acclaim. Unfortunately she wasn’t able to bask in the glow for long. Etta James passed away in January 2012 just three days shy of her 74th birthday.
All of us have a finest moment. It’s the one that outshines our failures and human foibles. It’s the one that sticks with family and friends lucky enough to witness it. It’s the one we hope makes it into our eulogy. I’m not sure if I’ve had mine yet. I hope not. It gives me something to look forward to. For Etta James it will always be “At Last”, at least in the eye of pop culture. Unlike most of us, she had the joy of reliving and sharing her finest moment many times in the fifty years that followed that magical recording session in 1960.
And that’s a fine thing indeed.
