RIP, Etta James

Despite knowing she was gravely ill, it was still a shock to hear this morning that Etta James had died. And what kind of cosmic energy was at hand for her to pass just days after Johnny Otis--the man who discovered 16-year-old Jamesetta Hawkins in 1954, re-named her Etta James, and recorded her first songs. Her hard-knock story is now well known, but if you want to know the details, read her appropriately-titled autobiography: "Rage to Survive."

Etta was raw. The one time I saw her live, in 1986, she waddled out on stage, turned her back to the audience, leaned over a stool, and shook her then-considerable ass at the crowd. Another time, I boarded an airplane and there she was in the front row. I expressed my admiration for her music and she seemed surprised to be recognized. Uh, Etta, you were hard to miss.

I first heard this song on the jukebox at my dad's bar when I was about six. It's always been my favorite of hers. (This version is actually from an album of Chess label remixes.) Etta's early hero was Billie Holiday. Thank goodness that Etta's rage to survive kept her from Lady Day's fate.

Etta James was 73.

Download 09 My Dearest Darling (remix)

I decided to add the original version of "My Dearest Darling" because the string arrangement by a Chicago bandleader named Riley Hampton is so fantastic. The combination of those swirling strings with the baritone sax is what makes this song so great. Found this in the Chicago Sun-Times obit:

Saxophonist Riley Hampton had been recruited to create the lush arrangements with string sections that had never been used at Chess. The label hit the jackpot, counterpointing Hampton’s sweet pop strings with Mrs. James’ direct blues-jazz style.

Download 02 My Dearest Darling

 

 

Comments

[Lisa Nemzo]

I had the divine pleasure of playing on the same bill with Etta James at the Sierra Sun Festival along with The Band, Jerry Garcia, Norton Buffalo and Kate Wolf. I am the only surviving musician (other than Levon Helm and Robbie Robertson) from that concert in 1983.
I was Etta's opening act at a club in the San Fernando valley in the mid to late 80's. She was rough around the edges but she liked my music so she let me do my thing.
Oscar 's right. Although I knew she was gravely ill for quite a while l, I gasped when I read the headlines of her
passing.
Another member of our musical family- gone. It leaves a hole where traces of her voice echo in the field of my formative years as a budding songwriter/singer.
Etta left a personal and musical footprint for other female singers to follow.

I feel sad she is gone. And lucky I had the chance to meet her.

Lisa Nemzo