Advertisement
Etta James is simply one of the best singers I've ever heard. She's ferocious -- sassy and incredibly sexy. Not sexy in a conventional, dolled- up way like, say, the Supremes. Etta is earthy and gritty, ribald and out-there in a way that few performers have the guts to be. From the first time I heard her as a teenager, with songs like "Tell Mama," "At Last," "I'd Rather Go Blind" -- there was just something about that ache I heard that got me bad. Still does.
There's a lot going on in Etta James' voice -- a lot of pain, a lot of life but, most of all, a lot of strength. Etta has struggled through a few lifetimes of personal heartache and somehow came out the other side. Her autobiography Rage to Survive is an amazing book. Her story is a testament to survival and the difficulties that seem to come with the territory for female singers -- drugs and alcohol, money and weight -- and, of course, trouble with men. Maybe that's why she could slay you with that phrasing from such a young age: She had the heartbreak to back it up.
Etta has clearly influenced people like Janis Joplin and me, and now people like Susan Tedeschi and Joss Stone. Anybody who has a bluesy side to what they do can point to Etta James as the bridge between R&B, blues and pop singing. You can't overestimate her influence. And she's continued to stretch and grow as a singer, creating an incredible body of work for six decades and counting. Check out her gorgeous versions of those Billie Holiday songs, or the Eagles' "Take It to the Limit," or "Sugar on the Floor" -- there's just nobody better.
A few years ago, she got an award from the Blues Foundation at the House of Blues in L.A. She came out onstage and said something like, "I know the difference between a diva and a beaver, and there's a lot of beavers out there but only a few divas." It was classic, and she could get away with it because she's packin' -- she's got the goods to say whatever she wants. She has an incredible generosity and warmth of spirit, but she also doesn't take any shit from anybody. It's that dignity and warrior spirit that have pulled her through. Over the years, Etta's been a real hero and role model to me and, since the early part of my career, a real friend, too.
There's a comparison with Etta and Ray Charles that goes way beyond addiction in their personal lives. Like Ray Charles, Etta brought the passion of gospel, R&B and gutbucket raw soul music into the mainstream in a way that very few people have ever crossed over. They were both musical revolutionaries. They're both one of a kind. I can only hope someday we'll be seeing movies about Etta, and Ruth Brown, too. And let's do it while they're alive.
[From Issue 946 — April 15, 2004]