Upon hearing the news of the passing of iconic singer Etta James, Beyoncé—who portrayed Etta in the movie Cadillac Records—took to her blog to share her feelings. She wrote the message below and posted two videos: one in which she sings "At Last" during Fashion Rocks 2008, and another clip from B's role as Etta.
"This is a huge loss. Etta James was one of the greatest vocalists of our time. I am so fortunate to have met such a queen. Her musical contributions will last a lifetime. Playing Etta James taught me so much about myself, and singing her music inspired me to be a stronger artist. When she effortlessly opened her mouth, you could hear her pain and triumph. Her deeply emotional way of delivering a song told her story with no filter. She was fearless, and had guts. She will be missed."
Watch the video of Beyoncé singing "At Last" above, and view a clip from her Cadillac Records performance below.
the pontificator! January 20th, 2012 at 09:34 PM
Sad news indeed. Though (and this is waaaay late) but it always bothered me that it was Beyonce and not Etta James that sang at Obama's Inaugural Ball. Seems like it would have been a greater tribute to Ms. James and her generation, after everything that they witnessed and experienced, to "at last" inaugurate the first black president... Just sayn'.
London Calling January 21st, 2012 at 04:19 PM
Yeah real talk.
Jacob January 21st, 2012 at 02:32 PM
Yeah, Etta James had an issue with that herself. After Beyonce did that, Etta had some pretty harsh words about Beyonce and seemed disappointed that she was left out. She ended up backtracking, but I think you've got a point.