it's remarkable that etta james died almost simultaneously with johnny otis: they showed the hybrid vigor of miscegenation. they almost seemed to want to switch races, with etta going all blond and stuff and johnny preferring to be photographed with his face in shadow, so he could pass. i do think etta was at her best as a pop/r&b singer rather than in the straight blues.
the associated press: "James had been suffering from dementia and kidney problems, and was battling leukemia," while her husband and kids went to war over her estate. dude, that really, really sucks.
Emmy Lou Harris frequently quotes Townes Van Zandt to the effect that there are two types of music -- Blues and Zipadeedoodah. If Townes wasright, and I tend to think he was, Etta James was one of the Blues Queens for certain. The over-orchestration of pieces like At Last showed producers taking something excellent and dumbing it down a lot. Although, still better than a lot of stuff.
The brouhahahha about the estate is why I'm reluctant to see her death as a tragedy. She was in pain and a prisoner in her own mind. It was time. And, as a general rule, people suck. And from pain, saddness and sucking people, we get brilliance...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzibSiJv8hc
Posted by: Crusader AXE | January 21, 2012 at 03:43 PM
yo axe that is really a great comment. how did i miss that 'blues and zippeedeedoodah thing? completely! or that's more or less my whole aesthetic in a nutshell.
Posted by: crispy | January 21, 2012 at 07:45 PM
Townes Van Zandt was one of the greatest, for sure. Etta James was great, too.
Posted by: Joe | January 21, 2012 at 08:08 PM
Otis was the white guy who discovered black guy Hank Ballard. I bet the FCC is full of white guys.
Posted by: Rik Little | January 22, 2012 at 04:01 PM