Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center Hosts Etta James

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Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center Hosts Etta James
May 6, 2009
Hamptons.com

Westhampton Beach - At Last, the legendary Etta James & The Roots Band will perform at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center on Saturday, May 9 at 8 p.m.

When it comes to music that speaks to the soul, R&B legend Etta James is virtually peerless. The naked intensity and bold passion of her voice is legendary. Etta sings the truth of a song like no one else. This extraordinary singer is a true national treasure - recording dozens of albums and earning numerous honors - including multiple Grammy awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Facts About Etta James
• Etta James was born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles, CA. Her mother was 14 years old and unwed at the time of her birth. James was told that her father was pool player Rudolf "Minnesota Fats" Wanderone, who was Caucasian, and that, on the condition that his paternity be kept a secret, he would continue to financially support the family.

• James became a star in 1955, singing "Roll With Me Henry." Still in her early teens and singing with a vocal trio called The Peaches, James was discovered by legendary R&B bandleader Johnny Otis. Together, they co-wrote and, without her mother's permission, recorded her first hit, "Roll With Me, Henry," an answer to Hank Ballard and the Midnighters' off-color "Work With Me, Annie." Under the title "The Wallflower," "Henry" became a Number two R&B hit in 1955.

• James is the winner of four Grammys and 17 Blues Music Awards. She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, the Blues Hall of Fame in 2001, and the Grammy Hall of Fame both in 1999 and 2008. She has also been honored with a much-deserved star on The Hollywood Walk Of Fame. In the 1950s and 1960s, she had her biggest success as a blues and R&B singer. She is best known for performing her signature song, "At Last," which has been featured in many movies, television shows, commercials, and web-streaming services since its chart-topping release in 1961.

• James saw a recent resurgence with the release of the film "Cadillac Records" (2008) in which singer/actress Beyoncé won critical acclaim for portraying Miss James. The film follows the flood of musicians who populated and made famous the hallowed halls of Chess Records, where Etta James and singers like Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters got their start. Despite criticizing Beyoncé for the version of “At Last" she sung during President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama's first dance at the Neighborhood Ball, James admits that she is truly fond of Beyoncé's performance and that her remarks were meant purely as a joke. But when asked if she could have performed it better, she told Access Hollywood, “I think so. That's a shame to say that."

• The singer's life experiences can be heard within her music, which has run the gamut from blues to jazz to soul to pop throughout more than five decades of performing. Losing some 200 pounds in weight has dramatically changed Etta's always-exciting stage performances. She boasts about how she can now stand up during parts of her show where she once was confined to a chair for entire performances. James recently showed off her new look on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" as a guest performer, singing her classic hit "At Last" at age 71. To learn more about Etta James visit www.etta-james.com.