The funeral for the late great Etta James, who died January 20 at age 73, was held yesterday, and the list of attendees read like a who's who in Hollywood -- particularly the music industry. Reverend Al Sharpton officiated the private ceremony at the City of Refuge Church in Gardenia, California, where he read a personal note from President Obama which stated, "Etta will be remembered for her legendary voice and for her many contributions to our nation's musical heritage." Other celebrities present at the sad occasion were Christina Aguilera and Stevie Wonder, both who performed.
It was a somber event, and Etta is clearly going to be missed by all. But it was Aguilera's moving performance of "At Last", which she actually regularly includes in her concerts, that stole the show. Check out the video.
It can't be easy to perform one of your idol's most well-known songs at her funeral, but Christina nailed it, singing with love, grace, and respect. It was beautiful, and totally didn't seem like a "look at me, I'm a celebrity" moment. And, wow, what an honor it must have been to have been asked to perform. Christina told People, "Etta wasn't just any performer, she was a strong woman whose talent came from a place so deep it moved people in ways they never felt before. Losing her was, to me, like losing a part of my soul."
The impact Etta had on the music industry -- and Christina -- clearly is indelible. And although the world is a bit darker without her in it, her legend will undoubtedly live on forever. Especially if Christina has anything to do with it. Nice job, girl.
What's your favorite Etta James song? Was "At Last" your wedding song ... ?
Image via itn/YouTube
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Comments 19
The clip on here only shows a blip of Christina's performance so I looked up the full song and it was truly amazing. Etta will surely be missed, and Christina did a wonderful job on that song without oversinging, or taking it over the top.
I will never understand why she insists on performing vocal gymnastics when she sings. She did great on "At Last" and I personally feel it would have been perfect had she not done the vocal gymnastics.
I did not like her version at all. Her clothes were super inappropriate, and I disagree, it did say "look at me". I also, as Meg said, dislike all the extra "noises" she put in the song. At one point, she was holding a note for a minute and it sounded terrible, super scratchy. I wish we could have gotten someone who actually knew Etta James to sing this song, not just knew of her.
She's just always too much. It's annoying.
I don't care for how Cristina did it. Too many runs, too much added crap.
If you want to pay tribute, then keep it simple, true to the artist and the song.