Etta James

These bullets are from a website owned by the New York Times

*One of the R&B and blues world's greatest divas.

* Gave R&B a big boost into the mainstream and helped develop the rock craze in the process with her 1955 hit "The Wallflower" (a/k/a "Roll With Me, Henry").

* Her signature song, 1961's "At Last," is one of the most popular wedding soundtracks of all time.

* A major influence on rough blues-rock singers such as Janis Joplin, Bonnie Raitt, and Rod Stewart.

* Well-known for her saucy and sometimes scandalous stage demeanor.

Los Angeles-born Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938) did not need a namerologist to change her name to Etta James. More websites than I can count claim that Etta attended Jefferson High School. But whatever praise they heap upon Etta James is only half of what she deserves.


In September, 1989, a new school year began and–much to my surprise–Vice-Principal Pat Donohoe crowned me "Official Musical Historian" in front of the entire faculty of Jefferson High School.
By searching, on this blogsite, for Richard Berry might explain why Mr. Donohoe said what he did. But when I got to know the likes of Michael Ochs, Steve Propes, Eugene Maye, and Jim Dawson, I qualified as an historian's shoeshine boy. The unlinked names in that sentence are eminently search-worthy for anyone interested in the history of that thing called Rock&Roll.

At least five elder African-Americans–well acquainted with the musical treasure trove that was Jefferson–emphatically told me that Etta James was not a registered Jeffersonian. What they said was that Etta was only there to hang out with "the boys, the booze and the bands."
Be that as it may, enough people confirmed that the boy she was most interested in was Henry. I mean Richard Berry. A google search for Etta James "Richard Berry" links to a half-million websites.

I hope that at least one of them enhances the second bullet listed above:

* Her signature song, 1961's "At Last," is one of the most popular wedding soundtracks of all time.

Richard Berry recorded "At Last" in 1954.
My gratitude to BEYONCE for portraying Etta James in the successful feature film entitled "Cadillac Blues." My only criticism of the film is the inaccurate characterization of Lewis Carroll's School Professor McKinley Morganfield Muddy Waters. No one is more deserving to be called THE GODFATHER OF ROCK&ROLL than Muddy, who once said "Love can make a poor man rich. Or break his heart I don't know which."

Meanwhile, Eric Prodoehl has been working for over twenty years on a documentary film about Richard Berry.

Happy linking and searching to one and all.
For the record, "Searchin'" by the Coasters had nothing to do with Richard Berry but Richard was the lead singer on Riot in Cell Block #9, by the Robins, the precursors of the Coasters. In response to Riot, Richard "Mr. Louie Louie" Berry wrote an answer song entitled The Big Break. It is s comedic as the classic Riot in Cell Block #9 but there is no gunfire.


Blogger's Notes
"At Last" is a 1941 song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren.
Richard Berry was the "Henry" in Etta James' "Dance With Me Henry."