The first song we will discuss is the 1960 hit, At Last, made popular by Etta James.
Etta James (born Jamesetta Hawkins) was born on January 25, 1938, in Los Angeles, California. She is a singer who covers many genres, including blues, soul, R&B, rock & roll, gospel and jazz. James is the winner of four Grammys and seventeen 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 in both 1999 and 2008. In the 1950s and 1960s, she had her biggest success as a blues and R&B singer. She is best known for performing At Last, which has been featured in movies, television shows, commercials, and web-streaming services. James has a contralto vocal range.
At Last was written in 1941 by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the musical film Orchestra Wives, starring George Montgomery and Ann Rutherford. It was first performed in the film and on record by Glenn Miller and his orchestra, vocal by Ray Eberle and Pat Friday, although unreleased recordings of the song were made in 1941 for possible inclusion in the film Sun Valley Serenade. It was recorded in Chicago on May 20, 1942 and released by RCA Victor Records. The song was a major hit for Miller, reaching number 9 on the Billboard pop charts in 1942, staying on the charts for 9 weeks, and it soon became a standard. Nat King Cole recorded it in 1957 on his number one album Love Is the Thing. It was James' version that was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.
Watch Etta James sing At Last.
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