MS. ETTA JAMES.

I read about Etta James this morning, and I was fascinated by her bullish kind of talk, as if there was nothing in front of her, when she was to say something.

In other words, she couldn't care less, who was listening or whether they would be hurt not; she would just blare it out (or even blurt it out) anyway, but she would not suffer the consequences, like "I have said it; take it or leave it," kind of attitude attached to it.

Her death has been a shocker, since she was able to leave a hospital only a few short days ago as being declared well, and then, all of sudden, the news came out another day or so after that, that she has passed away.

Many people, like myself, did not know her personally, but they were connected with her through her songs, which always had a "blue-ish" fervor with Southern black (these days, African American) tenure of voice to them.

She captured in her singing the feelings of her own life, from being brought up without conventional parenting. Her mother was not always there, and an "unknown" father, which she thought was the famous pool player Minnesota Fats, was also absent.

Her song "At Last", or her version of it, topped all the others, except that of Glen Miller, which was all brassy instrumental; and it almost paired with that of Aretha Franklin, but her's was slightly different, particularly, with the exceptional voice that she had.

Her life was completely immersed in the "Old Time Religion" gospel songs genre; the style of singing, which did not leave any one that went to church where "spirituals" were sung, humming those songs the day after, all day long.

Her health problems aside, she was a genius, who was not really known as one, but she was still one, inspiring people with nothing and only her booming and spectacular voice.

It was really sad to hear her go; and that her whole existence has meant a great deal to many of those, who danced to her songs at weddings, and a lot more that just heard her records all over the world.

Her name "Miss Peaches" personified her skin tone and made her to stand out as being beautiful and oh! so special.

Her passing has been sorrowful. She was a great singer, and she would be missed by all music lovers, now and forever.

Footnote: I cried, when Eartha Kitt died.