The first time I saw Etta James was twenty five years ago in a night club in Houston. I had never heard anybody sing like that. I have seen literally thousands of live performances since, and still haven’t heard anybody sing with that kind of power, control, range, versatility and raw emotion. Neither have you.

Simply put, Etta James was the best singer on the planet and she knew it. This made her even better.  James had an incredible instrument and she wielded it with relentless confidence. She was a force of nature. We all are… but Etta was more so. 

One of the many facets of James’ career was her sheer consistency in performance. Her well documented health struggles seemed to have no impact on her incredible voice. She seemed to not only be able to out run her own demons but time itself.

Throughout her career, which spanned parts of seven decades, James recorded and performed virtually every style of American music. She sang familiar material and obscure gems. After Etta wrapped her signature contralto around a tune however, no one need to take a crack at it. It had already been Ettagised.

The last time I saw Etta was at the Hollywood Bowl a few years ago. It was a magnificent summer evening in Etta’s home town. She did this evening, what I have seen her do many times since first hearing her live in that sweltering, smoky nightclub in Houston. She nailed it. She was bawdy, yet classy. She was raw, yet elegant. She was honest, yet ethereal. She was down to earth and yet somehow above it all.

The Bowl was packed and the sold out Wednesday night performance seemed like something right out of a Hollywood movie. As search lights combed the night sky, the often restless Bowl crowd sat silent, hanging on her every note. Etta held us in the palm of her hand. She was in control and she knew it and we knew it too. Maybe this is why every time I saw Etta perform at some point during her performance my eyes would well up and tears would roll down my face. There was just something overwhelming about being in the presence of that voice. Today my eyes well up because I know, I will never be in that presence again.

- David Mac