ETTA JAMES – One Of The Greatest Voices In Music Ever Had Her Debut LP ‘AT LAST!’ Out This Day 65 Years Ago
Significant longplayers from yesteryear
15 November 2025
Legendary blues and soul heroine ETTA JAMES (1938-2012), born in Los Angeles,
released her debut album AT LAST! this day, 65 years ago, on 15 November 1960.
The record was produced by Phil and Leonard Chess, the founders of her Chess
Records label.
It was originally issued as a 12-inch LP consisting of ten tracks, five songs on each side of the LP. The Chess brothers believed that James‘s voice had crossover pop potential, so with this debut album, they backed her with orchestral arrangements on many of the tracks.
The album is ranked at #191 on Rolling Stone‘s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
The album’s title track has been covered by artists such as Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé,
Joni Mitchell, Leela James, Cyndi Lauper, Randy Crawford, Celine Dion, Connie Wilson and Christina Aguilera. Other LP’s tracks also got covered over the ears. It all says enough
about her influence on modern day artists/voices.
Rolling Stone quote: “James bloomed into a fiery interpreter on this spellbinding LP.”
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