When I first heard that Etta James...

...died yesterday, I began searching YouTube for the best version of her 1961 hit "At Last." (There are so many -- and not just by Ms. James.)  

But then I read this morning that the song was written in 1941 and originally recorded by Glenn Miller's orchestra, above. (You learn something new every day.)

Many people may be familiar with the version sung by Beyonce in the 2008 movie "Cadillac Records." From the Times obit:

Ms. Knowles also performed “At Last” at an inaugural ball for President Obama in Washington.

When the movie was released, Ms. James had kind words for Ms. Knowles’s portrayal. But in February 2009, referring specifically to the Washington performance, she told an audience, “I can’t stand Beyoncé,” and threatened to “whip” the younger singer for doing “At Last.” She later said she had been joking, but she did add that she wished she had been invited to sing the song herself for the new president.

But perhaps the most interesting tidbit from Ms. James's obit was:

Etta James was born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles on Jan. 25, 1938. Her mother, Dorothy Hawkins, was 14 at the time; her father was long gone, and Ms. James never knew for sure who he was, although she recalled her mother telling her that he was the celebrated pool player Rudolf Wanderone, better known as Minnesota Fats (below).