Talk:Etta James/Archive 1

LETS TALK ABOUT HER FAKE MOLE
I just changed the wikilink in her list of hitsingles to The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry). It was a empty wikilink to The Wallflower (Roll with Me, Henry), and I thought this to be incorrect. But please revert it, if necessary. MigGroningen 20:32, 19 February 2006 (UTC)

The entire section on James' first hit, "The Wallflower" is confusing. It's obviously been "overwritten" by two or more different writers who haven't bothered integrating their separate contributions to the article. "The first time she was recorded in studio, they used the first take she recorded and it became #1 on the "Top 100" songs in the nation." Who is "she," James or Georgia Gibbs? If it is James, the statement doesn't square with the previous claim that "Wallflower" was undercut by Gibbs' cover version; and if it refers to Gibbs, then "the first time she recorded in a studio" is irrelevant. The article is on James, not Gibbs. To add insult to injury, the whole episode is then repeated in the next paragraph.

"Clearly bi-racial"?
I think in the circumstances you would need DNA test results to justify this assertion. And I don't see the point of drawing a conclusion about what races her parents belong to. John FitzGerald 13:11, 20 November 2006 (UTC)

Kinda makes a difference if someone needs to describe her in a research paper or something.


 * Say what? What kind of research paper would require speculation about the race of her father? If, as seems highly unlikely, the race of her father were germane to the article, evidence of his race would be needed rather than someone's opinion about how she looks.


 * Anyway, we're not talking about a research article but about a Wikipedia article, and I still don't see the point. John FitzGerald 14:49, 29 November 2006 (UTC)

Her father's race isn't the point, it's her race that would be important.

think you should remove "clearly bi-racial"
I thing you should remove the "clearly bi-racial." In the United States, which is where Etta James lives, race is something you self-identify. On the US Census 2000, one of the question asked what race (can't remember if they used that word or something else) are you? The answer was whatever the person said. Some said "American", some said "Irish", some said "white", "black" or whatever. Ever since the "one drop of blood" thinking stopped, it became illegal in many situations to even ask. You have a picture on the page. If people want to wonder, let them decide for themselves. There is not any scientific test that clearly determines race in the sense the word is being used here. I believe it is POV and can be chanllenged. Sincerely, Mattisse(talk) 00:44, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

So if 50 Cent wants to be Norwegian-Filipino, he can just define himself as such?PrivateSponge (talk) 15:59, 28 September 2009 (UTC)

Chart Listings
Some work needs to be done on those chart listings. I don't have the info at the moment to update them, but I noticed multiple errors. As much of a classic as it is, "At Last" never reached the Pop Top 40 (going on memory, I believe it peaked at #47). The Pop# for "Tell Mama" is also incorrect.
 * Now corrected (I hope) by checking against Whitburn's Top R&B Singles. Ghmyrtle 21:53, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Etta all the way.jpg
Image:Etta all the way.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in Wikipedia articles constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

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Please don't use 'politically correct' expressions
Why call her an 'African American' ? Please stop with this, when right below there are expressions like 'white market' (Career_in_the_50s). It's malicious, to say the least. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 201.21.245.96 (talk) 17:47, 31 October 2007 (UTC)

Heroin addiction
Should this be added? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Anna Frodesiak (talk • contribs) 19:45, 22 November 2008 (UTC)

New section: Discography....Really???
It's not that big. Is it really necessary? No discussion first?--Anna Frodesiak (talk) 00:39, 1 December 2008 (UTC)


 * Not adding a discography for her is like omitting a filmography for Meryl Streep. It doesn't matter if Etta hasn't sold millions and millions of albums worldwide a la Michael Jackson, her music is influential and notable enough to merit a discography, not to mention the fact that this is what she does for a living. --Crackthewhip775 (talk) 01:16, 6 December 2008 (UTC)
 * I meant a new discog page. Of course a discog section is essential. After all, this is Etta we're talking about. I was grooving on Etta way back before the planet went insane.

--Anna Frodesiak (talk) 05:10, 6 December 2008 (UTC)
 * 25 albums and then some merits a page of its own, yes. --Crackthewhip775 (talk) 06:29, 6 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Fair enough. I'm now on board with the whole 'page-of-its-own' idea.--Anna Frodesiak (talk) 09:11, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

Musicianship
Good work. I won't edit out of respect for you as the better writer. Some thoughts: doo-wop sometimes capitalized in article. I'm not sure if styles get capitalized. 'R&B' then 'rhythm and blues' a R&B should be an R&B? Influence - second sentence very long without comma: I'll be darned if I can place one. Anyway, lovely stuff. Oh, and glad you liked the eel. --Anna Frodesiak (talk) 02:25, 9 December 2008 (UTC)

Vandalism
I just replaced a couple of sections that were removed by a vandal. After the vandalism, a bot made an edit, so I didn't want to simply undo. I went back a few revisions and found the missing sections. Please double check what I did. I just woke up and am a little spaced out.--Anna Frodesiak (talk) 02:08, 26 December 2008 (UTC)

Etta james is a wonderful singer she had history. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 205.215.177.101 (talk) 19:43, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

REMOVED
I removed the following because it wasn't cited. "James' son came out on Etta's behalf and said James was speaking in anger, after feeling snubbed for the honor herself." —Preceding unsigned comment added by 166.82.201.8 (talk) 21:47, 6 February 2009 (UTC)

Dandridge Sisters?!
After I stopped laughing, I removed the following from the "Early Life" section:

"In the late 1930’s Etta, joined a group called the “Dandridge Sisters”, with Dorothy Dandridge and her sister Vivian Dandridge. The group was formed in Los Angeles, CA. “The Dandridge Sisters” performed with the Jimmy Lunceford Orchestra at the famous Cotton Club and The Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York."

(previously inserted 14:12, 26 May 2009 by user 71.57.152.36) Etta was born in 1938, I doubt if she joined the group at such a young age. The article just didn't make sense when I read it. A minute of fact-checking revealed that the Dandridge Sisters consisted of Dorothy Dandridge, Vivian Dandridge and Etta Jones (as in "JONES" not "JAMES"). -- AndrewAllen (talk) 05:52, 30 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Is there a way you can find more reliable sources? I agree it doesn't sound right, but back in those days, particularly with people of color, often names were either spelled incorrectly, or (in some cases) people who were unfortunately railroaded into contracts that didn't benefit the performer often had to use subterfuge- sometimes purposely misspelling their names to record outside their contact's limitations. I'm not a regular editor on this article, just dropped in to place a more up to date photo of James here, but would like to see it become a GA article within the year, if possible. --leahtwosaints (talk) 19:47, 20 June 2009 (UTC)

Coyness
"On the tour, according to James, she witnessed and experienced situations to which minors are not usually privy."

This is either prim or prurient. If the situations are significant, they should be described in more detail. If they aren't, this sentence should be removed.PrivateSponge (talk) 15:58, 28 September 2009 (UTC)

Why would you say such a thing? Judging from her age, she was waaay under twenty-one when she came to Chess Records. From her checkered past (no pun intended), this is plausible. Also, NEVER FORGET THAT THIS WAS STILL IN THE TIME OF BRUTAL US SEGREGATION. Whites had near-carte-blanche liberties to abuse blacks, and no less than in the music industry and showbiz in general were women abused to unimaginable consequence. Add organized crime to this mix, which was integral, and no one would be blamed if they walked away from the horrid imagery!!!

veryverser 01:15, 13 February 2010 (UTC)Veryverser. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.98.243.155 (talk)