Music is one of those things that crosses cultures and generations.
You can understand someone better by the music they listen to AND see where a culture has been from the music they have made over the years.
In America, there have been lots of influential people who have written music, Etta James being one of them!
Her story is a rough one, but her music still touches us today.
Etta was an American singer who performed in various genres, including blues, R&B, soul, rock and roll, jazz, and gospel. Starting her career in 1954, she gained fame with hits such as “The Wallflower”, “At Last”, “Tell Mama”, “Something’s Got a Hold on Me”, and “I’d Rather Go Blind” – Wikipedia
Her influence can still be seen in our culture today, even on YouTube! Austin Brown, an internet singer, decided to tackle one of her most popular songs in the original key that it was written.
Austin has been singing for a while, most notably with the band Home Free.
The a capella group has been touring for a while and hit their stride when they won The Sing-Off on NBC back in 2013.
With a lot of time on his hands this past year (like many musicians who can’t tour), Austin decided to do some solo stuff.
As part of his new solo career, Austin decided he was going to release some very special stuff!
As a professional a capella singer, stretching the limits of one’s voice isn’t new.
Austin, however, wanted to do something awesome – sing one of Etta James’ songs in its original key! The song he chose? At Last!
With his friend Steven Martinez on guitar the two got started.
Austin has one of those clear and rich voices that you think of when you imagine the “golden age” of music.
It’s incredibly pure sounding and has some truly amazing range.
As he sings, he runs his vocals up and down, maybe just showing off a tad bit.
For just a guitar and a voice, it’s amazing how full it sounds.
A capella groups are purely vocals. While you might think that things could sound lonely, a good group makes it sound like a whole band is playing with only their voices.
In that same way, Austin does a great job filling up the room with his voice and only a guitar.
The song is famous for a reason – it’s beautifully written and allows for whoever sings it to have fun with it.
As Austin nears the end, he does a little run where he flips into his falsetto.
It’s the highest point of the song and it’s so clear and crisp that you wonder if he could have sung the song even higher than he already was!
Listening to a talented individual sing a song that allows them to express their skill is always magical to be a part of.
As the song closes, it brings you back to a simpler time of love and nostalgia.
A good song can teleport you in time. This one surely doesn’t disappoint.
Check out Austin’s beautiful version of Etta’s classic below!
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