Definitely not going to be a one-hit wonder

We are not big watchers of programmes on the telly (as my friends in the UK might say), but Mrs. RWP saw a video clip on Facebook this morning and called me over to watch it with her on our old desktop PC.

Here is 21-year-old Jahmene Douglas on August 18, 2012, auditioning for The X Factor UK, singing the song that made Etta James famous, “At Last” (7:37).

I've never been a huge fan of this particular style of singing, but this young man belts it out of the park. Somewhere, Etta James is smiling.

Apparently Jahmene has been singing for a little while. Here he is in April 2010 singing “His Eye Is On the Sparrow” (4:31).

Somewhere, Ethel Waters must be smiling too.

I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free

Here, from 1975, is Ethel Waters singing “His Eye Is On The Sparrow (And I Know He Watches Me)” at the Billy Graham crusade in Jackson, Mississippi (3:31). It happened to be Mother’s Day, so this clip is almost exactly 35 years old. You will also see a much younger Cliff Barrows and a much younger Billy Graham.

Here is Ethel in a publicity photo for the 1942 movie Cabin in the Sky with co-stars Eddie “Rochester” Anderson and Lena Horne.


But do not make the mistake of thinking that Miss Waters had an easy life surrounded by peaches and cream. You can read more about her life and career here. Then go back and watch that video again.

Also, if there had been no Ethel Waters, there would probably be no this (4:27).