Etta James, We're Pulling For You

The lady has been down, but never out.

Here's to Etta James, who is in the hospital struggling with complications from a sepsis infection, brought on during her recent stay in rehab for a painkiller addiction.

Her son, Donto, has also disclosed the legendary singer has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

Etta James, the woman who first sang At Last over 50 years ago, is right up there with Billie and Ella for the most beloved female jazz and blues singers who graced the scene.

She is one of the last of the living national treasures in that vein of music and if you haven't seen Cadillac Records for a brief history on the greats of R&B, gospel and blues, there's no time like a cold February's night to rent it. Beyonce does a pretty good job of embodying the R&B singer, even if you are aware the whole time that it's Beyonce (someone who is larger than life in her own realm, playing someone larger than life).

Etta James blew onto the music scene in the mid 1950s with a shimmy and a shake,  her blond- highlighted bouffant and heavily lined lids preceding her. She sang like a goddess who had been around long enough to see a few things. Which she had.

Her father was reputed to be (by her mother's admission) the great pool player Minnesota Fats, though he never acknowledged his paternity. She struggled with a heroin addiction in the 1960s and 1970s, bringing on a bout of legal troubles (forgery, possession of heroin, passing bad checks).

The 72-year-old blues legend has fought it all and survived. As she fights her latest battle, let's hope for her speedy recovery.

Screen grab of Etta James courtesy of YouTube