AT LAST ~ BEYONCE

"At Last" is a 1941 song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the musical film Orchestra Wives, starring George Montgomery and Ann Rutherford. n 1960, it was covered by blues singer Etta James in an arrangement that improvised on Warren's melody. James' version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. "At Last" was also covered by Beyoncé Knowles and included on the soundtrack album of the film, Cadillac Records. It was released as the lead single from the soundtrack album on December 2, 2008 through Columbia Records. In the film, Knowles portrays Etta James. Beyoncé won critical acclaim for portraying James in "Cadillac Records," and has performed "At Last" several times since the movie was released, including in front of James. She told MTV News: "[Etta James is] one of my heroes, and I always loved her voice, but now knowing what she's been through, she's one of my heroes. I'm not sure if she thought [I would be good] as her. I'm very, very nervous. [...] I actually spoke with her and she told me, 'I loved you from the first time you sung.'" Knowles later told Billboard Magazine: "I realized that Etta James was so unapologetic, bold and strong that playing her was a big risk for me. It gave me the confidence and the push to challenge myself a little more with my music.