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Why Etta James didn't perform her own song at Neighborhood Ball on Tuesday

12:00 p.m. · January 22, 2009 · by Andrew Winistorfer

Beyonce Knowles' performance of Etta James' "At Last" has been talked about as one of the more touching inauguration performances from Tuesday, but some people (especially the first commenter here) have been curious as to why James, who is still alive, didn't perform her own song. The New York Daily News tracked James down, and while she wanted to be there (says her son) she is recovering from complications due to a gastric bypass surgery she had in 2003.

"She was looking forward to seeing it," her son, Donto james, said. "She was honored." "She was a little down that she wasn't well enough to be there."