A surgery in the early 2000s caused Etta to lose a lot of weight; in the past, she says, her periodic skinniness was a result of being on drugs and not her natural weight.
She is naturally large—always has been.
The bleached hair and dark eyebrows have become something of a signature look for her.
Her performance in Cadillac Records is almost as moving as her appearance at Obama’s inaugural celebration.
That look in her eyes betrays her toughness.