It is difficult to think of a more soulful sound than of Etta James singing “I’d Rather Go Blind.” Her original recording of the song is one of the great classic records. But she also sometimes welcomed someone to sing the song with her on stage. On more than one occasion she joined voices to sing “I’d Rather Go Blind” with the great New Orleans voice Dr. John.
Etta James, who was born on January 25, 1938 and passed away on January 20, 2012, reported in her autobiography that she first heard the song that would become so associated with her while visiting a friend named Ellington “Fugi” Jordan in Chino Prison in 1967. Fugi had written the song while developing his musical abilities in prison.
Fugi, who was born in 1940, passed away on June 18, 2020. There is not a lot on the Internet about him, which is odd for someone who wrote such a classic song as “I’d Rather Go Blind” and who was big in the Fresno music scene. His obituary in the Fresno Bee notes that among other accomplishments, he collaborated with Black Merda on a psychedelic funk track called “Mary Don’t Take Me on No Bad Trip” in 1968. His 1994 CD The Cold-Blooded City They Call the ‘No’ featured the rap song, “The City of Fresno.”
The songwriting credits for “I’d Rather Go Blind” often include Etta James and Billy Foster (of The Medallions) in addition to Fugi’s name. James reported that she helped Fugi finish the song but gave the co-songwriting credit to Foster, her boyfriend and songwriting partner at the time, for tax reasons.
At least one website, however, reports that Fugi denied ever meeting James in prison. Fugi, who spent time in prison for desertion and robbery, said that he had written the song by himself sitting at a piano in San Quentin Prison after a break up with his girlfriend.
Fugi’s original name for the song was “I’d Rather Be a Blind Man.” Below is him singing the song.
Despite the different stories, it is clear that Fugi wrote most or all of “I’d Rather Go Blind,” while in prison, and it is easy to hear the beautiful despair in the lyrics and music. Beyond that, we know James recorded “I’d Rather Go Blind” at the FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The song appeared on James’s album Tell Mama (1968), having first been released as a B-side in 1967 to the album’s title track song, “Tell Mama.” That’s right, one of the most emotionally heartbreaking popular songs ever recorded originally was a B-side.
Although she is the original and most known singer of the song, it has been covered by many artists such as B.B. King, Marcia Ball, Rod Stewart, Little Milton and Beyoncé for the Cadillac Records film soundtrack. James also participated in an amazing performance of the song where she shared the stage with another person, singer-songwriter Dr. John. Below, Etta James and Dr. John sing “I’d Rather Go Blind” on the Midnight Special TV show in 1975.
I’m not sure who came up with the idea of creating a duet between Dr. John and Etta James on one of James’s classic songs. But the above duet from 1975 clearly made an impact, leading the two to reunite on the song more than a decade later.
Here, Dr. John and Etta James reunited on “I’d Rather Go Blind” in 1987 on the TV show A Blues Session: BB King And Friends.
What is your favorite version of “I’d Rather Go Blind”? Leave your two cents in the comments.
