December 5th is the release date for the film, Cadillac Records, the story of the most legendary of all American record labels, Chicago's Chess Records. Chess was founded in 1950 and it's address, 2120 So. Michigan Avenue, was immortalized by a Rolling Stones song of the same name. The label was the home of a breathtaking list of artists including Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, Memphis Slim, Jimmy Rogers, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy, The Flamingos, Chuck Berry, the Moonglows, Bo Diddley, Etta James, The Dells, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Fontella Bass, Moms Mabley...
The film was written and directed by Darnnell Martin and stars Adrien Brody as Leonard Chess, Jeffrey Wright as Muddy Waters, Mos Def as Chuck Berry, and Beyoncé as Etta James. The trailer is here.
And here's Beyoncé's cover of the classic Etta James song, "At Last," which will be released as the soundtrack's first single in two weeks.
Bonus question: why is the film called Cadillac Records?
