Etta James Talks Beyonce Drama: "It Was A Joke"

Published: Friday 6th Feb 2009 by Sam
Etta James Talks Beyonce Drama: 'It Was A Joke'
By now, you’ve probably heard about industry veteran Etta James’ slamming Beyonce for singing ‘At Last’ at the Obama Neighborhood Inaugural Ball. I had been holding back posting, as word had it that the recording of James laying into the ‘Diva’ singer was in fact a male comedian parodying. It turns out, though, James did indeed make the comments, however ‘as a joke’:

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Etta James might have put superstar Beyonce on blast for singing her signature song, “At Last,” at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball after Barack Obama’s presidential inauguration, but the music legend said it was just a joke.

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During a concert in Seattle on January 28, Etta told the crowd, “I tell you, that woman he has singing for him, singing my song, she gonna get her a** whipped… I can’t stand Beyonce, she had no business up there singing… my song that I’ve been singing forever.”

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However on Thursday, Etta told The New York Daily News, “I didn’t really mean anything. Even as a little child, I’ve always had that comedian kind of attitude. … That’s probably what went into it.”

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“Nobody was getting mad at me in Seattle,” she continued. “They were all laughing, and it was funny.”

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The singer did admit to being a little hurt that she was not invited to sing for President Obama, saying she was “feeling left out of something that was basically mine, that I had done every time you look around.”

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And when it came to rating Beyonce’s rendition of her iconic song, Etta said she liked it, but when asked if she could have performed it better, Etta answered, “I think so. That’s a shame to say that.”

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As for President Obama, who she referred to as “the one with the big ears,” she believes he’s focused on more important things.

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“I still had my joke about him. That might be horrible. The President might not ever like me in life,” she added. “He’s got other stuff [to worry about] besides Etta James.” {Source}

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Interesting! I guess this doesn’t make for as ‘juicy’ a story as the first, however I’m sure tongues will still be wagging – after all it’s Beyonce. For what it’s worth, I thought Bey did a great job at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball. I’m kinda baffled as to why Ms. James would have preferred singing at the Ball, as word has it she’s not actually an Obama supporter.
Your thoughts?

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  1. MRSJONES February 6, 2009

    THAT WOMAN IS A LIE. SHE TRYIN’ TO COVER HER TRACKS BECAUSE EVERYBODY GETTIN’ ON HER ABOUT HOW THAT IS NOT EVEN HER SONG ORIGINALLY. I KNOW SHE SAID ALL THAT ON PURPOSE

  2. Anonymous February 6, 2009

    lol the heffa trying to talk it back now!!

  3. Anonymous February 6, 2009

    Old crazy granny.

  4. Anonymous February 6, 2009

    Etta know she meant that s***. She ain’t foolin’ nobody..

  5. Anonymous February 6, 2009

    …the ‘Diva’ singer…

    Sam your an idiot, it makes a whole lot more sense to say, “the self proclaimed, ‘Diva'”

    Saying the ‘Diva’ singer, sounds repetitive, and stupid!

  6. Anonymous February 6, 2009

    …the ‘Diva’ singer…

    Sam your an idiot, it makes a whole lot more sense to say, “the self proclaimed, ‘Diva'”

    Saying the ‘Diva’ singer, sounds repetitive, and stupid!

  7. human February 6, 2009

    @ the person who posted three times the same above me.

    Sam obviously said it in the way of: the singer of ‘Diva’. That’s why there are quotation marks, duh.
    youre stupid, not Sam.

    Concerning the topic
    Etta is a mess for bashing Bee, saying it’s a joke it’s just a lie. A joke is something funny, that was everything but funny.

  8. Anonymous February 6, 2009

    Everyone knows old people talk crazy…they dont mean harm…lol..

  9. Anonymous February 6, 2009

    Ya right Etta u meant s***.

  10. Anonymous February 6, 2009

    shut DA f*** up Human

  11. Anonymous February 6, 2009

    i honestly don’t believe it was a joke . you know how Matthew get down. He has probably paid her and her manager son to take back what she said about beyonce and to tell ppl with was a joke. old folks ppl mean what they say and say what they mean. If it was a joke then it she would have said it at the end of the recording but she did’t. This is just soem b*******. punking old ladies because she dont’ like your hot breath ass daughter. When will it end. Everyone is not gone like Beyonce, stans. Let it go.

  12. Anonymous February 6, 2009

    Human thank you for that, that person is obviously an idiot trying to be a smart ass but came out sounding dumb as f***.

    Anyway Etta can say whatever she wants. I actually appreciate the lady for being ‘real’ and saying what she really feels.

  13. Anonymous February 7, 2009

    Etta’s comments show the awful job Beyonce did in portraying her. Etta has always been raw, crass and nasty, which Beyonce did not convey on screen. If Beyonce and the Knowles family did their homework before simply placing Beyonce in Etta’s role, they would know this.

  14. Ms Keia February 7, 2009

    DAMN shame how African American people continue to tear each other down . . . ‘The one with the big ears . . . He ain’t my President . . . ‘ SMH

  15. coffee February 8, 2009

    it’s a clash of the titan-divas

  16. Anonymous February 8, 2009

    this, “it was a joke” is just to save face. she got pummeled in the media.

  17. Anonymous February 10, 2009

    It’s a delicate situation when you sing a signature song of a legend. I like both Beyonce and Etta James. And I can understand why Etta James is pissed. Beyonce is a great entertainer and Etta’s voice is timeless. The younger singer should show respect to the elder who helped pave the way. No matter how many times Beyonce sings “At Last,” it will not be her legacy. She does not have the depth. Beyonce is fierce, but her vocals are limited. But that’s the way it is in the music industry. Sometimes the great voices are relegated to the background.

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