At Last....Someone Doesn't Like Beyoncé.

Brief timeline: Beyoncé sings "At Last" at the inaugural ball for Barack Obama and Michelle Obama's first dance. Everyone loves it and buzzes about how great Beyoncé was (much to the rumored dismay of fellow songstresses Mary J. Blige and Mariah Carey who also performed but didn't seem to get as much attention). Approximately two weeks later comes Etta James' rather spontaneous and bitter comments regarding President Obama, Beyoncé and the inauguration neighborhood ball during her recent concert.

Here's what Etta James said:

"You guys know your president, right? You know the one with the big ears?". "Wait a minute, he ain't my president. He might be yours; he ain't my president. But I tell you that woman he had singing for him, singing my song, she's going to get her a** whipped.

The great Beyoncé. Like I said, she ain't mine. ... I can't stand Beyoncé. She has no business up there, singing up there on a big ol' president day, gonna be singing my song that I've been singing forever."

Apparently though, she made positive statements months prior about Miss Knowles for her portrayl of her in Cadillac Records, but now is in a tizzy over "her" song being sung at the inaugural celebration. I also read that when interviewed about Beyoncé playing her in the movie she was all for it but said, "well I don't think she looks like me". No, Etta she doesn't, she actually looks a lot better than you did back in the day, sorry.

I'm not a ride or die Beyoncé fan in the least bit, yet I'm no hater. (The title was purely out of play on words) I do think she's talented, but a bit overpublicized and overrated at times, but that's the celebrity/appearance obssessed society we live in. I'm not drawn to her music initially, but always end getting engaged in her songs and then getting on the bandwagon to like more.


I think Etta's comments were funny, but very ill-stated, especially saying Beyoncé was going to get her a** whipped. She was performing at concert, so I can't even give her some slack as if it was a slip of the tongue during an interview; she wanted to say what she said. Some people are saying if he wanted the song sung President Obama should have gotten Etta James, but I'm not even sure that he knew what song Beyonce was singing or perhaps he did requested it; as I'm sure a memo went out to her that "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)", or "Ring the Alarm" was not appropriate for the occasion. At the same time, Obama is not a record executive, he's the president, he doesn't need to worry about appeasing the sensitivities of 71 year-old who obviously has no respect for him since he's not her president. He can have who he wants there. I don't know if is she really just anti-Obama, or is she more mad he didn't invite her to sing?

I can understand Etta feeling slighted that Beyoncé received admiration very nationally and publically for a song she's known for, but apparently that song isn't even hers and had been recorded twice before Etta James made it popular. I know it's difficult for older singers who put their time in and probably had to work harder at success than the instant success that seems to be granted to artists these days to feel that something they made successful is being linked to someone else but for all intents, purposes, and reputations please keep it classy.
As always, at the end of the day, it's not always what you say but how you say it.