Etta James versus Beyonce: Divas duel No. 2
Etta James must be taking lessons from Faye Dunaway in how to be a diva. Etta James came out swinging against Beyonce for daring to perform her signature song — "At Last" — as the first dance for Barack and Michelle Obama at an inaugural ball. At a Jan. 28 concert in Seattle, the veteran singer let rip: "I tell you, that woman he has singing for him, singing my song, she gonna get her ... whipped. I can’t stand Beyonce, she had no business up there singing ... my song that I’ve been singing forever."
However, that was not the first time Beyonce had sung "At Last." She played Etta James in the December release "Cadillac Records" and performed that tune among many others in the film. And at the premiere of the picture, Beyonce sang her predecessor’s praises: "She’s a living legend and I want her to love the movie, and I hope she does." Guess Beyonce now has her answer as to what James thought of her portrayal. Perhaps James is just jealous that she only has three Grammy Awards while Beyonce has already racked up 10 wins and is a nominee again this year?
While Etta James had modest success with the song in 1961, it was first performed in 1942 by Glenn Miller and his orchestra in the film "Orchestra Wives" and became a hit record for the band leader. However, it was another Harry Warren-Mack Gordon tune from the film "I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo" — that got the Oscar nod. It lost to Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" from "Holiday Inn."
The notion that a performer has a proprietary right to a song or role is absurd. Different interpretations can bring new audiences to old classics. While there are a small number of films so iconic that they are best left alone (remember "Return to Oz"), the vast majority of movies and music are ripe for remakes and remixes. Even "Over the Rainbow" — the AFI No. 1 movie song of all time — has been given excellent new spins by the likes of Patti LaBelle and Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.
Would Faye Dunaway have refused to play the part of the gun moll in 1967's "Bonnie and Clyde" had Dorothy Provine, star of the 1958 flick "The Bonnie Parker Story," objected? And by the same token, what of all the singers who sang "At Last" in the two decades before Etta James did? Indeed, four years before her recording, Nat King Cole included the tune on his No. 1 album "Love Is the Thing."
Photos: MCA Records, TriStar Pictures
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Etta James is real to herself...Beyonce is a product...a commodity not human np sense of shame or respect ...and by the way her version of the song makes it loose meaning. as for Obama not being your president....well eatta is entitled to her opinion in public on stage or anywhere else...that is why america is democratic!!!! go Etta you rock!!
Posted by: thato | September 21, 2009 at 07:07 PM
I feel for the great Etta James - it is through long standing public perception that the song belongs to Etta - the only reason Beyonce released it was because she was playing Etta in a film! (Hence her almost note for note imitation of Etta’s version.) While one can hardly blame Beyonce for accepting a once-in-a-life-time gig, the President, along with his inauguration committee dropped the ball on this one. 'Change' isn't ALWAYS the right answer.
Posted by: Liz | April 22, 2009 at 02:36 AM
I was soooo upset when I saw and heard Beyonce sing 'At Last' at the Grammys...it actually moved me to tears...sooo upset she would do that right in front of Etta. I love Etta and have for over 20 years although I am not from her generation I adore her sound and love the woman she is. Whyyyyyyy wouldnt they have Etta sing the song...sure Beyonce played her in the movie so why not let the legend finally have her day...she has never truly gotten it and instead the closest she gets is 'that'...I am sooo upset you have no idea. Hey Beyonce...why don't you stick to what you do best - pop tart pop and leave the real singing to the legends.
Posted by: Teresa Johnston | March 25, 2009 at 06:32 PM
Ms. James is only kidding herself to attempt to back-pedal her spiteful nature by stating she was joking about Beyonce. Her ignorance is obvious per her disrespectful comments to MS. B and President Obama. Her delusions of grandeur and narcissistic personality disorder are overtly displayed by her claiming "ownership" of a song that she neither wrote, nor composed. Ms. James will be remembered long after her passing as the dried up old hag that dissed Miss B. by a generation that otherwise would have never heard of her. You have created a new legacy for yourself Ms. James, congratulations!!!!
Posted by: Gary | February 13, 2009 at 08:40 PM
It must be lonely to be old and bitter. Ms. James should be proud that we have a black african american president and mostly she should be honored that her song was chosen as a tribute to our first president and first lady. She need to sit down and take a look back in history. No wonder you never hear from her, she has been forgotten in time, and should have been happy that Beyonce put has ass back out there.
Posted by: Sandra | February 10, 2009 at 11:47 AM
I cannot believe that anyone would defend Ms. James. Like others have said, Ms. James does not own that song. I guess there are many bitter older women who are scared that their day has come and gone. Shame on you Etta!
Posted by: Robert | February 10, 2009 at 11:41 AM
If someone created/made a song they should own that song and whoever wants to use it should ask them. It's not only unfair but misleading for someone to take someone elses work. But then again it's a compliment since it's being copied. B however acknowledged her and the movie was based on her so it was obvious the song was hers.She exxagerated.
Posted by: red | February 09, 2009 at 10:49 AM
Ms. James, you of all people, should be proud that President Obama is the president. How could you be so forgetful. Don't you remeber how far you've come. The chittln circuit...having to sleep in your car because you were too black to stay in a hotel. the civil rights movement, you couldn't even vote. You should be ashamed of yourself.
Posted by: Lynn | February 08, 2009 at 06:02 PM
I just want to say that Etta James is jealous because Beyonce truly sang the song better than Ms. James did when she was in her younger days. Beyonce got a lot of recognition for singing that song at the ball and Ms. James wishes that she had gotten the credit. As for Obama not being her president, she is free to feel that way but as she is a citizen of the United States - he is HERS, MINE & OUR President. It is disgraceful for her to make that comment because Beyonce blew her out of the water.
Posted by: Ceary | February 08, 2009 at 09:19 AM
I AM NOT SORRY TO SAY BUT THE YOUNG BEYONCE CANT CARRY ETTA JAMES`S MIKE CASE,THIS GIRL IS SOME WHAT OVERRATED IT IS SAID,SHE DOES HAVE A VOICE BUT IT IS NOT MATURE YET TO BE SINGING GROWN FOLKS SONGS,BEYONCE STILL HAVE A TEENAGER SOUND IN HER VOICE AND SOMETIMES SINGS LIKE SHES IN A RACE,SINGING AT A 100 MILES AN HOUR,AND HAS TOO MUCH VIBRATO WHEN SHE SINGS,I CANT HEAR ANY SOUL OR BLUES WHEN SHE SINGS,YOU GOTTA HAVE THIS WHEN SINGING THESE TYPE OF SONGS,WHEN HER VOICE MATURES AND SLOWS DOWN,THEN SHE SHOULD BE RIGHT,I AM 54 YEARS OLD AND HAS HEARD AND SEEN MOST OF THE BEST FEMALE SINGERS (LIVE)SO I KNOW WHO ARE BORN SINGERS AND WHOS NOT AND BEING AN WELL,EX-MUSICIAN HELPS ME KNOW ALL ABOUT SINGING,I AM NOT SAYING THAT BEYONCE CAN NOT SING BUT...NO TORCHES HAS BEEN PASSED YET AND IT WILL BE AWHILE BEFORE IT WILL.
Posted by: AL POLLARD JR. | February 07, 2009 at 05:56 AM
Beyonsh* is really soooo over-rated! and oh my, she even has twice the number of Grammys than Mariah who is way sooo much talented!!! give back those grammys Beyonce cuz you don't deserve them. you are just eyecandy and really not that great of a singer! and your songs are horrible - just repetitive, unmelodic shouts and growls!
Posted by: David | February 07, 2009 at 12:13 AM
At some point artists must pass the baton. They must not grow old and angry, trying to hang on to their limelight days. They should look back fondly at the beautiful memories. If a younger artist thinks they were great enough to revisit their work, I would think they would be flattered. I was saddened to hear Ms. James comments. She was great and will always be great. She is seemingly angry at everyone, including the President for what I believe was not asking "her" to sing the song. So angry that she denounced him as " her" President. Wasn't that taking it a bit far? But, then I began to wonder if she is beginning to suffer any diseases that may be affecting her mind. Today she says it was all just a joke. She really thinks we cannot tell the difference? I think she could use some prayers.
Posted by: Sofia | February 06, 2009 at 09:31 PM
I feel the same, Beyonce is overrate, and only got were she is by jay z, and learning how to crawl on the floor, and walking on the other girls in the group, maybe the song was not ms. James, but if she had not sang that song the way she did maybe ms overrated beyonce would have never heard it at all, but I do feel that ms. James should not have said what she did about the president.
Posted by: feel the same | February 06, 2009 at 03:53 PM
Etta James sounds like a bitter woman. What a cheap way to get publicity in attacking Beyonce for singing "At Last." To top it off, Etta James didn't write that song, two gentlemen named Mack Gordon and Harry Warren wrote "At Last."
Get it together Etta James or retire.
Posted by: Joey | February 06, 2009 at 02:22 PM
If Louie Armstrong were still alive, I'm sure President Obama would have Kanye West up there rapping a verison of it at his ball instead of Armstrong.
It's sad, but people have no respect for the legends at all.
Posted by: Lee | February 06, 2009 at 01:46 PM
This dispute should be left between the ladies. Anyone's comments outside of these two entities are is just pollution. ;-) Thanks.
Posted by: Starr | February 06, 2009 at 12:49 PM
Beyonce is overrated.
Posted by: Jenny | February 06, 2009 at 12:03 PM
OK SO DID ANYONE GET THIS UPSET WHEN CHRIS BROWN SANG TRY A LITTLE TENDERNESS ON THIS CHRISTMAS. ETTA JAMES IS AND WILL ALWAYS BE ETTA JAMES. BEYONCE IS JUST A TALENTED YOUNG WOMEN WHO WAS ASKED TO SING A SONG NOT OWNED, OR WRITTEN BY MS JAMES. IF ALL THE ENTERTAINERS WERE PUT UNDER THE GUN FOR SINGING ANOTHER ARTIST SONG WHERE WOULD WE BE. SAD
Posted by: DEBORAH | February 06, 2009 at 11:17 AM
Why is it so easy for the older or more seasoned generation to claim things, saying thats mine give it back, you cant do it like i do it or how i use to do it, then wonder why so many youth or young people dare to try anything? Its important to remember what our elders have done for us and show them respect, but let not the elders forgot that the youth are not only the future but the present!!! Elders can remember bacc in the day, but your day have long gone just like our generation will eventually be, with every new generation their is some resemblance of the past. Beyonce is our generations etta james, and aretha franklins, and patti labelles, just like the next generation somebody will be like "beyonce" etc. The question is not who is more talented, but who is more relatible for the current generation. Byeonce did a great job and look beautiful doing it... GO DIVA muah!!!
Posted by: M.I.A. | February 06, 2009 at 10:27 AM
Tarri ... you have a point. I always like Etta. I saw her in concert a couple of years ago in SF and I think the tickets were pricey enough. The first half of the concert was just awful although she warmed up and was very good the last half. She can be too gritty as she comes off as some old dog and overall her style does not correspond to the song "At Last". And, well, it isn't her song. I don't think I'd want to trust she would even do even an average job of performing at this point.
Posted by: Chris | February 06, 2009 at 10:12 AM
Etta James should thank Beyonce for bringing Etta James name back in to the spot light. I never knew who she was that song came out more then 3 decades I was born, I knew nothing Etta Jams. Etta is harming her reputation with a lot of potential younger fans including myself. Thanks to Beyonce, new generations want to learn more about history. That song is about love and I think it is horrible that Etta would be so offended that such a beautiful classy woman would sing it. The great thing about Beyonce singing the song new and older generations enjoy listening to it. I grew up listening to Beyonce and she promotes being a strong woman. What can I say for Etta now she is a negative person and has had many addiction problems? What a great example Etta is. Have you every heard about Beyonce on drugs or talking trash about others to bring them down?? No! because she has too much self respect.
Posted by: Amanda | February 06, 2009 at 09:57 AM
Can you own a word once it has been spoken or sang?
Do you critisize your minister, priest, rabbi for speaking the scripture because he/she did not say the words first?
Its a beautiful song because it has meaning, and not because of who sang it.
I am sure the event was planned for the benefit of those attending and wanted to ensure the children were enteretained as well as the adults. Do you think they know the song from an earlier performance? What do you think they feel about the song now?
Yours, Mine, Ours, who really suffers if it is not shared?
Posted by: Saddened | February 06, 2009 at 09:53 AM
Etta James is gold. That said she owes everyone involved an apology. Yes shes paid her dues and has the right to express herself but that was just plain mean. I don't care that much for Beyonce` either but she did a fabulous job honoring a man and a woman destined for greatness. I dont think Ms. James meant to be as mean as she was to the president. Ms. James I love you and your recording is by far the best but an apology is certainly in order. CALM DOWN its not that serious.
Posted by: NanaNow | February 06, 2009 at 09:49 AM
No comment on the respective talents of the two singers. I just think the comments attributed to Ella, if true, were in the worst possible taste, besides exposing her as a very mean, jealous and spiteful old woman. (i'm older than she is, by the way). Besides, she has no more monopoly on that song than Bing Crosby has on White Christmas.
She should have been very gracious to Beyonce, and let the various renditions speak for themselves, although one was live and the other was recorded.
Anyway, who cares if one is considered better than the other? Let's all do the best we can with the talent we have, and just be glad for those who get the lucky breaks.
Posted by: Emily | February 06, 2009 at 09:26 AM
Gosh u Guys r so far up beyonce's butt u cant see right from wrong, She made the song hot"EttA" so it is her song....Who cares about how many Damn Grammy someone has, its the point
Posted by: Ray | February 06, 2009 at 09:17 AM