I almost wrecked my car when they played the sound bite (play above) of Etta james saying Beyonce' was gonna get her ASS whipped! LMAO... OMG! Etta James is GANGSTA ya'll!
To be honest, I felt that she was disrespected. I feel that though she didn't WRITE "At Last", she popularized it. Really, "At Last" is a mediocre poem set to less than phenomenal music. HOWEVER, the rough and raspy voice of one Ms. Etta James adds just what it needs to be edgy, yet sweet. Loving and demanding. Coy yet... well... demanding ( I mean COME ON, she basically GRABS you by the throat and gives you the death stare whilst sayin " FORRRR YOU ARE MINNNNNNE AT LAST"). This could REALLY be an anthem for someone who has kidnapped their intended, and are now looking at them, all tied up and gagged... very pleased with themselves at the perfect boyscout knot securing there captive's hands and ankles.
Etta MADE that song (and HONESTLY I don't think Beyonce's version did Etta justice).
Beyonce' may not be at fault here though. As pointed out in THIS ARTICLE, Beyonce' is a performer and is paid very handsomely to do her job. If they requested this song as the first dance for President and first lady-O as sung by the 36 year old starlet Beyonce ( she's not 27 ya'll come on), then so be it. I'm a FAN of Beyonce's most definately. I'm a "Single Ladies ( Put a ring on it)" singer. I even find myself rockin' out to "Diva" on the way home from work ( Tell me suh-thin where you Bawwws Et?). But in this instance, I HAVE to side w/ Etta.
To me, it's a matter of RESPECT. If Etta doesn't like the prez.. ok. Let her decline. If she doesn't feel like being involved, give her the opportunity to say no. Don't just ASSUME or ASSIGN her trademark to someone else. BOOOO to that...
Did Etta have to get GANGSTA and threaten Mrs. Carter? Nope. Will there be some Beyonce' back-talk? Probably. But let us not forget that Aretha Franklin ALSO has beef w/ Beyonce'. I'm pretty sure Re-re can get gangsta too... Why 'B' gotta mess w/ the wrong broads?! Why doesn't she disrespect the EASY "diva's"... I mean, you don't see her and Jay doin' a remake of Fire and Desire do you? Teena Marie wouldn't do anything... and Rick James ( God rest his soul ) CAN'T object to Hov.
Iono-- but I can't WAIT to see what develops here... lol
Beyonce' ( or whomever booked her for the presidential gig ) you are DEAD WRONG. NOW! Go apologize to lil' Etta and say "I'm sorry" :: pause :: Now hug her.
That's a nice lil' div-ette
** let me say, I don't like that she put down my president... but ya know what. She was just mad... I love Etta... but I love Barack more... don't make me choose Etta... I got your back on this one... but DON'T make me choose... (lol) ***
8 comments:
If only it was that clear cut. It seems everyone finds a reason to be mad at Beyonce. And let's be honest, how many current hits sample or remake older classics?That how music stays rotated to new listeners. I saw Cadillac Records and that was my intro to Ms Etta so I honestly think shes a lil off this one. ESPECIALLY when she was posing with Beyonce in Nov. after one of the dozens times this songs been covered.
So why is she mad now and not then?I guess its Diva syndrome.Sometimes they don't want to pass the torch so easily.lol
Ok, granted... she posed w/ B.. BUT, was this PRIOR TO her finding out that Beyonce would be singing @ the Presidents ball?
ALSO, there's a difference in the MANY MANY MANY times that this song has been covered and THIS time when history was being made, the first black president was being inaugurated, and the world was watching. This was a blatant SNUB.
As for everyone wanting to get on "Beyonce'"... like I said, i'm a FAN. big time. BUT, the light doesn't shine in her ass. She's beautiful, talented, seemingly down to earth, etc (and I BELIEVE I said Beyonce' might not be to blame (but I may be mistaken)).
THIS WAS A SNUB at Etta. Etta may not be as LEGENDARY as Aretha, Whitney, Tina, etc, BUT she is a trailblazer. People who aren't as adept to older music or a wide variety of genre's might not know MUCH about Etta. I do because my father was a blues drummer and has played with Etta.
Regardless. you can't compare this incident with this song being sung at ANY OTHER TIME. It's not the same as Jennifer Holiday being pissed that " And I Am Telling You ( I'm not going )" is not directly associated w/ Jennifer Hudson. That's a movie, and a song. This is history.
She was snubbed. point. blank. period.
Beyonce only sees how the opportunity would affect her career. If they had Jamie Foxx to sing a Ray Charles song and Ray Charles was alive, Jamie would either stepped down or done a duet with Mr.Charles if he was alive.
I don't think it's fair how Black artists are treated that are still alive when someone decides they want to make a movie about them or sing one of their songs. A lot of it has to do with their "rights". A lot of them never had rights to their own publishing so whoever makes the movies or has other artists singing the songs, if they are heavy on the business, light on the ethics, these older artists are going to get slighted.
You don't see this happening in the Caucasian community because a LOT of those artists have rights to their "life", so to speak.
The only people I recall any justice (read: respect) being done to when something portrayed their life was when Denzel played the main character in American Gangster (for legal reasons, the person the movie was adapted after could not receive any money for it but he was consulted about HIS LIFE), and the Ray Charles movie.
Even with the whole Lil Kim debacle on the Notorious movie. I don't look at it as diva fits...I look at it as, no one knows me better than me, so why does anyone think it's okay to portray me in a film without consulting me? That's rude as hell.
As for the music, same applies. It's just a respect thing. If I was a singer, I wouldn't be at some big gala that is being shown on television singing a Beyonce song without asking her if it's okay because she's still alive.
But people just have no respect these days....it's all about the money!
Had to get some info on this cuz a lot of folk I don't think have the full story....ok its wasn't a snubb and here's the reason, they asked Etta to come initially.Apparently medical reasons kept her home so she really has nothing to be upset about.
Quotes from from her Son;
"She was looking forward to seeing it," he said. "She was honored."
The singer was moved by Obama's victory but was too under the weather to go to Washington, her son said. James has suffered complications from a 2003 gastric bypass surgery that helped her lose 200 pounds.
"She was a little down that she wasn't well enough to be there," Donto James said.
And now shes bacC tracCin' saying she was just joking?Like I said I'm not a huge B fan but shes damned no matter what she does and the truth is half the people crying foul wouldn't have turned down the opportunity if THEY were asked to perform.
I'll be honest I love mo people but I a lot of REALLY need to get our business minds on point. So many of the entertainers both young and old don't handle their business right so when a another artist capitalizes on it we cry how that's not right.Please, unless you got in the game as a child and ya parent screwed up your publishing and what not your GROWN, its on you to have ya shit together. And outside of all the ill comments don't think Etta hasn't made a nice bit of royalty money from the resurgence of her work.
Here's the link to Etta dismissing her comments.
http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/02/05/2009-02-05_etta_james_truly_miffed_about_obama_snub.html
b SHOULD gave called her. etta made it possible for her to make the loot she has - i was always taught to respect ourr elders - etta got no loot from the fil either -m shame and i added u to my
Etta retracted because she probably was under some pressure from her PR people or management. BEYONCE' is an institution and you lose fans when you go against her.
*side note* BIGGGGGAAA!!!!! I'm so excited to see you hear! WOOP WOOP!!!
It feels so good to be missed. lol
I missed you as well.
I see Matty Knowles done threatened to send Solange after Ms. James if she didn't back off. lol
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