ObamaAwearness™

Rude and Crude Etta James- Not so much a Lady in her Old Age Spews this Comment!

“He ain’t my president. He might be yours…” she continued, before adding that “that woman he had singing for him…she’s gonna get her ass whipped. The great Beyonce…I can’t stand Beyonce.”

"He ain't my president. He might be yours..."

When  you’re 71  years old it is time to step aside and allow the younger generation come forth when it comes to  singing for the President Of the United States.  According to Etta James, this is not the case.  Etta James was the signature vocalist for the song “At Last” which was the chosen for  President and First Lady Obama’s  Inaugural First Dance and they chose Beyonce Knowles to sing it.  Beyonce is a favorite of the entire Obama family - she is a good vocalist and portrayed Etta James in the movie  Cadillac Records also starring Adrien Brody.  She was the natural choice for the Inaugural Song.

Etta James and Beyonce side by side for Movie Cadillac Records

But, this being said, Etta James is throwing fits (Listen to Etta’s rant here. When it comes to these two feuding divas whose side are you on — Beyonce’s or Etta’s?) , denouncing  Beyonce and President Obama over it.  Time to step aside Etta. I don’t imagine her 71 yr old voice would have been nearly as  golden sweet as  Beyonce’s  performance.  I would think  Etta James would have been proud to have  such a talent as Beyonce Knowles step in and sing At Last for the President and First Lady.

While  Etta James may have used “At Last” as her signature song, it was not made for her specifically  to sing.  According to Wikipedia:

“At Last” is a 1941 song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the musical film Orchestra Wives, starring George Montgomery and Ann Rutherford. It was first performed in the film and on record by Glenn Miller and his orchestra, vocal by Ray Eberle and Pat Friday. The song was a major hit for Miller, reaching number 14 on the Billboard pop charts in 1942, and it soon became a standard. Nat King Cole recorded it in 1957 on his number one album Love Is the Thing. In 1960, it was covered by blues singer Etta James in a performance that improvised on Warren’s melody. James was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 for her rendition of the song.^[1]

The song was a favorite of Warren’s and he would occasionally draw the melody of the first two bars of the song when signing an autograph.

The song became James’s signature song

Etta James At Last 1961

and was the third in a string of successful songs from her Chess Records debut album At Last!. Upon the song’s release in April 1961, it became her second number 2 R&B hit and crossed over to pop radio, reaching number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100. Despite its rather low pop chart standing, the song is well-known and is still played regularly on oldies radio stations.

In the decades since its release it has been covered by a number of artists, including Ella Fitzgerald, Jason Mraz, Phoebe Snow, Miles Davis, Martina McBride, Céline Dion, Lou Rawls, Eva Cassidy, Christina Aguilera, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks, Norah Jones, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Jimmy Scott, The Manhattan Rhythm Kings, Cyndi Lauper, Aubrey O’Day, Beyonce Knowles, and Nikki Yanofsky. The Etta James version is perhaps the most famous, and is known to be performed at weddings and wedding receptions because of its romantic lyrics and sweeping orchestration. It was used in the trailer for Wall-E movie.

On January 20, 2009, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama danced to various renditions of the song at each of the 10 official balls honoring his inauguration.

So, like a wrinkled child, Etta has shown her  ugly side by spewing  remarks only a classless unladylike gal would do .  It’s unfortunate that  she will most likely be remembered after she leaves this life, as the crazy old lady who dissed the President  than the golden voice she was back in her day.

Links on Etta James  vs Beyonce and the President:

Etta James vs. Beyonce: ‘At Last,’ the catfight you knew was coming: PopWatch

Etta James Disses Beyonce On Stage YouTube

VOTE: Etta James Lashes Out at Beyonce For Singing “At Last” at Inauguration — Whose Side Are You On? PopSugar