Etta James truly miffed about Obama snub, but was kidding about disliking Beyonce
BY Carrie Melago
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Updated Thursday, February 5th 2009, 6:37 PM
Singer Etta James says she was only trying to get a laugh when she said she "can't stand" Beyonce and made fun of President Obama's ears during a concert in Seattle.
James told the Daily News Thursday that she meant no harm when she poked fun at the president and ripped Beyonce for her performance of James' hit "At Last" during the inauguration.
"I didn't really mean anything," James said. "Even as a little child, I've always had that comedian kind of attitude. ...That's probably what went into it."
Still, James acknowledged being miffed that she wasn't invited to perform her signature song for Obama's first dance with his wife on inauguration night.
James was "feeling left out of something that was basically mine, that I had done every time you look around," she said.
And while she said she liked Beyonce's performance, when asked if she thought she could have done better, James answered, "I think so. That's a shame to say that."
James made the controversial comments before performing the song at a concert in Seattle last week. She began by saying of Obama, "You know your President, right? You know the one with the big ears?"
She went on to say about Beyonce, "I tell you that woman he had singing for him, singing my song, she gonna get her ass whupped."
Thursday, James said she kept the insults rolling only because the crowd was laughing so hard, a reaction that can be heard on a recording.
"Nobody was getting mad at me in Seattle," she said. "They were all laughing, and it was funny."
She said the jokes were "not from a vicious place."
James pointed out that she posed for a picture and spoke with Beyonce last year before the premiere of "Cadillac Records," in which the young singer portrays the 71-year-old legend.
As for Obama, James said she "always thought he was handsome and he was cool."
"I still had my joke about him," she said. "That might be horrible. The president might not ever like me in life."
She questioned how upset Obama could possibly be about the barb: "He's got other stuff (to worry about) besides Etta James."
If Etta James thinks she should beat down Beyonce for covering "her song," then by her own logic, Etta has a couple of ass-kickings coming her way too -- 'cause Etta's version of "At Last" was a cover too!
Etta went on stage in Seattle last week and told the crowd she's gonna lay the smack down on B for "singin' my song" at Obama's Inauguration Ball. But not only did the 71-year-old not write the song, she wasn't even the first -- or second -- to record it!
Glenn Miller did it first in 1942, followed by Nat King Cole in 1957. Etta got around to recording it in 1961. In fact, Glenn's version ranked higher on the Billboard Pop Singles chart than Etta's ever did.
FYI -- neither Miller nor Cole ever threatened to beat Etta's ass -- although it's about time someone knocks some sense into that lady.
Though no one is commenting officially, I've learned both Beyonce and President and Mrs. Obama were stunned by music legend Etta James' strong verbal whiplashing over Beyonce singing ''At Last'' to the Obamas for their first inaugural ball dance.
''It never crossed anyone's mind that there was anything inappropriate about Beyonce singing that song,'' admitted a White House insider Thursday. ''First of all, the message of the song was so perfect. Beyonce sang it in the ['Cadillac Records'] film, and I don't think the people organizing that event even knew Etta was still performing. ... I'm sure some of the younger people involved didn't even know she is still alive!''
That said, a number of people deeply involved in the Inaugural festivities admitted Thursday it might have been better to have Beyonce and James sing ''At Last'' as a duet. But one key member of the Obama camp huffed, ''From Etta's slam of Barack in Seattle, it sounds like she didn't even vote for him. ... You've got to remember that Beyonce was a strong and loyal supporter of the president and his campaign.''
The source was talking about James' sarcastic comment on Jan. 28 to her Seattle audience about ''your president, the one with the big ears. ... Wait a minute, he ain't my president. He might be yours, he ain't my president.''
Given that James, 71, earlier had seemed supportive of Beyonce playing her in ''Cadillac Records'' -- the film loosely based on Chicago's own Chess Records -- her verbal attack on the young superstar also was surprising.
''The great Beyonce ... I can't stand Beyonce,'' said James, calling ''At Last'' her own song ''that I've been singing forever.''
It is true James was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 for her rendition of the song, which she recorded in 1961 and made her own. However, James neither wrote ''At Last' nor was the first artist to record it. The song was written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren and first recorded by Ray Eberle and Pat Friday.
As for James' biting remarks, a couple of family members have been quoted as saying they may have been the result of ''over-medication'' for an undisclosed ailment.
AT LAST IS NOT ETTA JAMES SONG!!!
She has the Most popular rendition.
ALL THESE ARTIST COVER THIS SONG:
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.
Etta James is a Bitter BITCH!!!..All those artist cover the song and she was quiet as a mouse, but Bee sings at the Inauguration for the first "Black Family" and she has a Bitch Fit.
Poor Etta she just killed herself, all the medias are hatin on her!
Nobody knew who she was before Beyoncé played her and now people will remember her as a dumbass bitch.
Anyways its great promos for Bee so i dont know why all the haters are happy about that, all the medias are behind Beyoncé sayin how great she was at the inauguration and in the movie!
hope Bee continue to perform this everywhere to get this old hag mad.
She should replace at last with Back Up or Lost Yo Mind. Cuz clearly Etta James has gone senile and lost her mind so she needs to BACK UP CUZ SHE AIN'T NO DIVA! Lol
vs. 
This is probably the most she's been talked about since she released the song 100 years ago. 
@ the pic tmz used.