Etta's Slap Stings Obamas

Beyonce also smarting over 'At Last' originator's blast



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.