What Happened Between Etta James and Beyoncé?

The reported tension between Etta James and Beyoncé began in 2008 after the movie Cadillac Records, in which Beyoncé portrayed Etta.

Beyonce was invited to perform “At Last” at President Barack Obama’s inaugural ball. 

The performance itself was excellent by any account, but Etta James was reportedly and understandably unhappy that she herself wasn’t invited to perform the song that made her famous. 

During a concert a few weeks later, she half-joked onstage that Beyoncé had no business singing “her song.”

The moment got a lot of attention, but it wasn’t really a feud, or even particularly pointed at Beyoncé herself.  

Etta was also reportedly battling health issues later in life, and after the attention of the ‘feud’, her son clarified that she actually liked Beyoncé’s performance, and that her remarks weren’t meant to be taken literally.

In the end, the situation was maybe overhyped in the media, and not really an actual rivalry. Beyoncé continued to speak respectfully of Etta James, and Etta’s bigger than life legacy remained unchanged.