LMAO!! I’m just calling it how I see it. I LOVE Etta James, and I feel that Beyonce wouldn’t do her justice. I’m not hating on her, because she is very talented, but not talented enough to play my girl.

I’m willing to give Beyonce another chance with the acting thing if she does two things:

1. Get a better acting coach. Leave Halle Berry’s acting coach alone.

2. If she and Matthew Knowles will stop trying to protect her “good-girl” image and let her REALLY become Etta.

From the way Etta describes herself…she was nothing nice.

I wonder if Beyonce is going to put on some pounds for the role because Etta was definitely not a skinny girl when she was coming up.

We haven’t seen B’s full potential b/c every role she’s had, she plays a singer! I am so sick that! No one takes her seriously as an actress b/c of it. Be a single mother, be a villain, be a crack head! Just B something else!
Question. Now Etta James was/is a big woman. She wasn’t no size 2! So is “that girl” (lol) going to pack on the pounds to play this role, like she took it off for Dreamgirls? It will be very interesting to see how this turns out!

Funny@25. Dont forget she can also be seen in the upcoming remake of gone with the wind and mamma why my weave too tight!?

BET.com

News You Should Know About Politics: Obama Got Robbed In N.Y., Elections Board Says; Clinton Steps Up Heat On Surging Obama
Posted February 19, 2008
Obama got robbed in N.Y., the Elections Board says
The state Board of Elections says that Sen. Barack Obama got shafted in the New York primary. In fact, The New York Daily News reports, several districts actually show that zero votes were recorded for Obama, when in reality he had gotten hundreds. In nearly 80 districts – even in mega-Black Harlem – he got zilch, while in other largely Black districts the tallies were far off the mark. At first, results in the 94th district, where Harlem is seated, showed a 141-0 sweep for Hillary Clinton, but a recount changed the tally to 261-136, according to the News. Describing the miscalculations as “outrageous,” Brooklyn City Councilman Charles Barron told the paper, “I think this is an all-out effort to stop a campaign that is about to make history and render America’s first Black president. We need some kind of independent or federal agency to investigate this.”

Pamela on Politics: It appears that Camp Clinton has stepped up its attacks on a surging Sen. Obama. Read here and comment.

PEOPLE will do just about anything for dollards
Etta james knows damn well that beyonce cant sing like her and that she is locked in the “perfect girl” spiral
why do people hate that girl so much that they set her up for failure?

I know that last comment was kind of random but since this post has beyonce in I know people will see it. I’m not trying to sound like a hater but musicians who want to establish themselves as actresses should stay away from roles that portray them as singers because it dosn’t help their acting resume’ they are doing something we know they can do which is sing but congraduations to her anyway.

Hope that Ciara’s new album has heart felt ballads as on her previous albums…………Promise

I am really sorry for the black actress. Anytime we have a real movie, drama etc, not comedy, they are clueless about their choice. I mean Angela Basset did a great job. I guess, if they had to do the movie about Tina today, they would call beyonce too lol.
That would make sense, but there would be no Angela Basset, because this movie bosst her career. OMG, i still remember how i felt bad for her, she makes me cry so much, she is such a good actress, i would say the best black actress!!

59.

Sharonda
Thursday, February 21, 2008 /
47.
CHERYLINMIAMI

Etta is not dead.Did you even read the post?ROFL.

YES, I READ THE POST WHICH IS WHY IS ASKED JSCENE THE QUESTION… HOW THE HELL CAN ETTA GIVE BEYONCE POINTERS IF SHE IS DEAD! I KNOW SHE ISN’T DEAD, EVIDENTLY JSCENE DIDN’T READ THE ARTICLE AT ALL, SHE JUST CAME OUT WITH HER IGNORANCE AND HATE. SO NEXT TIME READ AND TRY TO COMPREHEND. I READ THIS ARTICLE EARLIER, THIS ISN’T NEW TO ME.

Beyonce had work to do and i don’t think Etta’s going to play that mediocre gamew hen it comes to her portaryal, also

Wow, I did not know Etta was still alive wow good for her.Now will she be able to teach dumb ass,slow Beyonce to act like her? I seriously doubt it.There is not enough acting coaching in the world that would be able to teach her any acting skills.She just does not need to be acting/portraying anyone in the movies she just should stick to singing.Anyway enough about Beyonce,now Tank my baby it will be okay baby come to mama! I wonder what happened to Ciara’s other dancers well I wish her luck with the auditions!

Beyonce had work to do and i don’t think Etta’s going to play that mediocre gamew hen it comes to her portaryal, also HOW BIG OF A ROLE IS BEYONCE’S, I THINK THEY ARE MILKING HER FROM JUMP CUZ AALIYAH WAS KIDNA SUPPORTING IN ‘QUEEN OF THE DAMNED’ AND THEY MILKED THAT CUZ OF HER DEATH, I THINK THAT’S HAPPENING HERE. IT’S CALLED ‘CADILLAC RECORDS’, NOT ‘LIFE AND TIMES OF ETTA JAMES’!

DAMN TANK, WTF

GET CIARA, I’M ABOUT TO AUDITION

I wanna see Beyonce gain the weight to play Etta…or are they gonna put her in a mini suit cause her excuse for not getting the Effie role was because she couldn’t pack on the pounds if I’m correct.

Everyone doubted Diana too when she played Ms. Holiday and look how that turned out..

Etta James seems like she was something else back in her day, and I had no idea she was a heroin addict. She has some depth to her life which I am sure can help accredit Bey as a viable actress, if Daddy Knowles “allows” her to go there.

good luck girl!!!

I can already see the stories coming about Matthew bumping heads with Etta. It sounds like that lady is going to be really tough on Beyonce. True enough, she needs alot of training in acting, because she is kinda bad at it. Notice how she never been in a movie without having to sing. Alicia Keys has, so has Ashanti and Amerie.

Bey wear the fat suit, if it requires you to be somewhat heavy, girl you put on all that weight and can’t take it off, some people would be dancing in the streets……….you know the mindset of some people.

LMAO @ Etta calling Beyonce ‘bourgie’

Very true #83. The movie is about the rise and fall of Chess Records, not just the life of Etta James, but you can’t do a half-ass job of telling a story about musical legends.

As for Beyonce playing Etta, she needs to do some research take her ass to the projects for a couple of months, like on those Jenny Jones shows where they send those wanna be badass l’il tricks to give them a dose of the real.

You can’t teach street, you gotta LIVE it, and study your damn lessons.

Etta was street as f*ck, y’all, and she didn’t take no shyt for being high yella!

WWhen is beyonce gonna play someone other than a singer? Shes not that good an actress so ima cross my finger with one. Good Luck Beyonce… your gonna need it.

I agree with #68, I was thinking the exact same thing! Faith could do a better job, hell Jill Scott will do! What the hell is up with people putting Bey in movies like she is good! Etta J. don’t play, so Bey better get it together, she has a lot of work to do!

ha i like miss etta! she’s funny. ten bucks say beyonce wont make it through production. it goes to show it takes more than light skin and a ho hum voice to imitate some one. etta james is a legend and she has the right to question who plays her. i feel alicia keys would have been a better choice. but what ever.

LOL @ #88

Yeah, I caught that!

Etta was the first lady of Chess back in Chi-Town. They was known for the harder sounding R&B. At the time, Detroit/Motown was kicking their ass, so they tried to mimic Motown success by forcing Etta to sing crossover/R&B/Pop. She recorded a couple of duet songs that sounded like Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, which only pissed her off some more!

i forgot to mention beyonce cant act worth a damn either!

They even made her over to look “softer” and she went along with it for a minute, then said f*ck outta here!

Wow. I had “you tube” Ella James. Her voice is heavy. Beyonce relly needs to pull this off. Ms. James style is so smooth and “blues”. Her music is straight from the heart. You all need to listen to her songs…. Faith Evan would have been perfect for this role…

Not hatin just opioniating!

Jeez nearly a hundred comments ALREADY??!! No wonder they call her the hottest chick in the game. She got the lovers and haters eatin out of her hand.

Ms. AKA thank you for that opinion. I completely agree.

@AKA

You hit it right on the head. This is a job for Faith Evans.

@97

As much as I’d like to give Etta some credit, I gotta say that Beyonce is reason why there are so many comments.

We all know that a Beyonce post will garner more responses than a post about the return of slavery laws!

What Etta meant was,unlike Beyonce she actually has a personality.

Faith Evans has a great voice, but she cant act worth a damn. She was on a Half and Half episode on UPN. She made me cringe just listening to her….like she was reading off a cue card. Plus she horrible in Fighting Temptations too.

Beyonce and that “platic smile” of hers….

Queen Latifah could be a good candidate as far singing and acting goes, but I think she too tall for the role.

Love Beyonce but I was embarassed for her everytime I saw Dreamgirls, which I saw on HBO. Eddie Murphy was the best thing about that movie if you ask me. Anyway I don’t know about her playing Etta James especially now that I know Etta had a drug addiction probelm. That’s deep if they touch on that in the movie.

@ 102

Yeah, I feel you, but between the two, Faith is the better candidate to groom and coach for the role. I think she at least has the basics to work with.

This is what happens when you have a bunch of white people deternining what you will listen to and who you will listen too. They are just determine too make her the only black female celebrity in America. It is not a coincedence that Kelly Rowland is a big star over seas and can’t get any air time here. This girl is selling records over there like crazy. There are so many black females from America overseas with great music but they can’t get any air time over here. This is crazy. If you have a satellite radio you can hear the songs as well. You will never hear these great songs on regular radio. I think this girl is so over rated. She does the exact same act everytime she performs. I think that Jill Scott would have been great playing this role. But of course that can’t happen because she has a great voice. Etta has performed so much more than atlast. She is not a good actress and I think it will take away from the greatness of the movie.

I’ll wait for this one on DVD. I’ve heard on another gossip site that the lady with real talent will be in the movie also(Ms. Alicia Keys). If Alicia is in it then I will go and see the movie. I didn’t know that Beyonce was still on the market for ’singing” roles after how Jennifer Hudson took all the attention. Beyonce will be horrible, trust me I know this.

Good luck to B… I hope she can pull this off! Those are very large shoes to fill…

I love ciara, i will be trying out 2morrow in atlanta

the only reason why beyonce is playing this role is to get an oscar…she’ll stop at nothing until she gets it..

103 said: Beyonce and that “plastic smile” of hers….
101 said: What Etta meant was,unlike Beyonce she actually has a personality.

Yes agree with you both. She will most likely NOT pull this off. Blues and street is in your heart. Etta James is singing as she lived past experiences. Please you tube her songs in live performances. Her soul sings. I automatically fell in love with her spirit. Unlike Beyonce, she does not connect with her audience. Unfortunately, commercialism has robbed Beyonce for a role connection. She is an object of what Black women is SUPPOSEDLY to look like. There is no connection with her songs with me. She sings POP. You cannot “act” hard for someone that never lived in the streets per se. She made me cringe in Dreamgirls. I had my hand over my mouth in disbelief for her acting. I could not believe the acting. I was embarrassed for her.

Even looked at Denzel Washington in roles when he tried hard to act like that bad cop. I cannot remember the name of the movie. Denzel was not convincing enough to me.

Etta sings the Blues and hard Rand B. Someone mentioned Angie Stone. Yes. Angie
Queen Latifah would have pulled it off. Why? Because they are smooth down to earth sisters and they can sing.

I am asking you all to really You Tube Etta James and then you will get my drift. Numerous other performes come to mind to suit this role other than B.

Again, I am not trying to write a dissertation but want to place thisngs into perspective for those that are very narrow minded and star crazed. Not hatin just opinionating…

Why does Beyonce have to play everybody? No disrespect, but did anyone else audition for this part?

To 113.
Because Beyonce will bring people to the box office. It’s all about money.

This should be a real serious role for B. She better show her acting skills and get that Oscar!! If she is going to master this role she needs to shut everything else down concentrate on acting. I am excited for her.

let s just be happy that there is a black woman that ets the shine!! Besides Oprah, who does not happen to be a sex symbol. Our actress, will never get any shine, when in the white world, there is a movie star every year!! but for us, the same people, the same star doing the same kind of movies even if i love Etta!

Beyonce has proven she can sing in different voices and sound wonderful. No one thought Diana could do Billie Holiday and she did it thoroughly - this is the same scenario. Beyonce’s gonna kill it like she kills everything she does. She also producing the movie and soundtrack. Good look and another BIG feather in her cap.

#112, I think your talking about Training Day, where Denzel played a bad cop. He won a Oscar for that role. And see thats the thing, its doesnt matter what we think. If the people on the Academy board thinks its good enough acting than they will give an Oscar. Whats wrong with Bey striving to win an Oscar. Giving this girl a chance. We need more examples of a hard working woman in the media. Like the Oprah’s, the Condelleza Rice’s, and Alicia Keys of the world. Personally, I rather her have no personality than to be shaving her head, snorting crack, and get DUI’s left and right like Britney and Lindsay.
Some of yall are over analyzing this whole thing. Which I am not surprised, since people tend to do that when its Beyonce. Had it been another singer getting this acting role, people would have said good luck and moved on to another post.

and why again, people are comparing Beyonce to Diana Ross, i though she was the young Tina Turner lol.

Tomorrow, people are going to compare her to Etta! Please!

>>>>>> im not sur eif it will be toohard for beyonce to go undergo “therapy”
>>>>> i mean her gangster boyfriend can just give her a cuban and she can feel
>>>>> like he does everyday!

Beyonce doing BIG THANGS!!! Can’t wait to see her tear the screen up as Etta. She’s executive producing too? Can’t fuck with this girl.

Also, Beyonce and Etta look alike in this pic. Beautiful.

i wonder if she will gain weight for this role etta james is not a small person

People keep talking about Beyonce not having Etta’s voice, have you all forgotten that, it’s a movie?

They’ll most likely have a track playing, all Beyonce’s got to do is the “Milli Vanilli” and call it a day.

And to the people that said that Keyshia and Faith would’ve been good choices, I agree.

Unfortunately, they are not big names, and they are not executive producing this bad boy.

I mean, for the most part, the producer has a lot to do with the casting. So, did you really think that after Beyonce got the producing gig, that she’d cast somebody else in the film?

Puhleeeeease.

This chick has said on many occasion that she wants an Oscar.

She’s not dumb; she knows that playing the background is not going to make that happen.

peekaboo, she’ll probably wear a fat suit.

The Academy loves when actors make physical transformations in films (i.e. Charlize Theron in “Monster;” Nicole Kidman in “The Hours,” Renee Zellweger in “Bridget Jones’s Diary”)

So, if Beyonce gets fat (whether if it’s authentically or just a costume) and plays on the heroine addict/rough chick thing, she may be having another round at the Oscars, next year, or whenever this movie comes out.

what the hell are they thinking??, beyonce cant act to save her relationship with jay- z…

I LOVE BEYONCE AS FAR AS A SINGER, WHEN IT COMES TO ACTING LAWD I CAN STILL HEAR HER SAYING THAT LINE IN DREAM GIRLS”NO FUCKING BULL SHIT” OR “WHY, CAUSE YOU OWE ME” LOL I HOPE SHE WORKS ON HER ACTING ,HEY CANT GET ANY WORSER ONLY ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.

This will definitely help Beyonce’s growth as an actor. She needed a part with more emotion and range to show what she can do. Like in Fighting Temptations - was a semi-stretch. Beyonce studies and masters all she puts her foot in. This is no different. Etta even knows it.

Damn Bee if you get your Oscar with this movie I just might have to bow down to the 2nd Queen in the music industry, because JANET’s 1st.

That’s a good look with Etta James and Beyonce.

Tank says “was treated like a criminal. With a clean-cut image and a lady by my side” … in order for the police to know he had a “Clean-cut” image, they would have to know who he was…. they didn’t, and it probably would not have mattered if they did.

They saw a young black man which for a lot of people, law enforcement included, transmits to their mind … THREAT.

I have to agree with the First Poster….Beyonce got a lot of work to do….Ella was the truth back in her day…with her singing and her life style.

People said the same things about Diana Ross playing Billie Holiday - and she killed that role.

I GUESS YOU CAN JUST BUY YOURSELF AN ACTING ROLE NOWADAYS. FUCK THE TRUE TALENT AND SKILLS. FUCK ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT WENT TO ACTING SCHOOL AND STUDIED THE CRAFT. JUST HIRE A PLATINUM SELLING ARTIST WHO CAN’T ACT WORTH A SHIT TO PLAY THE PART SO THE STUDIO CAN MAKE SOME MONEY. FUCK HOLLYWOOD. BURN HOLLYWOOD BURN!!

I’M NOT SURE ABOUT THIS. I MEAN YES BEYONCE IS A TALENTED AND ATTRACTIVE INDIVIDUAL. HOWEVER, I DON’T NECESSARILY THINK THAT IS REASON ENOUGH FOR HER TO BE CAST FOR THIS ROLE. IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW SHE DOES. ETTA JAMES HAD A DEEP SOULFUL TONE WHEN SHE SANG AND REALLY MADE YOU FEEL WHAT SHE WAS SINGING. BEYONCE HASN’T REALLY DONE THAT FOR ME WITH HER SONGS. YEAH SHE MAKES YOU WANT TO GET UP AND DANCE AND CAN SING A BALLAD BUT IT’S NOT THE SAME. THAT GOES FOR A LOT OF THE NEW ARTISTS ANYWAY. GOOD LUCK BEE.

i understand the context of what she was saying, especially now since the meaning of the word has changed in this generation, but LMAO at Etta James calling Beyonce bourgie

LOL @ Etta James calling Beyonce BOOSHIE…. can’t wait to see the movie!!

People keep bringing up how Diana Ross killed it in “Lady Sings the Blues” back in 1972 (which I fully agree). And how Beyonce might do the same thing. But people dont know that movie was Diana’s first ever movie appearance and she delivered a great performance.

However, this is not Beyonce’s first movie appearance and she’s been acting for eight years now. I think her first starting movie role was in that MTV movie with Mehki. Basically, what I’m saying is that if she doesn’t have it by now, what makes this so different.

G9Note to the editor: Please adjust the left margin of the page, the comments are getting cut off!!!!!!!!! =~]

I heard Tank’s new song is called “Don’t tase me bro………!”

It’sIt’s a cryin shame that Christina Aguilera didn’t get offered the Etta role. Her version of “At Last” is absolutely glorious. I’m sure it is far superior to anything Beyonce and her team can conjure up. Bey has a lovely voice, but I don’t think she has the grit or raspiness to pull off an Etta tune. She may be able to sing it in her own pretty way, but it’s not going to have the same impact because she doesn’t have that kind of soul or emotional intensity in her voice. Perhaps she can develop those characteristics she currently lacks.

I won’t underestimate Bey, she’s accomplished too much musically for anyone to look down their nose at her. Besides, judging from the above photos, there are some definite facial similarities. If she can really nail the acting, I can easily forgive her for not sounding like Etta. I wish her luck, but Christina who can sang, not sing, circles around Bey on a bad day, was utterly robbed. And Etta surely knows it b/c she has given Chris so much praise.

IT’S SEEMS LIKE EVERYBODY JUST RAN OVER TANK’S ISSUE,LIKE IT JUST DIDN’T EXIST!!!WELL I APOLOGIZE TO TANK ON BEHALF OF MY NEW ORLEANS POLICE DEPARTMENT!!!THAT’S MY CITY & I WILL REP IT UNTIL I DIE BUT THAT JUST WASN’T ACCEPTABLE WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM!BUT @ THE SAME TIME U JUST CAN’T SAY FOR SURE WHAT HAPPENED IF YOU WEREN’T THERE!SO…JUST WANT TO SAY SORRY TANK~

& ON THE NOTE OF BEYONCE…BLAH!
CIARA DO WHATEVER IS GOOD 4 YA!

Beyonce bourgie! Hahaha! She’s got Ms. James fooled. Sure, she cleans up nice, but it is easy to tell that she is well coached in her mannerisms. Beyonce’s whole being is contrived. She’s nothing more than a common southern girl in a pretty dress! I’m sorry, but was Queen Latifah not available? She would have been a MUCH better fit. I am so sick of Hollywood picking their glamour girls & shoving them down our throats. We don’t need to Beyonce in another role-starring or co-starring for that matter. THE GIRL CAN’T ACT TO SAVE HER LIFE.