Etta James Disses President Obama and Beyoncé

Etta James, famous for her rendition of the song “At Last,” is apparently miffed that pop star Beyoncé was tapped to perform the ballad as the president and first lady slow-danced during the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball on January 20. The 71-year-old singer, who rose to fame in 1950s, recently made it clear that she was not a fan of Beyoncé. Based on Ms. James' rant, she is not a fan of the president either. After initially praising the performance, Ms. James later responded critically during a show at Seattle's Paramount Theatre on January 28, 2009. “You guys know your president, right? You know the one with the big ears? Wait a minute, he ain't my president. He might be yours; he ain't my president. But I tell you that woman he had singing for him, singing my song.... she's going to get her ass whipped. The great Beyoncé? Like I said, she ain't mine. ... I can't stand Beyoncé. She has no business up there, singing up there on a big ol' president day, gonna' be singing my song that I've been singing forever”

Ms. James' son came out on Etta's behalf and said she was speaking in anger, after feeling snubbed for the honor herself, and has "Nothing but love for both Ms. Knowles and President Obama."

Turns out Etta James has just been adding a little standup comedy to her concerts, wink, wink. The veteran singer said Thursday that she was purely joking — despite the fact that she feels she would have done a better job singing her signature tune, "At Last," to President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball.

"I didn't really mean anything," Ms. James told a New York newspaper of her onstage rant. "Even as a little child, I've always had that comedian kind of attitude...That's probably what went into it." "Nobody was getting mad at me in Seattle," she added. "They were all laughing, and it was funny." She also said that her little speech did not arise "from a vicious place."

But when asked if she could have out-sung Beyoncé, who played James in Cadillac Records and walked the red carpet with her at the film's premiere, the elder stateswoman of R&B replied, "I think so. That's a shame to say that." Ms. James also figures that President Obama probably isn't too bothered that she referred to him as "the one with the big ears" last week. "He's got other stuff [to worry about] besides Etta James."

Is Etta James flip-flopping on Beyoncé? She did not raise an objection when the singer portrayed her in the film “Cadillac Records” — and just recently, her son told a New York paper that his mother was moved by the inauguration night performance. Maybe the whole thing was just Etta James joking around with her audience and really has no riff with President Obama or Beyoncé.

If this wasn’t so funny it would be pathetic. After all her career has been reinvigorated by Beyoncé’s portrayal of Etta James in the recent movie “Cadillac Records” and performing the song Etta made famous at the Inaugural’s Neighborhood Ball. And maybe someone should tell Etta that “At Last” was originated by the Glenn Miller Band and also recorded by Nat King Cole before Ms. James sang it.

Who knows what Etta James would bring to the table since she is known for exactly what she displayed in Seattle? This was the first song at a presidential ball – probably a song chosen by the president and first lady. It's just like choosing a song for a first wedding dance. If you like the song and the emotion it presents, then you choose it. Ms. James has made clear that she does not like or agree with President Obama's politics, so she then made herself left out of the loop. Her bad. Don't get angry at Beyoncé because she has aligned herself with a winner. Whether you like Beyoncé or not, she has made wise and savvy choices in the music business to be on top. If they had chosen to go out to a "jook joint" then they might want to see Etta James. With national TV and the world watching, they wanted that song and not the potential drama of the singer. After all it was about them and not about the singer.

The Great Lady of Soul: Bettye LaVette

Bettye LaVette received universal praise for her outstanding rendition of Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” in a duet with Jon Bon Jovi on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at the Inaugural Celebration on January 18th. This marks the second time in the past two months she has been in the capitol making an unforgettable impression with anyone lucky enough to have the chance to hear her. The first was at the Kennedy Center Honors when she amazed the audience with her own very unique version of the Who's "Love Reign O'er Me." Not many people can say that they song for two presidents in six weeks (George W. Bush at the Kennedy Center Honors and Barack Obama at the Inaugural Celebration). And like me, most of you probably never even heard of Bettye LaVette. And I like to think of myself as well versed in music.

Bettye LaVette stole the show at the Kennedy Center Honors. She gave the powerhouse performance of the evening when she sang her unparalleled version of “Love Reign O’er Me” as part of the Who tribute. She wasn't the biggest name on stage, but her performance provided the evening's most spectacular moment. She was so phenomenal. The room was pin-drop silent when she sang. "The Kennedy Center Honors was the most exciting thing I have every done in my life, because there were so many of my favorite politicians there," says Bettye. "And this year has been the greatest year of my life. Who would have ever imagined both Barack and I going to the White House?” said Ms. LaVette.

Of singing for then President Obama, Ms LaVette said: "In the middle of the song I turned and looked and Obama was on the stage, the whole group of them, and my eyes were just fixed on him for a moment. I was singing the line 'I always believed that a change would come,' and just as I turned, our eyes locked and he was mouthing the words along."

Utne Reader had the best headline of the event: "Bettye LaVette and the Soul of Barack Obama." And even the sports world took notice. Roger Craig, former NFL running back for the San Francisco 49ers confessed to the San Francisco Chronicle: "Oh…when Bon Jovi and Bettye LaVette sang Sam Cooke's stirring civil-rights song, 'A Change Is Gonna Come,' on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday? I cried like a baby."

Bettye LaVette did not disappoint. Revered for her ability to take other's compositions and make them her own, LaVette performed brilliantly. Ms. LaVette, the reigning "Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year," is once again nominated in that category for the Blues Foundation's 2009 Blues Music Awards.

Ms. LaVette has been on a roll since her 2005 release on Anti- Records, My Own Hell to Raise which brought her back into the national spotlight, 43 years after her first single "My Man is a Loving Man," was released in 1962 when she was a teen. This roll only gathered more strength and critical acclaim when Anti- issued her second CD for the label in 2007, the Grammy nominated, The Scene of the Crime.

A partial list of musical performers at the Inaugural Celebration includes, Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Sheryl Crow, Heather Hedley, Herbie Hancock, John Legend, Usher Raymond IV, Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, U2 and Stevie Wonder. Among those reading historical passages will be Jack Black, Steve Carrell, Rosario Dawson, Jamie Foxx, Tom Hanks, Martin Luther King III, Queen Latifah, Laura Linney and Denzel Washington.

- "LaVette... isn't just an engaging performer, she's a musical force of nature, a hurricane in heels that whips up a fiery mix of soul, jazz, country and blues." -The Houston Chronicle.

Denny's Slammed by Breakfast Giveaway

If you visited a Denny’s restaurant yesterday you now have proof that Super Bowl commercials work - especially when they advertise something free. During Sunday’s big game the Denny’s advertised a free Grand Slam breakfast between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Tuesday at all its restaurants in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. People lined up and waited for as long as two hours. Some customers were still wearing their pajamas and slippers, and strangers were sharing booths.

Denny's called the promotion a little "economic stimulus" for the average hardworking person. And that this is their way of reacquainting customers with Denny's real breakfast and with the Denny's brand. I am not so much of a Denny’s fan but I occasionally ate there when I lived in California. There are Denny’s in Texas, but not one close to where I live.

A lot of restaurants have been going out of business and it would seem Denny’s is aggressively going after the business. In this economy, businesses have to be creative to attract new customers. Denny’s says their objective is to rekindle awareness of their brand and remind people of the high-quality and good value of the famous Grand Slam breakfast offered at Denny’s.

The Grand Slam breakfast consists of two pancakes, two eggs, two strips of bacon and two sausage links. It weighs in at 44 grams of fat, 56 carbohydrates and 770 calories. The Grand Slam started as a baseball-related promotion in Atlanta, Georgia, in the mid-1970s and has been served chain wide since 1977. Its normal price varies by market but averages around $5.99.

The meal was free but customers were ordering drinks and other foods and gave tips so Denny's did not come out of the day empty handed. And there are reports that Denny’s in some places like Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania charged $.99 for each Grand Slam if you didn't order something else like a cup of coffee which cost $1.75 or orange juice for $2.50. Some places were serving about 110 people an hour and with just $1 per person that’s almost $900 for the 8 hours. But they are expected to make their money some way. They are a for profit business after all.

On a low note, one senior citizen reported this episode: “standing in line ...a college girl kept referring to the disabled parking spot that was open as the ‘Rockstar’ special parking and wondering why people did not take advantage of it. And the straw that broke the camels back was when she referred to the spot as Handi-crapped. Mind you I was right if front of her and I was holding unto a ‘walker’... she must have forgotten her brain and manners. And I Said ‘Excuse me!’...and she immediately apologized left and right ...but at that point after listening to her for a few minutes it seemed a bit lame.

That was an exception as most people said they enjoyed their free breakfast and met some very nice people while standing in line or eating. They also said the servers were good despite the rush. One person said the place was packed so he went next door to IHOP, but he said it got him out of bed early. He thought other food chains should try it. Maybe President Obama should talk to the person that came up with this stimulus plan and put them to work on his plan. This kind of promo is good all the way around. It makes people happy and they interact in a positive way with people they have never met before and it might be a big gain for Denny's in the long run.

Michelle Obama Makes First Official Visit

First Lady Michelle Obama took a first step in bringing working-family issues into the White House yesterday. She made her first official trip outside the White House to visit the Department of Education. If you somehow thought she was going to be a first lady focused on designer dresses and hairstyles think again. This is the first step of a woman who is focused on much more serious issues.

She has put together a veteran team of family oriented and seasoned policy advocates, including her chief of staff Jackie Norris who helped organize and win the Iowa campaign. Norris is described as fair-minded and tough, and a skillful multitasker who can send an e-mail, talk on the phone and play with her three young boys all at once; deputy chief of staff David Medina who served as political director of John Edward’s presidential campaign; Jocelyn Frye, director of policy and projects and a former general counsel at the National Partnership for Women & Families, a nonpartisan group that has championed equal opportunity issues; and Trooper Sanders, deputy director of policy and projects and former policy aide to Vice President Al Gore. Sanders also led and developed mentoring and entrepreneurship programs for low-income neighborhoods, as well as efforts at the Clinton Foundation to highlight the problem of childhood obesity. He also advised former President Bill Clinton on domestic policy matters.

First Lady Obama has been working to shape her new role and now appears poised to resume some of the outreach she did during the campaign — to women, especially, to working women. She did small “girlfriend” forums with women and also held roundtables with military families. In brief remarks to a group of Department of Education workers, the theme revolved around good jobs and education in the public schools. The first lady said that the administration is going to be making investments by creating good jobs while renovating and modernizing more than 10,000 schools and improve the learning environment.

Aides said she will visit every Cabinet-level federal agency in the coming weeks in a kind of get-to-know-you tour. She plans to expand her role as a listener on the national stage, but her first stop is her local community and getting to know Washington, D.C. She will have more of a local focus, working to make the White House more of the “people’s house” and find ways to open it up to tourists
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The Obamas are the first White House occupants to come from an urban environment and seem to not be so reluctant to venture out among the people of Washington, D.C. They have called to unite the “two halves” of the capital, the well-to-do government sections and the economically stressed residential parts of the city. The first lady dined last week with Mayor Adrian Fenty at Georgia Brown’s, a popular D.C. restaurant. And President recently ate with Mayor Fenty recently at Ben’s Chili Bowl. You can not really know what is going on in the outside world if you keep yourself hidden behind the confines of the White House and listening to aides who also do not venture outside its gates.

Serena Williams Strolls to Australian Title: Regains No. 1 Ranking

Serena Williams won her fourth Australian Open with an easy win in only 59 minutes.
She joined the double-digit club by winning her 10th grand slam event and played terrific tennis over the past two week tournament. Serena continued her streak of winning the Australian Open in odd-numbered years, after triumphs in 2003, 2005 and 2007. This year Serena beat Russia's Dinara Safina 6-0, 6-3. .

The win also returned Serena to the top of the ranking computer as the number one woman tennis player in the world. She is now the reigning U.S. Open and Australian Open ladies singles champion, placing her halfway to doing another 'Serena Slam' – holding all four major championships at the same time but not winning them over a calendar year. She has won 20 Grand Slam titles: ten in singles, eight in women's doubles, and two in mixed doubles. She also has won two Olympic gold medals in women's doubles. The next slam is the French Open, which she last won in 2002 by defeating her sister Venus.

It seems that the Williams sisters are back at the top. A Williams girl has won the last three slams, as Venus won at Wimbledon last summer. Serena and Venus also won the Australian Open doubles championship.

She is the most recent player, male or female, to have held all four Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously. Serena Williams has won more career prize money than any other woman, in any sport and has held the No. 1 ranking on three previous occasions.

Wake-up Call for Fashion Industry: Black is Beautiful

Ariel Binns is cute, smart, outgoing 6-year-old model. And she is getting jobs because she looks remarkably like first daughter Sasha Obama. This similarity has not gone unnoticed by the fashion industry. The first-grader and model Tyra Banks were cast by Harper's Bazaar magazine in a photo showing a Black family in the White House. I wonder where they got that idea? In the photo the child model from Brooklyn, New York was peeking out from under a big wooden desk.

Yes, the fashion world is realizing that there is noting like a dynamic first family to boost sales. The fashion market is finally waking up to the fact that Black is beautiful. Branding expert David Rogers predicts Black models will play a more prominent role in fashion photography as a direct result of the Obamas. At Wilhelmina Kids, a modeling agency in New York for kids and teens (which represents Ariel Binns), agents say there is increased demand for first daughter look-alikes.

The public loves the Obama girls and they are definitely marketable. After the first daughters appeared in their J.Crew outfits on Inauguration Day, the company's Web site got so many hits, it crashed.

The most visible and most exciting family in America is a beautiful Black family and the fashion industry is looking for those kinds of images. And to the surprise of the industry a lot of Americans who don’t necessarily look like them want to identify and find some sort of connection with this family.

Of course in everything there is a downside. First Lady Michelle Obama was not happy when toy manufacturer Ty Inc. came out with Black dolls named Sweet Sasha and Marvelous Malia even though the company said the dolls did not look like the Obama girls. Many famous families face similar problems and don’t want their children exposed to the public, because once the child is exposed to the public image, because then they could become owned and could be used in many different and negative ways. It also takes away from the child growing up is a relatively normal way.

And yet the celebrity of Sasha and Malia has a positive effect by presenting a positive and prominent image of young Black girls and Black children in general. And it could take diversity in the fashion industry to a whole new level.

The Great American Pilgrimage

They came on planes, train, buses and automobiles. All taking the great pilgrimage to the capitol city of the United States to see history in the making. One group of approximately 40 citizens of New York City boarded a bus in Brooklyn. The group included a 79-year old minister who led them in prayer before the trip. He was born in Harlem and was in jail in 1962 in Albany, Georgia for protesting without a permit. He was jailed with Dr. King for six days with no food. He said that he couldn’t attend the 1963 march on Washington or the Million Man March, but that this was a great opportunity for him because of his age. He said this trip for him was a fulfillment of time because he believes that Americans have achieved the goal of liberty and freedom for all. He stated that he used to have to ride the back of the bus but now he sits wherever he wants on the bus. He also said that he is still in college pursing his BA degree. He went on to say that today the battlefield of the civil rights movement is in the public schools and if we don’t help young people we won’t have future leaders.

One young woman on the bus said that she was representing her mother, her grandmother, and her great grandmother, the women that raised her. And that she had sweet sadness. They never thought they would see this in their lifetime. For them being safe and getting a good job was the best they could ask for – never being president. She said Michelle Obama reminds her of them; she appreciated her for being a strong Black woman who has made it positive for being who you are. When asked if riding to Washington on a bus had any particular significance for her, she replied, “the bus is so reflective of the people it is carrying - it breaks down and gets fixed - something always going on.” At one point the bus stopped for a mechanical failure and she commented, “The bus is like our collective experience - a little resistance - but we’re going to keep going.

One man brought along five boys on this journey to Washington and commented when asked about this trip, “I was at the million man march. I never experienced a spiritual feeling like that. I brought the boys with me because I wanted them to experience the power of this collective gathering. He said he is teaching his sons that we can no longer say that because we are Black that we can’t! He said, “This frees children of a sense of limitation.”

On middle-aged woman from the church that I attend drove from Texas to D.C. by herself. She tried to get someone to go with her, but couldn’t get any takers. She said that she had to be there to hear for herself was President Obama was going to say. She left the Dallas area early Saturday morning and drove until she got tired and spent the night in Tennessee and got up Sunday and arrived at a friend’s house in Baltimore Sunday evening. She said she saw about 25 accidents along the way but nothing was going to turn her back. She said she only goes to the restroom and eats when she needs gas. My family knows that sounds familiar when I drive on long trips.

I had the opportunity to witness many of the worlds’ defining moments of modern history the last few years with the help of the ever present camera; the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of Communism in Eastern Europe in 1989; the end of apartheid in South Africa and Nelson Mandela walking out of prison in 1991;, murders John Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., Bobby Kennedy, Malcolm X, 911, the marches of Washington, but this moment and the days leading up to it have brought more emotion than all the others combined . I have never seen so many Black folks waving American flags. The media tries to beat down Michelle Obama for her saying that for the first time she had been proud of her country, but when the camera scanned the crowd at the National Mall and all those small American Flags were waving it left the TV commentators and myself speechless.

We all witnessed a part of history that day. And I believe that all of America woke up to what this country can truly be. We still have a ways to go, but I believe that Black people and all people have opened their minds what it truly means to be called American. Everything is possible. I will now hold President Obama to the same standards of success that I’ve held all prior Presidents. For the sake of ALL people in our nation, I wish him and want desperately for him to succeed. When he is successful, we are all, Black, White, Brown, Yellow, Red, better off and that’s really all we can expect from our President, regardless of his ethnic background.

One day soon, there will be no more first Black anything…I am just trying to think of a title where there has never been and I can think of a few just in my neighborhood and probably your too.