It seems that for Etta James, the no taksy-backsy rule does not apply, since after she dissed Beyonce during a concert over her signature song “At Last,” 71-year-old James has taken her lash-out back, saying it had only been a joke.

During a show at Seattle's Paramount Theatre, which was held on January 28, Etta James said that she couldn’t stand Beyonce, mainly because the latter had sung “At Last” at the inaugural ball for president of the United States Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama’s first dance at the Neighborhood Ball a few weeks back.

At the concert, James took some shots at Obama, too, telling the audience that he wasn’t her president, while speaking of the „Single Ladies” singer , Etta said that she had had no business singing her song at the inaugural ball.

Beyonce came into much critical acclaim for her portrayal of Etta James in „Cadillac Records” and she has performed „At Last” for several times since the movie debuted, including one time even in front of James who at that time, did no show any signs of having been annoyed by the singer’s rendition of her song.

Moreover, James herself praised Beyonce for her portrayal of her in the aforementioned production.

Apparently, Etta has reconsidered her late-January views and opinions on the singer, given that in an interview with the New York Daily News on Friday, February 6, she stated that she had only been trying to be funny, adding that she had always had a comedian kind of attitude and the Seattle audience had grasped her humor.

Even though Etta James was not the first to perform „At Last,” which was written in 1941 and originally recorded by the Glenn Miller Orchestra and then by Nat King Cole in 1957, the singer’s 1961 cover of the tune has remained the best known one.