Etta James performed “At Last” on ABC’s Dancing With The Stars–April 7, 2009

Etta James says she was joking when she threatened to whoop Beyonce’s ass at a concert in Seattle last weekend.

“I didn’t really mean anything. Even as a little child, I’ve always had that comedian kind of attitude. …That’s probably what went into it,” the legendary soul songstress said in an interview with the New York’s Daily News on Thursday.

Etta admits that she was hurt about not being invited to perform her trademark ballad, “At Last,” for the President and First Lady’s inauguration night First Dance.

“I feeling left out of something that was basically mine, that I had done every time you look around,” she said. When asked if she thought she could have done a better job performing the song than Beyonce, Etta replied, “I think so. That’s a shame to say that.”

There’s a new celebrity feud brewing in Hollywood. And this one’s between Etta James and the woman who immortalized the legendary singer in the recent big screen production Cadillac Records, R&B diva Beyonce.

Etta, known for her performance of the classic love song “At Last,” has lashed out at Beyonce for singing the tune during the first dance of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at last month’s Neighborhood Inaugural Ball.

“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. You know that woman he had singing for him, singing my song–she’s going to get her ass whipped,” the 71-year-old quipped at a concert in Seattle last weekend.

Listen To Etta James Threaten To Beat The Snot Out Of Beyonce