This is Beyonce trying to sing "Take My Hand, Precious Lord"

And this is Ledisi SANGING "Take My Hand, Precious Lord"

I don't care how many Beyhive Stans Beyonce performing could have brought in, she had no damn business on that stage trying to sing that song, instead of Ledisi.

[Edited 2/13/15 4:27am]

This article explains it. Seems colorism may have played a part.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kim-lute/dangerously-in-denial_b_6666334.html

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What Grammy viewers learned during Sunday's telecast was that the contestation between artists isn't exclusive to records sold or critically acclaimed reviews. After seeing Beyoncé (as well as her much talked about cast of put-upon black men) fumble and falter her way through Mahalia Jackson's classic, "Precious Lord, Take My Hand," which was performed brilliantly by vocalist Ledisi on the Selmasoundtrack, it can now be argued that artists aren't merely tossing about their faux manes, they're also throwing around their supposed professional clout. Good manners be damned. Never mind that Ledisi delivered the classic hymn with both thrilling exactitude and a visceral gospel heft reserved for those singers whose careers rightfully dominate America's musical cannon. That the song is so closely associated with a film that captured man's inhumanity to man, the misguide belief that what's black is decidedly less than, and what is lighter is inherently better, worthier of praise and advancement, was given to a lighter singer over a darker one shows just how pervasive racial idolization remains in American culture.

Beyoncé wanted to sing it, and we did not breathlessly await her performance as much as we were left to grudgingly endure it. Through much of her awkward rendition I found myself praying that our precious Lord would take the mic.

But I digress. There's a larger issue at play than just the swapping of one great singer for another less talented but more popular one. Ledisi, with a crown of enviable braids and beautiful dark skin, was passed over by an artist whose nose job, ten pounds of blonde hair, and suspiciously alabaster skin has no doubt aided in her ascent to the top. What perhaps Beyoncé and Grammy producers failed to realized (the producers can feign ignorance while Queen Bey, a black woman, cannot) was that this was a moment of distinct sensitivity and consequence. The performance of this iconic song, of which Beyoncé and her family apparently believes is uniquely theirs alone -- though it's sung almost universally at black funerals and churches -- should have been fraught with significance. Ledisi, who introduced it to a whole new generation with such beauty and gravitas should have been invited to sing it, not a socially constructed pop star famous this past year for her ability to surfboard, a pop star that wasn't in the movie or on the soundtrack. And if, as Beyoncé contends, this song means so very much to her why hasn't she sung it on any of her 200 albums? Could her performance have merely hinted at an exaggerated sense of self-worth that led her to steal another artist's moment to shine?

According to Common -- who did act in Selma, and John Legend, who both ashamedly consigned such magnificent vulgarity by retorting, "No one says no to Beyoncé" -- showcasing one's talents is for the powerful, and maybe even the feared. Not only should they be ashamed of robbing Ledisi of her chance to perform before a vast, rapt audience, but Common and John Legend should be embarrassed that one person (or "camp") caused them to make a decision that put their character under the glaring, and yes, unforgiving, eye of the public.

Is this what R&B has come to: cowering to the lightest among us?

There's a pattern here worth addressing. Did Beyoncé not learn her lesson when she famously accepted an offer to sing Etta James' classic "At Last" during Obama's first presidential inauguration, and Ms. James took Beyoncé and her ego to task? Humility, Mrs. Carter, is a beautiful thing; it shows maturity, grace, and civility. And you my dear not only missed an opportunity to practice the tenets of which Martin Luther King Jr. espoused in Selma, but you had an opportunity to engage in an essential social commentary. We shouldn't be intimated by one another, and we certainly shouldn't allow a mostly white governing board to pit us against one another.

Beyonce's embarrassing and poorly planned performance was the collective fault of many. But I cant help but wonder if Ledisi was publicly slighted simply because she's not as light as a white peach, with thin, manufactured Puritan features. Is the message that Beyoncé wants to send to young girls the world over? That it's okay to always be the Diana Ross among your peer's Supremes? When you can't get by on merit or talent alone, take someone else's glory, and stand in angelic spotlight of your own creation, ruining a masterpiece simply because you wanted to wear a pretty dress and feel the fans blow through your sewn-in locks? Now that the damage has been done, whether it was intentional or not, sincere apologies are in order. Surely, she who "rules the world" can make an earnest attempt at an apology. You can sing them or perform an interpretive dance. But if there was ever a time when one artist needed to take the stage in deference to another -- and Lord knows we know how much Beyoncé loves to take the stage -- it's now.

I felt colorism was a reason too. It's shameful that Common didn't stand up for Ledisi. He's someone I wouldn't expect to do some shit like that. John Legend eh, not suprised he's a Beyonce yes man.

I don't understand why people say no one would know who Ledisi was anyway. So? There's people every year that win or perform that no one seems to know who they are. Then there's the other excuse that Ledisi wasn't going to perform anyway but let's put it this way, if someone sang a song Beyonce did in a film with Beyonce being perfectly capable of doing it herself, then there would be hell to pay. It was just a messed up thing to do, and now people get to see how Beyonce's been operating since she came out. Feminist my ass, not with all the women she's screwed over and continues to.

scriptgirl said:

This article explains it. Seems colorism may have played a part.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kim-lute/dangerously-in-denial_b_6666334.html

Dangerously in Denial

Posted: 02/12/2015 2:50 pm EST Updated: 02/12/2015 2:59 pm EST

• Share1504
• Tweet461
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What Grammy viewers learned during Sunday's telecast was that the contestation between artists isn't exclusive to records sold or critically acclaimed reviews. After seeing Beyoncé (as well as her much talked about cast of put-upon black men) fumble and falter her way through Mahalia Jackson's classic, "Precious Lord, Take My Hand," which was performed brilliantly by vocalist Ledisi on the Selmasoundtrack, it can now be argued that artists aren't merely tossing about their faux manes, they're also throwing around their supposed professional clout. Good manners be damned. Never mind that Ledisi delivered the classic hymn with both thrilling exactitude and a visceral gospel heft reserved for those singers whose careers rightfully dominate America's musical cannon. That the song is so closely associated with a film that captured man's inhumanity to man, the misguide belief that what's black is decidedly less than, and what is lighter is inherently better, worthier of praise and advancement, was given to a lighter singer over a darker one shows just how pervasive racial idolization remains in American culture.

Beyoncé wanted to sing it, and we did not breathlessly await her performance as much as we were left to grudgingly endure it. Through much of her awkward rendition I found myself praying that our precious Lord would take the mic.

But I digress. There's a larger issue at play than just the swapping of one great singer for another less talented but more popular one. Ledisi, with a crown of enviable braids and beautiful dark skin, was passed over by an artist whose nose job, ten pounds of blonde hair, and suspiciously alabaster skin has no doubt aided in her ascent to the top. What perhaps Beyoncé and Grammy producers failed to realized (the producers can feign ignorance while Queen Bey, a black woman, cannot) was that this was a moment of distinct sensitivity and consequence. The performance of this iconic song, of which Beyoncé and her family apparently believes is uniquely theirs alone -- though it's sung almost universally at black funerals and churches -- should have been fraught with significance. Ledisi, who introduced it to a whole new generation with such beauty and gravitas should have been invited to sing it, not a socially constructed pop star famous this past year for her ability to surfboard, a pop star that wasn't in the movie or on the soundtrack. And if, as Beyoncé contends, this song means so very much to her why hasn't she sung it on any of her 200 albums? Could her performance have merely hinted at an exaggerated sense of self-worth that led her to steal another artist's moment to shine?

According to Common -- who did act in Selma, and John Legend, who both ashamedly consigned such magnificent vulgarity by retorting, "No one says no to Beyoncé" -- showcasing one's talents is for the powerful, and maybe even the feared. Not only should they be ashamed of robbing Ledisi of her chance to perform before a vast, rapt audience, but Common and John Legend should be embarrassed that one person (or "camp") caused them to make a decision that put their character under the glaring, and yes, unforgiving, eye of the public.

Is this what R&B has come to: cowering to the lightest among us?

There's a pattern here worth addressing. Did Beyoncé not learn her lesson when she famously accepted an offer to sing Etta James' classic "At Last" during Obama's first presidential inauguration, and Ms. James took Beyoncé and her ego to task? Humility, Mrs. Carter, is a beautiful thing; it shows maturity, grace, and civility. And you my dear not only missed an opportunity to practice the tenets of which Martin Luther King Jr. espoused in Selma, but you had an opportunity to engage in an essential social commentary. We shouldn't be intimated by one another, and we certainly shouldn't allow a mostly white governing board to pit us against one another.

Beyonce's embarrassing and poorly planned performance was the collective fault of many. But I cant help but wonder if Ledisi was publicly slighted simply because she's not as light as a white peach, with thin, manufactured Puritan features. Is the message that Beyoncé wants to send to young girls the world over? That it's okay to always be the Diana Ross among your peer's Supremes? When you can't get by on merit or talent alone, take someone else's glory, and stand in angelic spotlight of your own creation, ruining a masterpiece simply because you wanted to wear a pretty dress and feel the fans blow through your sewn-in locks? Now that the damage has been done, whether it was intentional or not, sincere apologies are in order. Surely, she who "rules the world" can make an earnest attempt at an apology. You can sing them or perform an interpretive dance. But if there was ever a time when one artist needed to take the stage in deference to another -- and Lord knows we know how much Beyoncé loves to take the stage -- it's now.

-

-

I disagree with the color thing. Green would be the only color taking precedence in both Beyonce's mind and the Grammys, not the various shades of brown. Call me naive but money (viewership) ultimately overruled that decision.

-

That was a straight power move by Bey and the Grammys. John & Common were all punked out by it. Hence, "you don't say no to Beyonce." Yeah, you don't say no to Beyonce because you think you would benefit too from being associated with her performance. Where's integrity when you need it.

-

The obvious hate is real in this article but she does make some valid points that I highlighted and agree to.

Musicslave said:

scriptgirl said:

This article explains it. Seems colorism may have played a part.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kim-lute/dangerously-in-denial_b_6666334.html

Dangerously in Denial

Posted: 02/12/2015 2:50 pm EST Updated: 02/12/2015 2:59 pm EST

• Share1504
• Tweet461
• 0
• Comment381

• 

What Grammy viewers learned during Sunday's telecast was that the contestation between artists isn't exclusive to records sold or critically acclaimed reviews. After seeing Beyoncé (as well as her much talked about cast of put-upon black men) fumble and falter her way through Mahalia Jackson's classic, "Precious Lord, Take My Hand," which was performed brilliantly by vocalist Ledisi on the Selmasoundtrack, it can now be argued that artists aren't merely tossing about their faux manes, they're also throwing around their supposed professional clout. Good manners be damned. Never mind that Ledisi delivered the classic hymn with both thrilling exactitude and a visceral gospel heft reserved for those singers whose careers rightfully dominate America's musical cannon. That the song is so closely associated with a film that captured man's inhumanity to man, the misguide belief that what's black is decidedly less than, and what is lighter is inherently better, worthier of praise and advancement, was given to a lighter singer over a darker one shows just how pervasive racial idolization remains in American culture.

Beyoncé wanted to sing it, and we did not breathlessly await her performance as much as we were left to grudgingly endure it. Through much of her awkward rendition I found myself praying that our precious Lord would take the mic.

But I digress. There's a larger issue at play than just the swapping of one great singer for another less talented but more popular one. Ledisi, with a crown of enviable braids and beautiful dark skin, was passed over by an artist whose nose job, ten pounds of blonde hair, and suspiciously alabaster skin has no doubt aided in her ascent to the top. What perhaps Beyoncé and Grammy producers failed to realized (the producers can feign ignorance while Queen Bey, a black woman, cannot) was that this was a moment of distinct sensitivity and consequence. The performance of this iconic song, of which Beyoncé and her family apparently believes is uniquely theirs alone -- though it's sung almost universally at black funerals and churches -- should have been fraught with significance. Ledisi, who introduced it to a whole new generation with such beauty and gravitas should have been invited to sing it, not a socially constructed pop star famous this past year for her ability to surfboard, a pop star that wasn't in the movie or on the soundtrack. And if, as Beyoncé contends, this song means so very much to her why hasn't she sung it on any of her 200 albums? Could her performance have merely hinted at an exaggerated sense of self-worth that led her to steal another artist's moment to shine?

According to Common -- who did act in Selma, and John Legend, who both ashamedly consigned such magnificent vulgarity by retorting, "No one says no to Beyoncé" -- showcasing one's talents is for the powerful, and maybe even the feared. Not only should they be ashamed of robbing Ledisi of her chance to perform before a vast, rapt audience, but Common and John Legend should be embarrassed that one person (or "camp") caused them to make a decision that put their character under the glaring, and yes, unforgiving, eye of the public.

Is this what R&B has come to: cowering to the lightest among us?

There's a pattern here worth addressing. Did Beyoncé not learn her lesson when she famously accepted an offer to sing Etta James' classic "At Last" during Obama's first presidential inauguration, and Ms. James took Beyoncé and her ego to task? Humility, Mrs. Carter, is a beautiful thing; it shows maturity, grace, and civility. And you my dear not only missed an opportunity to practice the tenets of which Martin Luther King Jr. espoused in Selma, but you had an opportunity to engage in an essential social commentary. We shouldn't be intimated by one another, and we certainly shouldn't allow a mostly white governing board to pit us against one another.

Beyonce's embarrassing and poorly planned performance was the collective fault of many. But I cant help but wonder if Ledisi was publicly slighted simply because she's not as light as a white peach, with thin, manufactured Puritan features. Is the message that Beyoncé wants to send to young girls the world over? That it's okay to always be the Diana Ross among your peer's Supremes? When you can't get by on merit or talent alone, take someone else's glory, and stand in angelic spotlight of your own creation, ruining a masterpiece simply because you wanted to wear a pretty dress and feel the fans blow through your sewn-in locks? Now that the damage has been done, whether it was intentional or not, sincere apologies are in order. Surely, she who "rules the world" can make an earnest attempt at an apology. You can sing them or perform an interpretive dance. But if there was ever a time when one artist needed to take the stage in deference to another -- and Lord knows we know how much Beyoncé loves to take the stage -- it's now.

-

-

I disagree with the color thing. Green would be the only color taking precedence in both Beyonce's mind and the Grammys, not the various shades of brown. Call me naive but money (viewership) ultimately overruled that decision.

-

That was a straight power move by Bey and the Grammys. John & Common were all punked out by it. Hence, "you don't say no to Beyonce." Yeah, you don't say no to Beyonce because you think you would benefit too from being associated with her performance. Where's integrity when you need it.

-

The obvious hate is real in this article but she does make some valid points that I highlighted and agree to.

I will start with $$$$ and advertising...

Timing, and wanting someone with a bigger name to promote "Selma"--without young folks "losing-focus" during the show--and the message of "Selma"--if Ledisi took the stage...

Have to be honest: Young viewers are not focusing on Ledesi....

Yes. It back-fired.

Who wrote this shit? Ledisi has braids? Beyonce has alabaster skin? Ummm, no.

Linn4days said:

Musicslave said:

-

-

I disagree with the color thing. Green would be the only color taking precedence in both Beyonce's mind and the Grammys, not the various shades of brown. Call me naive but money (viewership) ultimately overruled that decision.

-

That was a straight power move by Bey and the Grammys. John & Common were all punked out by it. Hence, "you don't say no to Beyonce." Yeah, you don't say no to Beyonce because you think you would benefit too from being associated with her performance. Where's integrity when you need it.

-

The obvious hate is real in this article but she does make some valid points that I highlighted and agree to.

I will start with $$$$ and advertising...

Timing, and wanting someone with a bigger name to promote "Selma"--without young folks "losing-focus" during the show--and the message of "Selma"--if Ledisi took the stage...

Have to be honest: Young viewers are not focusing on Ledesi....

Yes. It back-fired.

-

So are you saying that the Grammys was looking out for the Selma movie by allowing Beyonce to perform it instead of Ledisi?

-

Sure, young viewers aren't checking for Ledisi anyway. I'm sure she's aware that that's not her target demographic. Likewise, I'm sure there were more than just young viewers of the show, who might have taken an interest in a new artist they've never heard of before.

-

For those who haven't seen her inspiration for doing it...

-

-

Musicslave said:

-

For those who haven't seen her inspiration for doing it...

-

-

The thing they don't mention is when Tina Knowles sang her daughter the hymn, the lyrics were: "Precious chile / Take to the stage / Make some cash / For Mama's old age....."

deebee said:

Musicslave said:

-

For those who haven't seen her inspiration for doing it...

-

-

The thing they don't mention is when Tina Knowles sang her daughter the hymn, the lyrics were: "Precious chile / Take to the stage / Make some cash / For Mama's old age....."

You win.

deebee said:

Musicslave said:

-

For those who haven't seen her inspiration for doing it...

-

-

The thing they don't mention is when Tina Knowles sang her daughter the hymn, the lyrics were: "Precious chile / Take to the stage / Make some cash / For Mama's old age....."

-

Hilarious

Blah-blah-blah. People are acting like Beyonce stole the performance from Ledisi, as if she was on stage rehearsing the song for the show when the producers all of the sudden pulled her in favor of Beyonce. No one's "moment" was taken. The song most likely wouldn't have been performed by anyone at all that evening had Beyonce not asked to do it. Did Ledisi ask to perform it at the Grammy's? Stop acting like she was revoked if she wasn't already booked. If Ledisi doesn't know by now that in this business, you better speak up and get in where you fit in, then that's her fail. No one is going to extend her a moment to break out, just for good will. And to be honest, even if Ledisi had performed the song at the Grammy's that night, I doubt that it would have been her grand arrival to mainstream America. A gospel hymn sang by a noncommercial and relatively unknown to the general public 40-something performer during an award show that largely caters to of-the-moment pop singers wasn't going to be an "a star is born" moment. Chances are better that during her performance, TVs would have been muted and channels would have been changed. And the writer using the colorism angle to further instigate and insight some kind of backlash was tacky and desperate.

Qazz said:

Blah-blah-blah. People are acting like Beyonce stole the performance from Ledisi, as if she was on stage rehearsing the song for the show when the producers all of the sudden pulled her in favor of Beyonce. No one's "moment" was taken. The song most likely wouldn't have been performed by anyone at all that evening had Beyonce not asked to do it. Did Ledisi ask to perform it at the Grammy's? Stop acting like she was revoked if she wasn't already booked. If Ledisi doesn't know by now that in this business, you better speak up and get in where you fit in, then that's her fail. No one is going to extend her a moment to break out, just for good will. And to be honest, even if Ledisi had performed the song at the Grammy's that night, I doubt that it would have been her grand arrival to mainstream America. A gospel hymn sang by a noncommercial and relatively unknown to the general public 40-something performer during an award show that largely caters to of-the-moment pop singers wasn't going to be an "a star is born" moment. Chances are better that during her performance, TVs would have been muted and channels would have been changed. And the writer using the colorism angle to further instigate and insight some kind of backlash was tacky and desperate.

Its sad that you don't see what Beyonce did as vile, disrespectful and selfish

Bless you Ledisi! I was nearly brought to tears with her rendition! Ledisi would have took us all to chruch and made us all testify!!!! YES! Sad that her opportunity to shine was stolen. I am not sure why Common did not stand up for Ledisi being he is an underground artist himself who understands how it is not easy to get mainstream recognition. So I guess all that "I am down with the cause and I stand up for whats right" is all a fake facade,

Qazz said:

To be honest, even if Ledisi had performed the song at the Grammy's that night, I doubt that it would have been her grand arrival to mainstream America. A gospel hymn sang by a noncommercial and relatively unknown to the general public 40-something performer during an award show that largely caters to of-the-moment pop singers wasn't going to be an "a star is born" moment. Chances are better that during her performance, TVs would have been muted and channels would have been changed.

I disagree.Performing on the Grammys IS a big deal for an artist who is unknown by most people.It would have given Ledesi a ton of exposure and attention.Beyonce is already a superstar.She doesn't necessarily need any more exposure,does she? Why not let somebody else shine for just once?? Beyonce has no connection to the Selma movie,but still she took it upon herself to steal the spotlight and make it all about HER.She's a shady,media-hogging diva and I'm glad that people are finally waking up to her conniving,bitchy ways.

deebee said:

Musicslave said:

-

For those who haven't seen her inspiration for doing it...

-

-

The thing they don't mention is when Tina Knowles sang her daughter the hymn, the lyrics were: "Precious chile / Take to the stage / Make some cash / For Mama's old age....."

And at the Bey stans up in here trying to defend her and rationalize the crap she pulled. Refusing to call a spade a spade. Anything for defense of the queen right? She's got her hive trained well.

I said this in the other thread...

what's up with Beyonce's tired,1972 Marcia Brady hair weave?

SoulAlive said:

I said this in the other thread...

what's up with Beyonce's tired,1972 Marcia Brady hair weave?

It does looks like Marcia's hair doesn't it..

convo already happening here http://prince.org/msg/8/4...?&pg=1

The Grammys choose Beyonce to perform a song that Ledesi recorded and performs in the 'Selma' movie