Etta James to coach Beyonce to play her

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Singer Beyonce Knowles will be coached by singing legend Etta James as she is to portray her in a film.

Contactmusic.com reports that James is happy Knowles will play her and is also excited to be helping out as an adviser.

James said: "I have my own way of putting those songs over, and I was just wondering if Beyonce could, and my son said, ’They’re thinking about how she looks, but mama, she can really sing!’

"It’s a privilege and an honour to have somebody like that girl. I don’t think she looks like me, but that’s all right. They can fix that up. I kinda have a man’s voice. It’s a contralto, more bluesy and religious. I would really like to work with her on that."James was a heroin addict and she believes Beyonce will have a tough time playing negative parts.

She added: "Oh my god, she’s going to have a hill to climb, because Etta James ain’t been no angel! I can tell Beyonce some things; some of the things I might not tell her. I wasn’t as bourgie as she is, she’s bourgeois. She knows how to be a lady - she’s like a model. I wasn’t like that... I smoked in the bathroom in school, I was kinda arrogant, so those are some of the things I would want to tell her."