Hell hath no fury like an R&B diva scorned, especially at the Grammys. First there was Natalie Cole opening fire on Amy WInehouse. Now, in a statement released Tuesday, Aretha Franklin revealed that she, too, was incensed at a young upstart: she didn’t appreciate that Beyoncé, in her introduction of Tina Turner at Sunday’s awards show, referred to Turner as "the Queen." There’s only one Queen of Soul, Franklin implied, and she was not amused. Though she concluded her statement with, "Love to Beyoncé anyway," Beyoncé’s father/manager Mathew Knowles called Franklin’s remarks "ridiculous… childish… [and] unprofessional." Ouch!
No word on what Turner thought of all this, or whether Franklin is angry at her, too, but surely even Turner would admit that Franklin, who’s all but trademarked her regal title, deserves to keep it exclusively. At the same time, if there were anyone else who deserved such a title, it would be Turner.
What say you, PopWatchers? Do you think Beyoncé meant to diss Aretha? Do you think Franklin overreacted? And who really deserves to be called "the Queen"?
So, Natalie Cole told 
Skipped most of the Grammy pre-party hoo-hah this year, PopWatchers, as it tends to all sound the same after a while (and by "the same" I mean "like the Black Eyed Peas"). But there was one gig I couldn’t pass up: Country music purveyor and Bud Light poster child Dierks Bentley’s show Friday night at L.A.’s Knitting Factory. 
Another Grammy weekend behind us, PopWatchers, and, like the four that came before it, my 2008 experience was a combination of soaring highs and crushing lows. (My life is very much like Wide World of Sports.) And while I may not have been called on to 
I’ve always known that Alicia Keys is an amazing talent even if I don’t own any of her albums. But after 
Hello, Grammys-viewing P-Dubs. Welcome to Round 2 of Leah and Annie Cook It Up In Carroll Gardens! Ms. Greenblatt and I have been 
(Alternate post title: Leah and Annie cook it in Carroll Gardens!) Hi everyone — we’re here with assorted snacks and a great attitude (for now) about tonight’s live-blogging marathon. We’re not technically required to cover the red carpet… but we might as well. We’re both present, and alive, and the amazing and unexpected Milano Salame that Leah just plunked onto my coffee table has us almost inappropriately revved up for Fun. Let’s get it started!
The Grammy press room is its usual hotbed of pre-telecast action this year, as the members of the print pool sit at long tables and wait for free sandwiches while conducting short, frequently awkward interviews with the winners of categories like Best Tropical Latin Album. (Juan Luis Guerra seems like a nice guy.) Inside the convention center next door, where the actual pre-show ceremony is taking place, the vibe is closer to high school assembly: Pockets of people whooping and clapping for their friends, the winners expressing genuine joy that most of the world will never see. 
