Beyonce is Etta James in CADILLAC RECORDS

By Matt Holmes / June 25, 2011

Singers who can act to a certain degree will always find work in Hollywood these days because of the constant music biopics that are being churned out which need their vocal talents to play the icons of music's past. Though to be fair to Beyonce, I actually think she's pretty talented. She was the only one of the DREAMGIRLS female cast that didn't make me wanna claw my eyes out and she's smart enough to turn down THE PINK PANTHER 2 after appearing in the awful original. Black Voices has heard that Beyonce has been cast in CADILLAC RECORDS, the movie biopic of Leonard Chess and his famed R & B label Chess Records. She will be playing the role of Etta James, a R & B singer and soul singer who would have the most successful period of her career after signing onto that record label in the 1950's.

Adrien Brody recently replaced Matt Dillon for the lead role of Leonard Chess and Jeffrey Wright has the role of Muddy Waters, presumably a role that won't require that he can sing. Also on board are Cedric the Entertainer, Columbus Short, Emmanuelle Chriqui and Tammy Blanchard in unknown roles. Other face icons such as Elvis Presley are expected to appear in the film, whose role is yet to be cast. Darnell Martin writes and directs the feature for Sony BGM which will take place in New Jersey and Mississipi in the upcoming weeks. source - coming soon