ETTA JAMES GAVE BEYONCE SOME KIND OF BOOST.

Playing R&B legend ETTA JAMES in new movie CADILLAC RECORDS gave BEYONCE the strength to be a "natural woman". The former Destiny's Child star admits her portrayal of the troubled singer in the film inspired her new look. She explains,

"She gave me a better understanding of who I am. Half of my new album is called I Am and on the cover I wore minimal make-up . It looks very natural, very vulnerable, very stripped down."

And Beyonce reveals James' spirit is now surging through everything she does:

"Playing Etta James gave me the confidence to be fearless and I felt like I could sing whatever I wanted and sing about things that I really cared about; not just something you could play on the radio or make a nice video, but something that had substance. "Etta James was one of the first African-American women to cross over on the radio and she made it possible for me to succeed."

I wish she won't say that! Etta James was a DRUG addict!