To BEY or Not to BEY, an Icon

“The proof is in the pudding”-An old saying!  When simply put, it means, you have to experience something yourself, to know that it’s good. It’s pretty safe to say that EVERYONE has experienced Beyoncé and she is GREAT! Mrs. Knowles-Carter is undoubtedly the greatest entertainer of this time. One might even say that she’s the greatest entertainer of ALL TIME. She’s been compared to some of the biggest names in show biz: Michael Jackson, Prince, Tina Turner, Elvis Presley, etc. To top it all off, she’s a true record-breaker; Becoming the highest-paid black recording artist of all time, as well as the most nominated woman in Grammy history. It’s essentially IMPOSSIBLE to deny how great she is. ICONIC, for sure-right?

Singer, Dionne Warrick (78), a legend in her own right, doesn't seem to agree. In a recent interview, Warrick expressed her thoughts on whether or not Beyoncé will have the sustainability or longevity to become an official icon.  I'll be honest… "BECOME" an icon? I thought Beyoncé had already reached the ‘Iconic' status. According to Dionne, apparently not. Warrick does not believe that Beyoncé has made it to the status of greats such as Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, Johnny Mathis, etc.  She also stated that she had a "long row to hoe", before reaching that status. Needless to say, Dionne received quite a bit of backlash for her comments and I must confess, I personally disagreed with Auntie Dionne. In fact, my question was: what DISQUALIFIES Beyoncé from being considered an icon?" Warrick stated, “that’s not, as you guys say, ‘throwing shade...”.

The Proof is in the Pudding

Dionne expressed that she didn't believe Beyoncé had met the benchmark; However, she never stated WHY or gave supporting evidence for her argument. Dionne stated, “I don’t know if 10 years from now, anybody can actually sing the songs of our babies today.” Well, 10 years ago, Beyoncé released her hit single ‘Single Ladies’ and 16 years ago, she released ‘Crazy in Love’; two of her biggest songs. Beyoncé is the first woman to win six Grammy’s in one night, the first black woman to win ASCAP’s Songwriter of the Year Award, not to mention, she has sold over 118 million solo albums and 60 million with Destiny’s Child. The list could go on and on. So, my question still stands: What disqualifies Beyoncé?  How could one refute the fact that Beyoncé is INDEED an ICON Auntie Dionne? ESPECIALLY, when the proof is in the pudding.