EURweb

BEYONCE PUT ON 15 POUNDS TO PLAY ETTA JAMES: Singer said she loved every minute of the weight gain.

Scroll down to watch Beyonce perform "At Last" with the legendary singer looking on

(October 22, 2008)

*Beyonce says she had a much better time preparing for her role as curvaceous soul legend Etta James in "Cadillac Records" than for her character of Deena in the 2006 musical "Dreamgirls."

"I gained almost 15 pounds to play the [Etta James] role," Beyoncé, 27, says in the November issue of In Style. "It was way easier – and tastier – than having to lose so much weight for Dreamgirls."

As for her upcoming as-yet-untitled album, due Nov. 18, Beyonce said: "Lyrically, it's deeper than what I've done before. I wasn't mature enough or old enough, or in touch with myself enough, to do this type of album before. I didn't have the guts."

Last week, Beyonce finally opened up about her marriage to longtime boyfriend Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter.

"This is a new chapter for me," she told People. "I'm terrified, but excited. It's like I'm a new woman."

In related news, Beyonce's parents, Mathew and Tina Knowles, are due to receive the PTA Commitment to America's Children Award for their work on behalf of families and children in need. The event will take place Oct. 30 in Chicago at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel (17 East Monroe St.) and feature a special performance by CeCe Peniston.

Watch Beyonce sing Etta James' classic "At Last":