Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), best known by her stage name of
Patti LaBelle, is an American
R&BRhythm and blues is the name given to a wide-ranging genre of popular music created by African Americans in the late 1940s and early 1950s...
and
soulSoul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer-songwriterA singer–songwriter is a musician who writes, composes and sings their own material including lyrics and melodies. They often provide the sole accompaniment to an entire composition or song, typically using a guitar or piano...
and
actressAn actor or actress is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. She fronted two groups, Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles, which received minor success on the pop charts in the 1960s, and
LabelleLabelle is an all female singing group who were a popular vocal group of the 1960s and 1970s. Originally forming as The Ordettes in 1960 by lead singer Patti LaBelle and childhood friend Sandra Tucker who was replaced by Cindy Birdsong in 1961 and with the inclusion of former members of the...
, which received acclaim and a mainstream breakthrough in 1974 with their song "
Lady Marmalade"Lady Marmalade" is a 1974 song made famous by the girl group Labelle. Produced by Allen Toussaint, "Lady Marmalade" became a number-one hit the next year...
". She went on to have a solo recording career, earning another U.S. #1 single in 1986 with "
On My Own"On My Own" was a hit duet by singers Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald when it was released as a single in 1986. It was released from LaBelle's first platinum album, Winner in You and was written and produced by Burt Bacharach and his former wife Carole Bayer Sager...
," a duet with
Michael McDonaldMichael McDonald is a gold and platinum-selling American R&B/soul singer and songwriter. He is sometimes described as a "blue-eyed soul" singer and sings in a distinctive "husky, soulful" yet baritone range...
.
She is renowned for her passionate stage performances, wide vocal range and distinctive high-octave belting. Her biography,
Don't Block the Blessings, remained at the top of the
The New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded in 1851 and published in New York City. The largest metropolitan newspaper in the United States, "The Gray Lady"—named for its staid appearance and style—is regarded as a national newspaper of record...
best-seller list for several weeks.
Early years
LaBelle was born
Patricia Louise Holte in Philadelphia,
PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a state located in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States...
, the daughter of Henry Holte, a railroad worker, and Bertha Robinson Holte, a housewife. The fourth of five children, Holte began singing at church at an earlier age. During an audition for a school play, a teacher advised Holte to form a singing group.
As Patsy Holte, she formed a four-member girl group called the Ordettes in 1959. In 1960, when two of the original Ordettes left, Holte and fellow Ordette Sandra Tucker brought in singers
Nona HendryxNona Hendryx is an American vocalist, record producer, songwriter, musician, author, and actress...
and
Sarah DashSarah Dash is a singer and actress. Her first notable appearance on the music scene was as a member of Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles.-Early career:...
, from a recently defunct rival group. When Tucker's family made Sandra leave the group, she was replaced by 18-year-old hometown friend
Cindy BirdsongCynthia Ann Birdsong-Hewlett , better known by her stage name, Cindy Birdsong is an Grammy Award-winning American R&B/soul singer-songwriter....
. With her mother's blessings, Patti left high school to tour with the Ordettes. The group was managed by Bernard Montague and toured from local nightclubs to honky tonks and truck stops.
During an audition with Newtown Records, the Ordettes almost didn't get a recording contract because Holte, who was the lead singer was considered "too plain, too dark and unattractive" until she sang for him. Afterwards, he suggested a name change for Holte. Add to the irony after his initial disappointment of Holte, the surname LaBelle was
FrenchFrench is a Romance language globally spoken by about 65 million people as a first language , by 50 million as a second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language, with significant speakers in 57 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France,...
for "the beautiful". Signing them in 1962, the boss also changed the name of the group to The Bluebelles, named initially after a Newtown subsidiary (Bluebelle Records), which later led to threats of a lawsuit over another girl group's manager. The name was altered to
Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles.
Group career: 1962 - 1977
As Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles, the group's first single, "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman", was actually recorded by
The StarletsThe Starlets were an American girl group from Chicago, Illinois.The group came together in 1961, and auditioned for a Chicago songwriter, Bernice Williams. Williams wrote them the tune "Better Tell Him No", which was released on Pam Records that year. The record peaked at #38 on the Billboard Hot...
and was released as a Bluebelles single due to contract obligations the Starlets had with their own label, Pam Records. The group later recorded their own version of the song, which peaked at number fifteen on the
Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in 1962. Going out on the road, the group became a successful draw on the
chitlin' circuitThe "Chitlin' Circuit" was the collective name given to the string of performance venues throughout the eastern and southern United States that were safe and acceptable for African American musicians, comedians, and other entertainers to perform at during the age of racial segregation in the United...
, mainly earning national fame at The Apollo Theater where they became "Apollo Sweethearts". The group enjoyed a modestly successful recording career, which included top 40 recordings such as their
gospelA gospel is a writing that describes the life of Jesus. The word is primarily used to refer to the four canonical texts: the Gospel of Matthew, Gospel of Mark, Gospel of Luke and Gospel of John, probably written between AD 65 and 80...
-styled
doo-wopDoo-wop is a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music, which developed in African-American communities in the 1940s and which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and 1960s. An African-American vocal style known as doo-wop emerged from the streets of northeastern and industrial midwest...
renditions of traditional songs such as 1963's "Down the Aisle" and "You'll Never Walk Alone" and "Danny Boy", from 1964, the latter two songs recorded for Philadelphia-based
Cameo-Parkway RecordsCameo-Parkway Records was the parent company of Cameo Records and Parkway Records, which were major American Philadelphia-based record labels from 1956 and 1958 , to 1967...
. In 1966, the group left Cameo-Parkway for a brief stint at
Atlantic RecordsAtlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm & blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
recording
Judy GarlandJudy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years, Garland attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist, and on the concert stage. Respected for her versatility, she received a Juvenile Academy...
's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", a song LaBelle re-recorded as a soloist over a decade later on the 1981 album,
The Spirit's In It (as "Over the Rainbow") and which later became a concert staple in LaBelle's shows since. The group also recorded the modest hit, "All or Nothing", which became a modest
soulSoul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
standard. In 1967, Cindy Birdsong shocked the group when she left to replace
Florence BallardFlorence Glenda Ballard Chapman , nicknamed "Flo" and "Blondie", was an American singer, and one of the original founders of the Hall of Fame Motown group The Supremes....
of
The SupremesThe Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
. LaBelle said she and the rest of the members kept a grudge over Birdsong, Motown and the Supremes for years following Birdsong's exit though she eventually forgave all parties for the decision.
In 1970,
Dusty SpringfieldMary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien OBE , known as Dusty Springfield, was a pop singer and entertainer. Of all the female British pop artists of the 1960s, she made one of the biggest impressions on the American market...
's manager Vicki Wickham advised the Bluebelles to visit London and revised their image. The group had had a local following in England, even at one time having
Elton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE is an English singer-songwriter, composer and pianist.In his four-decade career, John has sold more than 200 million records, making him one of the most successful artists of all time. His single, Candle in the Wind 1997, has sold over 37 million copies, becoming the...
and his band Bluesology performing background for them. Wickham wanted the group to alter their image from their classic girl group look to a modernized casual look asking them to ditch their bouffant wigs and dresses for jeans and Afros. Though LaBelle admitted having difficulty with the change, she eventually agreed after her two band mates, including Nona Hendryx, convinced her the move would bring popularity to the group. Returning to America the following year, they changed their name to Labelle and released their self-titled debut on
Warner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label that operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Music Group. It is also affectionately known as Warners or the Bunny, based on the Bugs Bunny cartoons released by Warner Bros. Pictures.-History:...
. The same year, they gained a cult following after opening for
The WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend, vocalist Roger Daltrey, bassist John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They became known for energetic live performances including the pioneering spectacle of instrument destruction...
and appeared as backup for
Laura NyroLaura Nyro was an American composer, lyricist, singer, and pianist. Her style was a hybrid of Brill Building-style New York pop, jazz, gospel, rhythm and blues, show tunes and rock....
's accomplished album,
Gonna Take a MiracleGonna Take a Miracle is the fifth music album by New York-born singer, songwriter, and pianist Laura Nyro. Nyro was backed up on the album by the vocal trio Labelle....
. After releasing two transitional albums, the group found some cult fame with the release of 1973's
Pressure Cookin'Pressure Cookin is the third album by American funk/soul singing trio Labelle. This release was their first and only for RCA Records. The release of the album was critically raved due to the songs that songwriter and member Nona Hendryx composed...
, which had the group record more political affair including a famed remake of Gil Scott Heron's "
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" is a poem and song by Gil Scott-Heron. It was the B-side to Scott-Heron's first single, "Home Is Where the Hatred Is", from his album Pieces of a Man...
". The group's choice to record political and sexual material set the band apart from other groups at the time. In 1973, the group was asked to change their look again, after discovering the success of glam rockers
David BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. Active in five decades of popular music and frequently reinventing his music and image, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
and T-Rex, to glammed-up wardrobe. In time, the group's trademark wear included pieces of silver (LaBelle herself began wearing silver-haired wigs and knee-high silver boots).
In September of 1974, after two weeks in New Orleans, Labelle released their landmark album,
NightbirdsNightbirds is a 1974 album by Labelle. In 2003, the album was ranked number 272 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time....
, which successfully mixed
glam rockGlam rock is a style that developed in the UK in the post-hippie early 1970s that was "performed by singers and musicians wearing outrageous clothes, makeup, hairstyles, and platform-soled boots." The flamboyant costumes, and visual styles of glam performers were a campy, theatrical blend of...
and
soulSoul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
with
funkFunk is an American music genre that originated in the late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, soul jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
elements. Their biggest hit, "
Lady Marmalade"Lady Marmalade" is a 1974 song made famous by the girl group Labelle. Produced by Allen Toussaint, "Lady Marmalade" became a number-one hit the next year...
", became their very first number-one hit, and the group went on a successful national tour that started with a rave performance at the Metropolitan Opera House, where they became the first
African AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa. In the United States, the terms are generally used for Americans with at least partial Sub-Saharan African ancestry...
contemporary pop group to open there. The group advised fans to "wear something silver" during the famed event. The group founded some commercial and critical success with the releases of
rockRock music is a genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the 1960s. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country music and also drew on folk music, jazz and classical music....
ier efforts such as
PhoenixPhoenix is the fifth album by American funk/soul singing trio Labelle. The album was moderately successful peaking at #44 on the pop charts and #10 on the R&B charts...
and
ChameleonChameleon is the sixth album by American funk/soul singing trio Labelle. Though Patti LaBelle's autobiography Don't Block The Blessings revealed that LaBelle planned a follow-up to Chameleon entitled Shaman, the album never materialized....
, famed for the feminist funk classic, "Get You Somebody New" and Patti's
magnum opusMagnum opus , from the Latin meaning great work, refers to the largest, and perhaps the best, greatest, most popular, or most renowned achievement of an author, artist, or composer.The term Great Work is also used in several...
, a cover of
Randy EdelmanRandy Edelman is an American film and TV score composer.-Biography:Edelman was born in Paterson, New Jersey. He attended the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music before heading to New York where he played piano in Broadway pit orchestras...
's rock ballad, "Isn't It a Shame" before breaking up to start solo careers at the beginning of 1977.
Early solo career: 1977 - 1982
LaBelle released
her self-titled debutPatti LaBelle is the debut solo album for singer Patti LaBelle, released in the fall of 1977. The album is notable for not only the singer's covers of The Skyliners' "Since I Don't Have You", Edwin Starr's "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On", and Bob Dylan's "Most Likely You'll Go Your Way and I'll...
in 1977 on
Epic RecordsEpic Records is an American record label. It is owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment. The label was founded in 1953 as a jazz label, and was eventually expanded to several genres of music. The label manages several imprints as well.-History:...
, which featured the top twenty R&B dance single, "It's a Joy to Have Your Love" and the modestly-charted
gospelA gospel is a writing that describes the life of Jesus. The word is primarily used to refer to the four canonical texts: the Gospel of Matthew, Gospel of Mark, Gospel of Luke and Gospel of John, probably written between AD 65 and 80...
-emulated ballad, "You Are My Friend", which she co-wrote and dedicated to her son and her faith in God (hence the vamp lyric,
"I've been looking around and you were here all the time"). LaBelle's performance of the song - which included her kicking off her shoes and rolling around the stage - helped to make it a stand-out performance and remains a concert staple including the modified gospel hymn, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus". The album received critical acclaim but didn't give LaBelle any solo success. Other albums such as 1978's
TastyTasty is the sophomore solo release by singer Patti LaBelle, her second solo album with Epic Records, since departing from Labelle in 1976. The album was less successful than the debut but became notable for the disco club hit, "Eyes in the Back of My Head" and the airplay-only ballad, "Little...
1979's
It's Alright with MeIt's Alright with Me is the third solo album released by singer Patti LaBelle, her third off her deal with Epic Records released in 1979. After a modestly successful solo debut and a critically acclaimed but commercially maligned sophomore release, LaBelle worked on her third Epic release with...
, 1980's
ReleasedLast Autumn's Dream is the second studio album by British band Jade Warrior. It follows a progressive rock trend rather than the ultimately ethnic and worldly sound of their previous album.From Jade Warriors web site:-Musicians:...
and 1981's
The Spirit's in ItThe Spirit's in It is a 1981 album released by singer Patti LaBelle. The album was her first release off Philadelphia International Records after coming off a seven-year contract with Epic Records and four studio albums...
, which included her now classic solo cover of her old Bluebelles single, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", also failed to chart. On July 21, 1979, she appeared at the
Amandla FestivalAmandla--Festival of Unity—was a world music festival held at Harvard Stadium in Boston, Massachusetts, on July 21, 1979. The goals of the concert were to support and celebrate the liberation of Southern Africa as well as the on-going efforts of people in Boston to end racism in their families,...
along with
Bob MarleyRobert Nesta "Bob" Marley was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist for the ska, rocksteady and reggae bands The Wailers and Bob Marley & The Wailers...
,
Dick GregoryDick Gregory is an American comedian, social activist, social critic, writer, and entrepreneur....
and
Eddie PalmieriEddie Palmieri , is a Grammy Award winning Puerto Rican pianist, bandleader and musician, best known for combining jazz piano and instrumental solos with Latin rhythms.-Early years:...
, among others. That same year, she cut a performance for
Richard PryorRichard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor III was an American comedian, actor, and writer. Pryor was known for his unflinching examinations of racism and customs in modern life, and was renowned for his frequent use of colorful, vulgar, and profane language and racial epithets...
's
Wanted concert film, however her scenes were cut. In spite of this, Pryor mentioned LaBelle during the opening of his concert. Three years later, in 1982, LaBelle and singer
Al GreenAlbert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer who was popular in the 1970s, and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.-Early years:...
participated in the revival of the successful
BroadwayBroadway Theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, is the theatre associated with the 40 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located in the Theatre District, New York in Manhattan, New York City...
play, "Your Arm's Too Short to Box with God".
Successful period: 1983 - 2000
LaBelle didn't start to experience commercial solo success until 1983 when she released her first charted hit album,
I'm in Love AgainI'm in Love Again is a 1983 album from Patti LaBelle, her second album on Philadelphia International Records after her departure from Epic Records . The album's original 1983 release was issued on vinyl record and casette tape...
, which featured LaBelle's first #1 R&B and top fifty pop hit with "
If Only You KnewIf Only You Knew was a single written and produced primarily by Dexter Wansel and Cynthia Biggs for American singer Patti LaBelle's sixth solo album, I'm in Love Again. It was released as the album's second single in 1983, spending four weeks at number one on the U.S...
" and a radio hit with "
Love, Need and Want YouLove, Need and Want You is a classic song from Patti LaBelle from her album "I'm In Love Again", released in 1984 as the b-side of LaBelle's second single, the title track from her first hit album, I'm in Love Again....
." The album became her first solo release to be certified gold. In 1985, LaBelle recorded two songs for the
Beverly Hills CopBeverly Hills Cop is a 1984 American action-comedy film directed by Martin Brest and starring Eddie Murphy, John Ashton, Judge Reinhold, and Ronny Cox. Murphy stars as Axel Foley, a street-smart Detroit cop, who heads to Beverly Hills, California to solve the death of his best friend...
soundtrack. Those two songs - "
New Attitude"New Attitude" is a song performed by Patti LaBelle and written by Sharon Teresa Robinson, Jon Gilutin, and Bunny Hull. It was released in 1984 and helped launch LaBelle's solo career as a pop music singer...
" and "
Stir It Up"Stir It Up" is the second single from Patti LaBelle taken from the soundtrack album to the 1984 film Beverly Hills Cop -- the later won a Grammy Award for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special ....
" became pop hits. During this period, LaBelle began dressing as flamboyantly as she did during the
LabelleLabelle is an all female singing group who were a popular vocal group of the 1960s and 1970s. Originally forming as The Ordettes in 1960 by lead singer Patti LaBelle and childhood friend Sandra Tucker who was replaced by Cindy Birdsong in 1961 and with the inclusion of former members of the...
days in an effort to carve out an original persona. LaBelle's appearances on
Motown Returns to the Apollo and the
Live AidLive Aid was a multi-venue rock music concert held on . The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia. Billed as the 'global jukebox', the event was held simultaneously in Wembley Stadium, London and JFK Stadium, Philadelphia...
concerts of 1985 introduced her to a new audience. That same year, LaBelle was granted her first television special, which became highly rated, featuring
Cyndi LauperCynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first artist to have four top-five singles released from one album. Lauper has released 11 albums and over 40...
,
Bill CosbyWilliam Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, The Bill Cosby Show,...
and
Luther VandrossLuther Ronzoni Vandross was an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
. LaBelle's popularity increased further in 1986 with the release of her best-selling album to date,
Winner in YouWinner in You is the name of the eighth solo album by singer Patti LaBelle. The album is LaBelle's most successful album thus far of her career, reaching number one on the American Billboard album charts in 1986 and going platinum in the United States. The album features the Billboard Hot 100...
. The album yielded her first solo #1, "
On My Own"On My Own" was a hit duet by singers Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald when it was released as a single in 1986. It was released from LaBelle's first platinum album, Winner in You and was written and produced by Burt Bacharach and his former wife Carole Bayer Sager...
" with
popPop music is a music genre that developed from the mid-1950s as a softer alternative to rock 'n' roll and later to rock music. It has a focus on commercial recording, often orientated towards a youth market, usually through the medium of relatively short and simple love songs...
balladeer
Michael McDonaldMichael McDonald is a gold and platinum-selling American R&B/soul singer and songwriter. He is sometimes described as a "blue-eyed soul" singer and sings in a distinctive "husky, soulful" yet baritone range...
, the Top 40
Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
hit, "
Oh, People"Oh, People" was the second single released from Winner in You, the eighth solo album of Patti LaBelle. The song is a socially conscious anthem with lyrics pleading to individuals to unite and "build the world we want together."-Chart performance:...
," the moderate pop chart hit, "Kiss Away The Pain" and the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart hit, "Something Special Is Gonna Happen Tonight."
LaBelle scored a moderate R&B and pop chart hit with the Diane Warren ballad, "
If You Asked Me To"If You Asked Me To" is the title of a song originally written and released as the lead single for Patti LaBelle's seventh solo studio album, entitled Be Yourself, and for the Licence to Kill soundtrack. The song is a ballad written by critically-acclaimed songwriter Diane Warren...
," in 1989. The song peaked at #10 on the Adult Contemporary and R&B charts. It was later covered by
Céline DionCéline Marie Claudette Dion , CC, OQ is a Canadian singer, occasional songwriter, actress, and entrepreneur. Born to a large, impoverished family in Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to...
in 1992, with striking similarity in arrangement, key and vocal styling. Dion's version peaked at #1 on both the Pop & A/C charts. In an interview with the online magazine
Monaco Revue Patti claimed racism in the music industry was responsible for the difference in record sales, and revealed that accepting this was the most difficult obstacle she had to face in her career. In January 1995, La Belle performed at the
Super Bowl XXIXSuper Bowl XXIX was an American football game played on January 29, 1995 at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1994 regular season...
halftime show, with
Tony BennettTony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
,
Arturo SandovalArturo Sandoval is a jazz trumpeter and pianist. He was born in Artemisa, in Havana Province, Cuba.Sandoval, while still in Cuba, was influenced by jazz legends Charlie Parker, Clifford Brown, and Dizzy Gillespie, finally meeting Dizzy later in 1977...
and the Miami Sound Machine, in a program entitled "Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye", to promote the upcoming Disney theme park attraction.
In 1991, LaBelle released the
goldIn the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
-selling
Burnin'Burnin is a 1991 album by Patti LaBelle. It won the category of "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance" at the Grammy Awards of 1992 jointly with an album by Lisa Fischer, an unusual event in the history of the Grammies....
album, which helped her win her first
Grammy AwardThe Grammy Awards —or Grammys—are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry...
-- tying with vocalist
Lisa FischerLisa Fischer is an American Grammy Award-winning R&B vocalist, known for her beautiful image, impressive vocal range and talents that reach high up to the whistle register, and her 1991 smash hit single "How Can I Ease the Pain". Fischer has been recognized as one of the most successful session...
for Best R&B Female Vocal Performance.
Burnin featured the hits "Somebody Loves You Baby (You Know Who It Is)", "When You've Been Blessed (Feels Like Heaven)" and "Feels Like Another One." This album is also notable because it includes the first Labelle reunion recording with Sarah DashSarah Dash is a singer and actress. Her first notable appearance on the music scene was as a member of Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles.-Early career:...
and Nona HendryxNona Hendryx is an American vocalist, record producer, songwriter, musician, author, and actress...
, singing on "Release Yourself". Success continued with subsequent albums like 1994's Gems
(featuring the hit "The Right Kinda Lover"), 1997's Flame
(featuring the hit "When You Talk About Love"), and 1998's Live One Night Only
winning LaBelle her a second Grammy (this time, without tying).
During this period, LaBelle had a recurring role as Adele Wayne (mother of Dwayne Wayne) in the NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices in Burbank,California...
sitcom A Different WorldA Different World is an American television sitcom which aired for six seasons on NBC . It was a spin-off series from The Cosby Show originally centered on Denise Huxtable and the life of students at Hillman College, a fictional historically Black college in the state of Virginia...
.
Later career and current work: 2000 - present
In 2000, LaBelle released her final album for the MCA label. When a Woman Loves
features a collection of ballads written entirely by songwriter Diane Warren. LaBelle also announced her divorce from her only husband, Armstead, who had been her manager for 30 years. Four years would pass before LaBelle released a new album under Island Def Jam-A:* Annie * Johnta Austin * Ace Hood * Amerie -B:* Babyface * Black Buddafly* Memphis Bleek * Bon Jovi...
with the album, Timeless Journey
, which saw LaBelle adding a modern hip-hop flavor to her brand of classic R&B. The album featured the modest hit "A New Day", which became a dance hit and also became her highest-charted album in nearly twenty years reaching number-sixteen on the Billboard 200. LaBelle's 2005 follow-up, a covers album, Classic Moments
, was released. Despite the modest success, LaBelle battled against Def Jam president Antonio "L.A." Reid over the album's promotion and abruptly left the label.
In 2006, LaBelle issued her oft-promised gospel album on an independent label titled The Gospel According To Patti LaBelleThe Gospel According To Patti LaBelle is the first gospel act since the release of "Going Home To Gospel With Patti LaBelle" featuring gospel music queen Albertina Walker in 1991 from the esteemed R&B veteran Patti LaBelle....
was released. As a promotion, all copies sold at the retailer, Wal-Mart, contained a bonus track, "The Lord's Prayer". The album debuted at #86 on the Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling new music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, #17 on the R&B chart and peaked at #1 on the Gospel chart. A year later, LaBelle re-signed with Def Jam Records after Reid began re-negotiated terms with LaBelle. The new Def Jam release was her second holidayThe words holiday or vacation have related meanings in different English-speaking countries and continents, but usually refer to one of the following activities or events:...
album called, Miss Patti's Christmas
, released in 2007.
The year 2008 saw Patti LaBelle reunite with Nona HendryxNona Hendryx is an American vocalist, record producer, songwriter, musician, author, and actress...
and Sarah DashSarah Dash is a singer and actress. Her first notable appearance on the music scene was as a member of Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles.-Early career:...
to release their first full album in thirty-two years with the Verve Records release, Back to Now. The collection blended newly recorded tracks with songs recorded before the initial break-up of Labelle. "Superlover", a single from the album, peaked at number sixty-seven on the R&B chart in early 2009. Musician Wyclef Jean also lent his songwriting and producing talents to the ultra-contemporary track, "Roll Out".
In June of 2009 LaBelle was honored at New York's Harlem
Apollo TheaterThe Apollo Theater in New York City is one of the most famous music halls in the United States, and the most famous club associated almost exclusively with African-American performers. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is the home of Showtime at the Apollo, a...
after she was inducted to the Apollo Legends Hall of Fame by admirers such as pop stars
Mariah CareyMariah Carey is an American R&B singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut in 1990 under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, and became the first recording artist to have her first five singles top the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart...
and
PrincePrince Rogers Nelson is an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor. He performs under the mononym Prince but has also been known by various other names, most notably the unpronounceable symbol which he used as his stage name between 1993 and 2000...
. After she was inducted, LaBelle said, "The Apollo is a national treasure, I'm overwhelmed and honored to be recognized on this stage."
Personal life
LaBelle was the third of four sisters and was overall the fourth of five. LaBelle often mentioned that she was the only member of the family to "make it past 50" noting that most of her siblings all died before reaching 45. Sisters Vivian Rogers (1932-1975), Barbara Purifoy (1940-1982) and Jacqueline "Jackie" Padgett (1945-1989) each died of cancer while her mother died of Diabetes in 1978 and her father succumbed to Alzheimers in 1989. In 1995, LaBelle was also diagnosed with diabetes. She is a spokeswoman for the
American Diabetes AssociationThe American Diabetes Association is the leading national association working to fight the deadly consequences of diabetes and to help those affected by diabetes...
, and has published two cookbooks targeted at people with diabetes, containing low-sugar and low-fat recipes. In 2005, LaBelle began appearing in advertisements for
OneTouch UltraOneTouch Ultra is a blood glucose monitoring device for people with diabetes and is the foundation product for LifeScan's OneTouch Ultra Family of blood glucose monitoring systems....
and later for OneTouch Ultra2, a manufacturer of blood glucose monitoring systems for people with diabetes. During the 1960s, LaBelle was dating
The TemptationsThe Temptations are an American vocal group that achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
'
Otis WilliamsOtis Williams is an American tenor singer. He has also acted as a sporadic songwriter and record producer. Williams co-founded the Motown vocal group The Temptations in early 1960 as The Elgins, a group in which he continues to perform as the sole surviving original member.-Career:Williams became...
. LaBelle said they were even engaged at one point, but broke it off due to their punishing tour schedules and LaBelle's refusal to "become a housewife" saying later she wasn't ready to handle the responsibilities of being one nor was she ready to give up her singing career as Williams had advised her to do. In 1969, LaBelle married a longtime buddy of hers, L. Armstead Edwards. LaBelle said she married Edwards because she was afraid he would "change his mind" saying Edwards had asked her to marry him three times and each time LaBelle wouldn't accept saying that she felt she had said no to the "wrong man". The singer later said that she and Edwards were "like night and day, I'm like wildfire and he's like ice cubes." After 31 years of marriage, they divorced in 2000 due to irreconcilable differences. LaBelle is currently single. She is the mother of son, Zuri Edwards (born July 17, 1973) and is the adopted mother of her sister Jacqueline's two children, and two adopted children, sons Stanley and Dodd, whom LaBelle and Edwards adopted in the late 1970s. LaBelle still lives in Philadelphia to this day.
LaBelle's
BoerboelThe Boerboel is a large working molosser breed of dog from South Africa. The word "boerboel" derives from "boer", the Afrikaans/Dutch word for "farmer"; boerboel thus translates as either "farmer's dog" or "Boer's dog" in Afrikaans/Dutch. There is a lengthy history of breeding the boerboel in...
recently appeared on an episode of
Dog WhispererDog Whisperer TV is an Emmy Award-nominated reality television series that premiered on September 13, 2004 on the National Geographic Channel...
, and is now living within the pack of her trainer.
See also
Grammy history
Patti LaBelle Grammy AwardThe Grammy Awards —or Grammys—are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry...
History |
| Year |
Category |
Title |
Genre |
Result |
| 1998 |
Traditional R&B Vocal Performance |
Live! One Night Only |
R&B |
Winner |
| 1993 |
Best Female R&B Vocal Performance |
"All Right Now (live)" |
R&B |
Nominee |
| 1991 |
Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group |
"Superwoman" (with Gladys Knight Gladys Maria Knight , known as the Empress of Soul, is an American R&B/soul singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author...
& Dionne WarwickDionne Warwick is an American singer, actress, activist, United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, former United States Ambassador of Health, and humanitarian. She is best known for her partnership with songwriters and producers Burt Bacharach and Hal David...
) |
R&B |
Nominee |
| Best Female R&B Vocal Performance |
Burnin' Burnin is a 1991 album by Patti LaBelle. It won the category of "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance" at the Grammy Awards of 1992 jointly with an album by Lisa Fischer, an unusual event in the history of the Grammies....
|
R&B |
Winner |
| 1990 |
Best Female R&B Vocal Performance |
"I Can't Complain" |
R&B |
Nominee |
| 1986 |
Best Female R&B Vocal Performance |
Winner in You Winner in You is the name of the eighth solo album by singer Patti LaBelle. The album is LaBelle's most successful album thus far of her career, reaching number one on the American Billboard album charts in 1986 and going platinum in the United States. The album features the Billboard Hot 100...
|
R&B |
Nominee |
| Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group |
"On My Own "On My Own" was a hit duet by singers Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald when it was released as a single in 1986. It was released from LaBelle's first platinum album, Winner in You and was written and produced by Burt Bacharach and his former wife Carole Bayer Sager...
" (with Michael McDonaldMichael McDonald is a gold and platinum-selling American R&B/soul singer and songwriter. He is sometimes described as a "blue-eyed soul" singer and sings in a distinctive "husky, soulful" yet baritone range...
) |
Pop |
Nominee |
| 1985 |
Best Female R&B Vocal Performance |
"New Attitude "New Attitude" is a song performed by Patti LaBelle and written by Sharon Teresa Robinson, Jon Gilutin, and Bunny Hull. It was released in 1984 and helped launch LaBelle's solo career as a pop music singer...
" |
R&B |
Nominee |
| 1983 |
Best Female R&B Vocal Performance |
"The Best Is Yet to Come" |
R&B |
Nominee |
Other Awards
| Patti LaBelle Awards |
| Year |
Category |
Title |
Result |
Notes |
| 2006 |
Best Actress - Television, Movie, Miniseries or Dramatic Special |
NAACP Image Awards |
Nominee |
Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy |
| 2006 |
Best Gospel Artist |
NAACP Image Awards |
Nominee |
| 2004 |
Best Female Artist |
NAACP Image Awards |
Nominee |
| 2003 |
Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award |
Songwriter's Hall of Fame |
*Winner* |
| 2001 |
Lena Horne Lifetime Achievement Award |
Lady of Soul Awards |
*Winner* |
| 1998 |
Best Performance - Variety Series/Special |
NAACP Image Awards |
*Winner* |
Live! One Night Only |
| 1996 |
Best Performance - Variety Series/Special |
NAACP Image Awards |
*Winner* |
The Essence Awards |
| 1995 |
Heritage Award - Career Achievement |
Soul TrainSoul Train is a syndicated, music-related television program. In its 35-year history, the show primarily featured performances by rhythm and blues, soul, and hip hop artists, although jazz musicians and gospel singers have also appeared....
Music Awards |
*Winner* |
| 1992 |
Favorite Rhythm and Blues/Soul Artist, Female |
American Music Awards The American Music Awards show is one of several annual major American music awards shows ....
|
*Winner* |
| 1986 |
Favorite Rhythm and Blues/Soul Artist, Female |
American Music Awards |
Nominee |
| 1986 |
Outstanding Individual Performance, Variety or Music Program |
Emmy Awards |
Nominee |
Sylvia Fine Kaye's Musical Comedy Tonight III |
Tours
- 1985: Look To The Rainbow Tour
- 1986-1987: Winner In You Tour
- 1991: Burnin' Tour
- 1995: Gems Tour
- 1997-1998: Flame Tour
- 2000: When a Woman Loves Tour
- 2005: Timeless Journey Tour
- 2006: Classic Moments Tour
- 2008: Divas with Heart Tour (w/Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan, born Yvette Marie Stevens on March 23, 1953, is a Grammy-winning American singer-songwriter best known for such hit songs as "I'm Every Woman", "Ain't Nobody", "I Feel for You" and "Through the Fire". She sang a modernized theme song for the popular children's TV show Reading Rainbow...
, Gladys KnightGladys Maria Knight , known as the Empress of Soul, is an American R&B/soul singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author...
and Diana Ross Diana Ross is an American singer and actress. During the 1960s, she helped shape the Motown Sound as lead singer of The Supremes, before leaving the group for a solo career on January 14, 1970...
)
- 2008/2009: Back to Now Tour (w/Labelle
Labelle is an all female singing group who were a popular vocal group of the 1960s and 1970s. Originally forming as The Ordettes in 1960 by lead singer Patti LaBelle and childhood friend Sandra Tucker who was replaced by Cindy Birdsong in 1961 and with the inclusion of former members of the...
)
Filmography
- 1979: Richard Pryor: Live in Concert
Richard Pryor: Live in Concert was the first of Richard Pryor's filmed concert performances to be released theatrically. It was produced and distributed independently....
(documentary) (scenes deleted)
- 1984: A Soldier's Story
A Soldier's Story is a 1984 drama film directed by Norman Jewison, based upon Charles Fuller's Pulitzer Prize winning Off Broadway production, A Soldier's Play. It is a story about racism and segregation in a black army regiment with white officers deep in the Jim Crow South...
- 1986: Unnatural Causes
You may be looking for UNNATURAL CAUSES: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?, a documentary series broadcast on PBS in 2008.Unnatural Causes is a detective novel by English crime writer P. D. James.-Synopsis:...
- 1989: Sing
- 1994: The Nanny
The Nanny is an American television sitcom co-produced by Sternin & Fraser Ink, Inc. and Highschool Sweethearts Productions in association with TriStar Television for the CBS network...
- 2002: Sylvester: Mighty Real (short subject)
- 2005: Preaching to the Choir
- 2006: Idlewild
Idlewild is an American musical film, released August 25, 2006, written and directed by Bryan Barber. The film stars André Benjamin and Antwan A. Patton. Benjamin and Patton are best known under their respective stage names André 3000 and Big Boi of the hip hop duo OutKast, and Idlewild features...
- 2007: Cover
- 2008: Semi-Pro
Semi-Pro is a 2008 American sports comedy film from New Line Cinema. The film was directed by Kent Alterman and stars Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, André Benjamin, Maura Tierney, Will Arnett and David Koechner. The film was shot in Los Angeles near Dodger Stadium , in Detroit and in Flint, Michigan...
- 2009: Mama, I Want to Sing!
Mama, I Want to Sing! is an upcoming 2009 American musical film written and directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, produced by CodeBlack Entertainment, and distributed by 20th Century Fox's Fox Faith division...
Music video
- Going Home to Gospel with Patti Labelle (1991) with Albertina Walker
Albertina Walker is an African-American gospel singer.-Early years:Walker was born in Chicago, Illinois. She began singing in the youth choir at the West Point Baptist Church at an early age, and joined several Gospel groups thereafter, including The Pete Williams...
("Queen of GospelGospel music is music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
"), Barrett Sisters, Ricky Dillard and many more.
TV talkshow music appearances
- An Evening With The Stars: A Tribute to Patti Labelle
- Oprah
Oprah Gail Winfrey is an American media personality, actress, television producer, literary critic and magazine publisher, best known for her self-titled, multi-award winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history...
show (Oprah's 40 Birthday) with Aretha FranklinAretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter and pianist commonly referred to as "The Queen of Soul". Although renowned for her soul recordings, Franklin is also adept at jazz, rock, soul, blues, pop, R&B and Gospel music...
& Gladys KnightGladys Maria Knight , known as the Empress of Soul, is an American R&B/soul singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author...
, singing their rendition of Chaka KhanChaka Khan, born Yvette Marie Stevens on March 23, 1953, is a Grammy-winning American singer-songwriter best known for such hit songs as "I'm Every Woman", "Ain't Nobody", "I Feel for You" and "Through the Fire". She sang a modernized theme song for the popular children's TV show Reading Rainbow...
's I'm Every Woman"I'm Every Woman" is a 1978 hit song by Chaka Khan, her first hit outside of her recordings with funk band Rufus, included on her platinum debut solo album Chaka. Produced by Arif Mardin and written by successful songwriting team Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, the soul/disco song reached...
- Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best-known for her work in country music....
show
- The View
The View is an American talk show broadcast on American Broadcasting Company as part of ABC Daytime. Created by Barbara Walters and Bill Geddie, who both also serve as the show's executive producers, the program features a panel of women as co-hosts...
talk show
- The Arsenio Hall Show
The Arsenio Hall Show is an Emmy Award winning variety/talk show that aired late weeknights in Broadcast syndication and aired from January 2, 1989 to May 27, 1994. The show was created and hosted by comedian/actor Arsenio Hall.- Background :...
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992....
- The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno, on NBC. It made its debut on May 25, 1992, following Johnny Carson's retirement as host of The Tonight Show. The nightly broadcast at 11:35 p.m. originated from NBC's studios, in Burbank, California and ran...
- The 1998 ALMA Awards
External links