Patti Labelle

Biography

Patti LaBelle is an American singer and actress widely regarded as the queen of rock and soul music and the "Godmother of Soul."[1][3] Born in 1944, she began her career in the early 1960s as lead singer of the vocal group the Ordettes, formed in 1960 with friend Cindy Birdsong after dropping out of her last semester of high school.[4] The group achieved their first top 20 pop hit in 1962 with "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman" and underwent several name changes—becoming the Bluebelles in 1961 and later LaBelle in the early 1970s.[1][3][4] As LaBelle, the group released the iconic disco song "Lady Marmalade," which later was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, making them the first African-American vocal group to land the cover of Rolling Stone magazine and the first pop group to play at the Metropolitan Opera House.[3]

Following the group's split in 1976, LaBelle launched a highly successful solo career beginning in 1977 with her self-titled debut album on Epic Records.[1][2][4] Her breakthrough as a mainstream solo star came in 1984 with hit singles including "If Only You Knew," "New Attitude," and "Stir It Up," the latter two crossing over to pop audiences.[3] In 1986, she achieved both a US number-one album, Winner in You, and a US number-one single with "On My Own," a duet with Michael McDonald.[2] Her 1991 album Burnin' went gold and featured three top five hits on the R&B charts, earning her a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 1992 (in a rare tie with Lisa Fischer).[2][4] She won a second Grammy in 1999 for the live album Live! One Night Only.[2]

In a career spanning seven decades, LaBelle has sold more than 50 million records worldwide and received numerous accolades including induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1993, and induction into the Apollo Legends Hall of Fame in 2009.[1][2] She reunited with her LaBelle bandmates Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash in 2008 to release Back to Now, their first full album as a group in 32 years, followed by a successful reunion tour.[1] Beyond music, LaBelle has appeared in films and television, including a role in A Soldier's Story (1984) and recurring roles on television series such as Daytime Divas, Greenleaf, and Star.[2]

Fun Facts

• Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles achieved their first top 20 pop hit "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman" in 1962 when LaBelle was just 18 years old, having dropped out of high school the previous year to pursue music.[4]
• The group LaBelle made history as the first African-American vocal group to land the cover of Rolling Stone magazine and the first pop group to perform at the Metropolitan Opera House, breaking significant racial and genre barriers in the music industry.[3]
• LaBelle won her first Grammy Award in 1992 in a rare tie with singer Lisa Fischer, both winning Best Female R&B Vocal Performance—LaBelle for her album Burnin' and Fischer for her hit ballad "How Can I Ease the Pain."[2]
• The 1998 Essence Awards featured an unprecedented tribute to LaBelle's career achievement, with performances and tributes from major artists including Michael Bolton, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, SWU, and Luther Vandross.[2]

Associated Acts

• LaBelle
• Patti LaBelle & The Bluebelles
• We Are Family Collective
• The Champions
• The Queens

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Bobby Martin - Producer who helped the Ordettes achieve their first top 20 pop hit ("I Sold My Heart to the Junkman") [1960s]

Key Collaborators

• Michael McDonald - Duet partner on her breakthrough solo hit ("On My Own" (US #1 single in 1986)) [1986]
• Grover Washington - Collaborated on duet that became her first top 20 R&B hit ("The Best Is Yet to Come") [1982-1983]
• Bobby Womack - Duet partner on R&B single ("Love Has Finally Come at Last") [1984]
• Gladys Knight and Dionne Warwick - Reunited with for remake collaboration ("Superwoman" (on Knight's solo album Good Woman)) [1991]
• Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash - Former LaBelle group members; reunited for full album (Back to Now) [2008]

Artists Influenced

• Mariah Carey - Goddaughter who performed with LaBelle and paid tribute to her career (VH1 Divas performance and 1998 Essence Awards tribute) [1998, 2016]
• Christina Aguilera - LaBelle served as key advisor on The Voice (NBC's The Voice (tenth season)) [2010s]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

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