Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty
When it comes to icons in music, few can be mentioned in the same breath as the Godmother of Soul,
Patti LaBelle. Over the weekend (May 24th), the legendary singer and actress turned 81!
The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native began her career in the early 1960s as the lead singer of Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles. The group eventually changed their name to Labelle in the 70s and released their popular song ‘Lady Marmalade’ which went on to get inducted into the
Grammy Hall of Fame. The group became 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.
In 1977, after already making huge waves with her group, LaBelle went solo and began what became an extremely successful career. She released her self-titled debut album and possibly her career defining song with ‘You Are My Friend.’ Since then, LaBelle has went on to churn out numerous classic albums filled with hit after hit, racking up countless accolades along the way. Ms. Patti has Grammys, Lifetime Achievement Awards and a host of other awards under her belt.
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Although she is most known for her amazing singing talent, LaBelle has found another thing that she’s really passionate about…acting! She jumped into the TV and film industry and made her mark there also. She’s had starring roles and guest appearances in projects including the Oscar-nominated ‘A Soldier’s Story,’ ‘Out All Night,’ ‘A Different World’ and most recently ‘American Horror Story: Freak Show’ just to name a few. She even had a stint on the hit ABC show ‘Dancing with the Stars’ in 2015 at 70 years old.
Everything she touches seems to turn into gold. She has successfully launched her own brand of bedding, cook books and food for various companies. In 2015, she took the world by storm yet again when her Patti’s Sweet Potato Pies went viral and sold millions.
There is obviously no limit to what the Queen can do. To celebrate one of the greatest singers of all time, we put together a playlist of some of our favorite bops from her timeless catalog. HAPPY BELATED 81ST BIRTHDAY PATTI LABELLE!
