Source: Paul Morigi / Stringer / Getty
Today singer Patti LaBelle turns 73 today!
Patti LaBelle was born Patricia Holt, and began singing in the Beulah Baptist Church choir in her teens. She then formed the Ordettes, which evolved into Patti LaBelle & The Blue Belles and included Patti, Nona Hendryx, Sarah Dash, and Cindy Birdsong.
When Birdsong left the group, to join The Supremes in 1967, the remaining trio shortened their name to LaBelle. Both group configurations had modest success on pop and R&B radio including the Number One hit, ‘Lady Marmalade’, in 1975.
In 1977, the trio disbanded and Patti went solo. Her debut solo LP, ‘Patti LaBelle’, was released the same year. Patti scored several R&B hits including ‘I Don’t Go Shopping’ and ‘Little Girls’.
After three more album releases, she signed with Philadelphia International Records in 1981 and released three more albums, ‘The Spirit’s In It’ (1981), ‘I’m In Love Again’ (1983), and ‘Patti’ (1984). Patti again topped the R&B charts with ‘If Only You Knew’.
In 1982, Patti made her Broadway debut, with Al Green, in ‘Your Arm’s Too Short To Box With God’. In 1995, she signed with MCA Records and found pop success with two hit from the ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ soundtrack: ‘New Attitude’ and ‘Stir It Up’.
Over the next few years, Patti had her first solo Platinum album, won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female (‘Burnin’ ) and for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance (Live! One Night Only). For a short time, she also had her own TV series, ‘Out All Night’.
Help us celebrate the life of Patti Labelle!
