Patti Labelle
@ Pigeon Island, St. Lucia Jazz Festival
10 May 2009
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Biography
Patti LaBelle was born Patricia Holt on 24 May 1944 in Philadelphia.,
USA. She began singing in the Beulah Baptist Church choir in her
teens before forming vocal trio 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 Labelle went solo. Her debut solo
LP, “Patti LaBelle”, was released the same year. Labelle
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). LaBelle again topped the R&B charts
with “If Only You Knew”.
In 1982, LaBelle 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, LaBelle 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’.
Patti LaBelle has written her autobiography and is involved in
charities such as Big Sisters of America, the United Negro College
Fund, and the National Minority AIDS Council. American Cancer Society,
and Save The Children.
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