Patti LaBelle
Born May 24, 1944 — United States
Patti LaBelle is one of the most powerful vocal performers in American music history — a Grammy-winning singer with a four-octave range who has been called the Queen of Rock and Soul. Beginning with her 1960s group Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles, through the pioneering 1970s trio LaBelle (with its landmark hit "Lady Marmalade"), to a long solo career that has produced "If Only You Knew" and "On My Own," she has demonstrated a vocal and emotional intensity that remains without peer.
From Philadelphia to the Bluebelles
Patricia Louise Holte was born on May 24, 1944 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She grew up in the Elmwood neighborhood and began singing in church as a child. In the early 1960s she formed a vocal group that became known as Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles, which achieved R&B success with songs including "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman" (1962) and "Down the Aisle (Wedding Bells)" (1963). The group toured extensively and developed a reputation for passionate live performances. Facing limited commercial ceiling as a traditional girl group in the late 1960s, they reinvented themselves.
LaBelle and Solo Stardom
In the early 1970s, the group — now consisting of LaBelle, Sarah Dash, and Nona Hendryx — transformed into LaBelle, styled by designer Larry LeGaspi in extraordinary futuristic costumes, blending funk, soul, and rock. Their 1975 hit "Lady Marmalade" — featuring the unmistakable hook "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?" — reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the defining songs of the disco era. LaBelle disbanded in 1976, and Patti launched her solo career. Her 1983 single "If Only You Knew" was a major hit, but "On My Own," a 1986 duet with Michael McDonald, reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. She won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance for "If Only You Knew" and remains one of music's most acclaimed live performers. Her catalog spans six decades.
Did You Know?
In 2015, a customer at a Walmart in San Antonio tasted a slice of Patti LaBelle's sweet potato pie at the in-store bakery, filmed a wildly enthusiastic online review, and the video went viral. Within days Walmart had sold more than thirty thousand pies, and by Thanksgiving 2015 the pies were largely sold out nationwide. The episode launched a significant secondary business for LaBelle in food products and became one of the first documented cases of a viral video directly driving mass retail sales.
Legacy
Patti LaBelle has been recognized with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the Kennedy Center Honors, and has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. She has managed her diabetes publicly and advocacy around it, written cookbooks, and maintained a performing career deep into her eighties. Across the spectrum from gospel to R&B to pop to theatre — she has appeared on Broadway — her voice remains one of the great natural instruments in American popular music, remarkable for its range, power, and the emotional commitment she brings to every performance.