Patti LaBelle: I’m 63 now. God Spared Me

By Gary Geyer

Everybody knows Patti Labelle.
She’s the one with the megawatt voice and ‘the hardest-to-ignore hair in the business.’ You’d never guess it but she’s actually very shy, the opposite of the way people perceive her. She says of herself, “On stage I’m like a lion; offstage I’m like a mouse.”

Patti Labelle constantly challenges herself, both creatively and artistically. “I still have so much more to do, so many other things to try. I have a young spirit in me.” She says, “Age is what you make it.”

Singing vs. Cooking

These days, there are two things that make Patti the happiest. Singing and cooking. “I was born to sing and cook. To tell you the truth, I’m hard pressed to say where I’m happiest – in concert or in the kitchen.” In Patti’s best selling book, Labelle Cuisine: Recipes to Sing About, she says, “Whether cooking or singing, I feel at ease, at peace, at one with the world.”

It Hasn’t been Easy.

Patti wrote her first book, Don’t Block The Blessings, in 1996, at the age of 52. In it she writes about the pain of losing her mother and three sisters to cancer. Vivian, her oldest sister, died of lung cancer at 43. Next came Barbara’s death at the age of 40, from colon cancer. And finally, Jackie at 43, of brain cancer. (Jackie was the sister who pushed her, saying she should be “better than Barbra Streisand”).

Patti spent years of feeling guilty for surviving and yet was consumed with a fear of death. “I was saying, ‘I’m getting ready to leave too’. How did she live with so much heartache? I threw myself into my work. I wrapped my very soul in my song.”

“Here I Am. Over Here.”

No one ever described Patti as being a recluse. The opposite of Greta Garbo, Patti prefers not to be alone. She loves when people come up to her. “When I go out, I hope they notice – I’ll cry if they don’t.”

The Early Years

Patti was born in Philadelphia as Patti Holte on May 24, 1944. She describes herself as “an insecure child with a big nose and nappy hair.” She would sing in front of the mirror, “using a broom for a mike, yelling my heart out.”
Patti formed her first group, the Elmstones, while she was still in high school. Her extraordinary musical talent emerged when she was a member of the Beulah Baptist Church Choir. She continued to be a soloist there even after she started her professional career.

Making It

In 1962, a record company executive changed her name from Holte to LaBelle. The group was introduced on American Bandstand as Patti LaBelle and the Bluebells. That year they had their first multi-million seller hit record, “I Sold My Heart to the Junkman.” Along with other hits, they became one of the most popular girl groups of that era.

A Radical Change

They continued their success with a “stylistic transformation” and Patti emerged as the driving force behind rock’s first all female band, LaBelle. Their monster hit, “Voulez-vous Couchez Avec Moi Ce Sois?” became a disco anthem of the 70′s. Their popularity grew and extensive tours followed. In 1976, after becoming (in Patti’s words) rocked and rolled out, the group had it, and disbanded on friendly terms.
Patti took some time off to unwind and spend with her family. By the decade’s end, with her husband Armstead as manager, Patti embarked on her solo career.

Keeping A Good Thing Going

Through the 80’s and 90’s and to present day, Patti’s superstar status continued. She produced 50 albums, wrote 3 New York Times best-selling books, was a 2 time Grammy winner (and was nominated for 10), starred in TV specials, was nominated for an Emmy 3 times, won 2 American Music Awards, did several hugely successful one-woman concert engagements on Broadway and got a star on Hollywood Boulevard’s Walk of Fame. Patti’s boundless energy and talent, along with her passion for fashion, and flamboyant hair, can always guarantee an exciting show.

Real Life

Through all this, Patti has always had her feet planted firmly on the proverbial ground. She has always considered her most important role was that of wife and mother. When not whipping crowds into a frenzy, Patti was at home, cooking, shopping and doing laundry. In short – being a person. She’s truthful when she tells her fans, “I’m just like you, only I make records.”

With her busy schedule, Patti still finds time for her humanitarian work. She has served as a spokesperson for the American Diabetic Association, The National Cancer Institute and the National Minority Aids Council. She has been active, championing adoption, foster care, Big Sisters and the United Negro College Fund.

Patty, after 30-plus years of marriage, has recently divorced. She has three sons, Zuri, Stanley and Dodd, as well as her sister Jackie’s two children, Stayce and Billy.
Patty always has said, “If I make it to 45, I will be cool, and if I turn 50, I’m really over the hump. I’m 63, so now I say, “God spared me.” <<