Patti LaBelle

Patricia Louise Holte began her professional music career in 1960 as the lead singer of the vocal group the Ordettes. In 1962, the group signed with record producer Harold Robinson, was renamed Patti LaBelle and the Blue Belles, and released early singles including “Down the Aisle” (1963) and “You’ll Never Walk Alone” (1963). After signing with Atlantic Records in 1965, the group released the album Over the Rainbow and additional singles. In 1971, the group was renamed Labelle and released the album Labelle on Warner Bros. Records. They followed with Moon Shadow (1972) and Pressure Cookin’ (1973). In 1974, Labelle released Nightbirds, which included the single “Lady Marmalade,” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The group released Phoenix (1975) and Chameleon (1976) before disbanding in 1976.

LaBelle launched her solo career in 1977 with her self-titled debut album Patti LaBelle. She released additional albums including Tasty (1978), It’s Alright with Me (1979), and Released (1980). In 1981, she released The Spirit’s in It. In 1982, she recorded the duet “The Best Is Yet to Come” with Grover Washington Jr. and made her Broadway debut in Your Arms Too Short to Box with God. Her 1983 album I’m in Love Again produced the No. 1 R&B single “If Only You Knew.” In 1984, she made her film debut in A Soldier’s Story and recorded “New Attitude” and “Stir It Up” for the soundtrack of the film Beverly Hills Cop.

In 1986, LaBelle released the album Winner in You, which included the No. 1 pop single “On My Own.” She released Be Yourself in 1989, which included “If You Asked Me To,” featured in the film Licence to Kill. That same year, she appeared in a recurring role on the television series A Different World and later starred in the sitcom Out All Night (1992). She released the album Burnin’ in 1991, which won a Grammy Award, and Gems in 1994. In 1995, she performed at the Super Bowl XXIX halftime show. She released the albums Flame (1997) and the live album Live! One Night Only (1998), which won a Grammy Award.

LaBelle released When a Woman Loves in 2000 and Timeless Journey in 2004. She released the covers album Classic Moments in 2005 and her gospel album The Gospel According to Patti LaBelle in 2006, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard gospel chart. In 2008, she reunited with Labelle for the album Back to Now. She returned to Broadway in Fela! from 2010 to 2011 and appeared in the Broadway production After Midnight in 2014. Her television appearances included roles in American Horror Story: Freak Show (2014), Empire (2015), and advisory work on The Voice (2016).

She released the jazz album Bel Hommage in 2017 and appeared in television series including Daytime Divas, Greenleaf, and Star in 2018. In 2019, she competed on The Masked Singer. She also appeared in television series including The Neighborhood and The Wonder Years. In 2024, she released the album 8065 and announced a tour of the same name, which began July 7, 2024, in Los Angeles.