The Eternal Grace of Patti LaBelle

Music's most enduring icon continues to break barriers, build empires and chase platinum dreams

- By Kimberly Wilson

How does one properly prepare for an interview with “the” Patti LaBelle? They call their mama, of course. And that’s exactly what I did as I prepared to speak with the legendary entertainer on the eve of her 81st birthday—which was on May 24, to be exact. The fact that she'd even agreed to the interview, in the midst of her birthday celebrations and the Queens tour (which also includes Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight and Stephanie Mills, and concludes in October 2025) speaks volumes about who she is and the empire she’s been able to build. Because one, the show must go on; and two, Patti LaBelle will always be the classiest of acts.

But back to my preparation. I wanted to learn about my mother’s first memory of the woman who would become one of her favorite artists. Where was she when she first heard Patti LaBelle sing? How did she feel? What was the song of hers she’d heard on the radio? As I rattled off questions, my mother’s responses were exact and precise. She recalled the revolutionary spirit of Patti LaBelle and the Bluebells, the group that broke boundaries with their space-age costumes and avant-garde performances in the 1970s. Mama knew right away they were “ahead of their time.”

And of course, how could she forget the 1974 hit “Lady Marmalade”? Younger fans may be familiar with the version of the song from the 2001 movie Moulin Rouge! It was rerecorded by Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mýa and Pink; but make no mistake, we have Ms. Patti LaBelle to thank for the original. It was a hit, just like the new-age version, and it solidified LaBelle as the queen she still is.

Then there’s the millennial in me. I was first introduced to LaBelle in her scene-stealing turn as Dwayne Wayne’s mother, Adele Wayne, on