Patricia Louise Holt was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on May 24, 1944, the youngest of five children. She began singing in church at the age of 14 and in 1958 with her friend, Cindy Birdsong, she formed a four member girl group called “The Ordettes.” Two of the singers were replaced in 1959, and two years later the group auditioned for Blue Note Records. The president of the record company signed the girls to the label and changed the name of the group to the Blue belles and Patsy to Patti La Belle. In 1962, they scored their first doo-wop single hit, “I Sold My Heart to the Junkman.” Later that year they appeared at the Apollo Theater and were dubbed “The Apollo Sweethearts.” The hits continued throughout the 1960s, including “Danny Boy” and “Down the Aisle.”
The 1970s marked a time of change for Patti La Belle. Living in England for a while, the group returned with a new style and attitude, and by 1974 they had developed such a following that they became the first African-American contemporary act to perform at the Metropolitan Opera House. December of that year marked the release of their greatest album, “Nightbirds”. It featured their breakout hit, “Lady Marmalade,” which hit #1 on the Hot 100 in 1975 and helped “Nightbirds” to go platinum.
Her rise to pop stardom occurred in the 1980s with hit albums and her song “New Attitude” in 1984, which peaked at #14 on the pop charts. She became known for her wild antics and even wilder hairdos. With the 1990s, came the death of her third sister to cancer. (Her other two sisters had similar fates.) La Belle herself was diagnosed with diabetes in 1994 and became a spokesperson for the American diabetes Association. She has also published several cookbooks. She has five children, two of whom are adopted and the orphaned children of one of her sisters and her biological son.
Her many fans can expect a gospel CD that is scheduled for an August 06 release.
Keep it up, Patti! You’re quite a woman!
What are some of YOUR favorite Patti LaBelle tunes? Please share.