By Cassie Lee
FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS
Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B singer and actress. She has been referred to as the “Godmother of Soul“. LaBelle began her career in the early 1960s as lead singer and frontwoman of the vocal group Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles. After the group’s name change to Labelle in the 1970s, they released the number-one hit “Lady Marmalade” before disbanding in 1976.
in 1977, LaBelle began a solo career, starting with her critically acclaimed debut album, which included the career-defining song “You Are My Friend“. LaBelle became a mainstream solo star in 1984 following the success of the singles “If Only You Knew“, “Love, Need and Want You” (later sampled for 2002’s “Dilemma“), “New Attitude” and “Stir It Up“. In 1986, LaBelle released a number-one album, Winner in You, and its number-one single “On My Own“, a duet with Michael McDonald. In 1989, the standard “If You Asked Me To” (later covered by Celine Dion) was released on Be Yourself. LaBelle won a 1992 Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for her 1991 album Burnin’, an album that featured “Somebody Loves You Baby (You Know Who It Is)“, “Feels Like Another One“, and “When You’ve Been Blessed (Feels Like Heaven)“. She won a second Grammy for the live album Live! One Night Only. Her 1990s albums Burnin’, Gems (1994), and Flame (1997) continued her popularity with young R&B audiences throughout the decade. She reunited with her Labelle bandmates for the album Back to Now, which was followed by a well-received promotional tour.[1]
LaBelle has also had success as an actress with a role in the Academy Award-nominated film A Soldier’s Story, and in television shows such as A Different World and American Horror Story: Freak Show. In 1992, LaBelle starred in her own sitcom Out All Night. In 2002, LaBelle hosted her own lifestyle show, Living It Up with Patti LaBelle, on TV One. In 2015, LaBelle took part in the dance competition Dancing with the Stars at the age of 70. Labelle has also seen success launching her own brand of bedding, cookbooks, and food for various companies. In 2015 her Patti’s Sweet Potato Pie sold millions when a YouTube video praising the product went viral. As a result, over a 72-hour period, Walmart sold one pie every second.
In a career which has spanned seven decades, LaBelle has sold more than 50 million records worldwide. She has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame, and the Apollo Theater Hall of Fame. Rolling Stone included her on their list of 100 Greatest Singers. LaBelle is a dramatic soprano recognized for her vocal power, modal register range and emotive delivery.
LaBelle dropped out of Philadelphia’s John Bartram High School just a semester before graduating in 1962. In her mid-thirties, she returned to the school and later earned her diploma.
LaBelle has supported numerous charities and foundations. She is strongly committed to peace by promoting access to education, healthcare, housing, employment and equality of justice. She has served on several national boards as a devoted advocate for health causes, including diabetes, AIDS, Alzheimer’s, and cancer.
In 1987, LaBelle became a spokesperson for the ‘National Minority AIDS council’ and promoted the “Live Long, Sugar” campaign to encourage people of color to seek treatment for AIDS. She used her influence to raise awareness around the AIDS crisis and the treatment of gay and lesbian community. She has been a vocal about her support for the LGBT community and has performed at numerous pride events.
TODAY’S ALMANAC
Question of the Day
Advice of the Day
Home Hint of the Day
Word of the Day
Puzzle of the Day
Died
- Nicolaus Copernicus (astronomer) –
- William Lloyd Garrison (writer) –
- Duke Ellington (jazz composer, pianist, & bandleader) –
- Milton Shedd (co-founder of Sea World) –
- Dick Martin (comedian) –
- Tina Turner (singer) –
Born
- Queen Victoria (British monarch) –
- George Grey Barnard (sculptor) –
- Bob Dylan (musician) –
- Gary Burghoff (actor) –
- Patti LaBelle (singer) –
- Priscilla Presley (actress) –
- Jim Broadbent (actor) –
- Kristin Scott Thomas (actress) –
- John C. Reilly (actor) –
- Billy Gilman (country singer) –
Events
- Canada’s first medical graduate, William Logie, awarded degree by McGill University –
- Samuel Morse transmitted the first telegraphic message from the U.S. Supreme Court room, Washington, D.C., to Baltimore. The message: What hath God wrought –
- The steamer, Victoria, sank in Thames River near London, Ontario –
- Ohio Anti-Saloon League founded, Oberlin, Ohio –
- First major league baseball night game was played in Cincinnati, Ohio –
- Aurora 7 took flight. It was the second U.S. manned orbital space flight –
- United States and USSR agreed to cooperate in space exploration –
- Crop circle discovered in Haysville, Kansas –
- Canada’s famous clock on the Peace Tower of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa stopped for the first time –
Weather
- Snowstorm across Kentucky with accumulations of 4 to 6 inches of snow –
- Hail fell to a depth of 6 to 8 inches near Ada, Oklahoma –
- Snow whitened the Green Mountains of Vermont –
COURTESY www.almanac.com
