Patti LaBelle | |
|---|---|
 LaBelle in 2004 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Patricia Louise Holte (1944-05-24)May 24, 1944 (age 81) Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1960–present |
| Labels |
|
| Website | pattilabelle |
Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944),[1] known professionally asPatti LaBelle, is an AmericanR&B singer and actress. She has been referred to as the "Godmother of Soul".[2] LaBelle began her career in the early 1960s as lead singer and frontwoman of the vocal groupPatti LaBelle and the Bluebelles. After the group's name change to Labelle in the 1970s, they released the US number-one hit "Lady Marmalade". After the group disbanded in 1977, LaBelle began a solo career, achieving mainstream success in the 1980s with singles including "If Only You Knew", "New Attitude" and "Stir It Up". In 1986, she achieved both a US number-one album,Winner in You,[3] and a US number-one single with "On My Own", a duet withMichael McDonald.[4] LaBelle won a1992 Grammy forBest Female R&B Vocal Performance for her albumBurnin', and asecond Grammy in 1999 for the live albumLive! One Night Only. She reunited with her Labelle bandmates in 2008 for the albumBack to Now.[1]
LaBelle has also had success as an actress with a role in the Academy Award-nominated filmA Soldier's Story, and in television shows such asA Different World andAmerican Horror Story: Freak Show. In 1992, LaBelle starred in her own sitcomOut All Night. In 2002, LaBelle hosted her own lifestyle show,Living It Up with Patti LaBelle, onTV One. In 2015, LaBelle took part in the dance competitionDancing with the Stars. Labelle has given her name to brands of bedding, cookbooks and food, includingPatti's Sweet Potato Pie, which became a viral sensation after featuring in aYouTube video in 2015.[5]
In a career which has spanned seven decades, LaBelle has sold more than 50 million records worldwide. She has been inducted into theGrammy Hall of Fame, theHollywood Walk of Fame, theBlack Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame, and theApollo Theater Hall of Fame.Rolling Stone included her on their list of 100 Greatest Singers.[6][7] LaBelle is adramatic soprano recognized for her vocal power,modal register range and emotive delivery.[8][9][10]
Patricia Louise Holte was born in theEastwick section ofSouthwest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the second-youngest child of Henry (1919–1989) and Bertha (Robinson; 1916–1978) Holte's three children, and the next-to-youngest of five children overall. Her siblings were Thomas Hogan Jr. (1930–2013), Vivian Hogan (1932–1975), Barbara (1942–1982), and Jacqueline "Jackie" (1945–1989).[11] Her father was arailroad worker and club performer and her mother was adomestic. Despite enjoying her childhood, LaBelle would later write in her memoirs,Don't Block the Blessings, that her parents' marriage was abusive. Shortly after her parents' divorce when she was 12, she wassexually molested by a family friend.
She joined a local church choir at the Beulah Baptist Church at ten and performed her first solo two years later. While she was growing up, she listened tosecular music styles such asR&B andjazz music as well.
When she was 16, LaBelle won a talent competition at her high school,John Bartram High School. The success led to her first singing group, the Ordettes, in 1960 with schoolmates Jean Brown, Yvonne Hogen, and Johnnie Dawson.[12] With LaBelle as the front woman, the group became a local attraction until two of its members left to marry, while another was forced to quit the group by her religious father.[13] In 1962, the Ordettes included three new members:Cindy Birdsong; andSarah Dash andNona Hendryx, who had sung for another vocal group which was defunct at the time.[13] That year, they auditioned for local record-label owner Harold Robinson, who agreed to work with the group after hearing LaBelle sing the song "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman". Initially, he had been dismissive of LaBelle, believing her to be "too dark and too plain".[13]
Shortly after Robinson signed them, he had them record as the Blue Belles and they were selected to promote the recording of "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman", which had been recorded byThe Starlets. It was recorded as a Blue Belles single due to label conflict.[13] The Starlets' manager sued Harold Robinson after the Blue Belles were seen performing alip-synching version of the song onAmerican Bandstand.[13] After settling out of court, Robinson altered the group's name to "Patti LaBelle and The Blue Belles".[13] Robinson gave Holte the name "LaBelle", which meant "the beautiful" in French. Initially, a Billboard ad cited the group as "Patti Bell and the Blue Bells".[14] In 1963, the group scored their first hit single with the ballad "Down the Aisle" which became a crossover top 40 hit on the Billboard pop and R&B charts afterKing Records issued it.
Later that year, they recorded their rendition of the "You'll Never Walk Alone"; the single was later re-released onCameo-Parkway Records where the group scored a second hit on the pop charts with the song in 1964. Another charted single, "Danny Boy", was released that year. In 1965, after Cameo-Parkway folded, the group moved toNew York and signed withAtlantic Records where they recorded 12 singles for the label, including the mildly-charting singles "All or Nothing" and "Take Me for a Little While". The group's Atlantic tenure included their rendition of "Over the Rainbow" and a version of the song "Groovy Kind of Love". In 1967, Birdsong left the group to joinThe Supremes, and by 1970 the group had been dropped from Atlantic Records as well as by their longtime manager Bernard Montague.
In 1970,Vicki Wickham, producer of the UK music showReady, Steady, Go, agreed to manage the group afterDusty Springfield mentioned signing them. Wickham's first direction was for the group to change their name to simply Labelle and renew their act, going for a more homegrown look and sound that reflectedprogressive soul. In 1971, the group opened forthe Who in several stops on the group's U.S. tour.
Labelle signed withWarner Bros. Records and released theirself-titled debut album in 1971. The record's progressive soul sound and its blending ofrock,funk, soul and gospel rhythms was a departure from the group's early girl-group sound. In the same year, they sangbackground vocals onLaura Nyro's album,Gonna Take a Miracle. A year later in 1972, the group releasedMoon Shadow, which repeated the progressive sound of the previous album. In 1973, influenced byglam rockersDavid Bowie andElton John, Wickham had the group dressed in silver space suits and luminescent makeup, designed for them byLarry LeGaspi.[15]
After their third successive album,Pressure Cookin', failed to generate a hit, Labelle signed withEpic Records in 1974, releasing their most successful album to date, withNightbirds, which blended soul, funk, glam and rock music, thanks to the work of the album's producer,Allen Toussaint. The proto-disco single, "Lady Marmalade", would become their biggest-selling single, going number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and selling over a million copies, as didNightbirds, which later earned aRIAAgold award, for sales of a million units, which was later inducted into theGrammy Hall of Fame. In October 1974, Labelle made pop history by becoming the first rock and roll vocal group to perform at theMetropolitan Opera House. Riding high on the success of "Lady Marmalade" and theNightbirds album, Labelle made the cover ofRolling Stone in 1975.
Labelle released two more albums,Phoenix in 1975 andChameleon in 1976. While both albums continued the group's critical success, none of the singles issued on those albums ever crossed over to the pop charts. By 1976, Patti, Nona, and Sarah began arguing over the group's musical direction. Personal difficulties came to a head during a show on December 16, 1976, inBaltimore where Hendryx went backstage and injured herself during anervous breakdown. After the incident, LaBelle advised that the group separate.
Signing a solo contract withEpic Records in 1977, LaBelle recruited David Rubinson, producer ofChameleon, to record herself-titled debut album, which was released that year. The album featured the chart singles, "Joy to Have Your Love", "Dan Swit Me" and the ballad "You Are My Friend", which became an early show-stopping crowd pleaser at her live shows despite the song's moderate position on theBillboard soul singles chart. Three more albums were released in succession on Epic through 1980 (Tasty,It's Alright with Me, andReleased), with the songs "Eyes in the Back of My Head", "Little Girls", "Music is My Way of Life", "Come What May", "Release (The Tension)" and "I Don't Go Shopping" (the latter song co-written byPeter Allen) being the most successful.
After four albums on Epic, LaBelle signed withPhiladelphia International Records where she recorded a notable version of "Over the Rainbow" on the albumThe Spirit's in It. In 1982, she was featured on theGrover Washington duet "The Best Is Yet to Come", and earned accolades that year for starring in theBroadway musicalYour Arms Too Short to Box with God. "The Best Is Yet to Come" later earned LaBelle her first Grammy Award nomination. In 1983, LaBelle released her breakthrough albumI'm in Love Again which included her first top ten R&B singles, with "Love, Need and Want You" and "If Only You Knew", the latter song becoming her first number-one single as a solo artist in early 1984. Later that year, she scored another hit withBobby Womack on the song "Love Has Finally Come at Last" and made her film debut as Big Mary in the filmA Soldier's Story, co-writing two original songs for the film's soundtrack.
In 1984, LaBelle recorded the songs "New Attitude" and "Stir It Up" for the soundtrack to theEddie Murphy film,Beverly Hills Cop. Following the release of the film, "New Attitude" was released as a single in late 1984 and became LaBelle's first crossover solo hit, reaching number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming asignature song. "Stir It Up" found similar success on pop radio and as a staple in dance clubs. In 1985, LaBelle performed on the TV special,Motown Returns to Apollo and also as part of the all-star benefit concert,Live Aid. Her notoriety from performing on the two specials made her a pop star and led to having her own television special later that same year. Also in the same year, a video of a performance from her tour of that year was issued on VHS. During this time, LaBelle ended her contractual obligations to Philadelphia International and signed withMCA Records.
LaBelle shared a stage withGladys Knight andDionne Warwick for the 1986 HBO specialSisters in the Name of Love. During the same year LaBelle released her bestselling solo albumWinner in You, which reached number one on the pop charts. The album included the international number-one hit, "On My Own" and the hit ballad "Oh People". The success ofWinner in You would prove to be the peak of her solo success, though she continued her acclaim with the 1989 release ofBe Yourself, which featured thePrince-written and produced "Yo Mister" and the hit ballad "If You Asked Me To", which had bigger success in a remake by singerCeline Dion. In August, the same year of that album's release, LaBelle performed as the Acid Queen forThe Who's second all-star concert celebrating the 20th anniversary of their rock-operaTommy at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles.[16] Later that same year LaBelle began a successful stint in a recurring role onA Different World, the success of which spawned a brief sitcom of her own, titledOut All Night, which only lasted a season.
In 1991, she recorded a hit duet version of theBabyface composition, "Superwoman" withGladys Knight andDionne Warwick. That same year LaBelle released the solo album,Burnin', which featured collaborations with Knight,Prince,Michael Bolton,Big Daddy Kane, andLuther Vandross, as well as a reunion with Labelle bandmates Hendryx and Dash on the track "Release Yourself."[17]Burnin' went gold, with three successive top five singles on the R&B charts. This success led to LaBelle winning her first Grammy Award in the Best Female R&B Vocal Performance category in the 34th Annual Grammy Award Ceremony of 1992, sharing the win with singerLisa Fischer, who won for her hit ballad, "How Can I Ease the Pain", in a rare tie in the history of the Grammys.[18] She was also nominated in theBest R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal category alongside Knight and Warwick for "Superwoman."[19]
LaBelle's 1994 album,Gems, also went gold and featured the hit, "The Right Kinda Lover". On January 29, 1995, LaBelle performed at theSuper Bowl XXIX halftime show, held at the Joe Robbie Stadium (which later becameHard Rock Stadium) inMiami withTony Bennett,Arturo Sandoval andMiami Sound Machine. LaBelle released the album,Flame, which included the dance hit, "When You Talk About Love". LaBelle released her bestselling memoirs,Don't Block the Blessings, in 1996, and released the first of five bestselling cookbooks in 1997. In 1998, she released the live album,Live! One Night Only, giving her a second Grammy win in February 1999. She was honored with the Triumphant Spirit Award for Career Achievement at the 1998 Essence Awards, featuring tributes fromMichael Bolton,Mariah Carey,Whitney Houston,SWV, andLuther Vandross.
In 2000, LaBelle released her final MCA album,When a Woman Loves, before signing with Def Soul Classics to release the 2004 album,Timeless Journey. During the promotional run of the album, she headlinedVH1 Divas for the first time, alongside artists likeDebbie Harry andJessica Simpson and good friends Knight andCyndi Lauper.[20] After the release of her 2005 covers album,Classic Moments, LaBelle was in a rivalry withAntonio "L.A." Reid over the direction of her career, leading to her leaving the label.[21] That same year she collaborated with singerOlivia Newton-John on Newton-John's albumStronger Than Before.
In 2006, she released her first gospel album,The Gospel According to Patti LaBelle on the Bungalo label, the album later peaking at number one on Billboard's gospel chart.[22] LaBelle also released the book,Patti's Pearls, during this period. In 2007, theWorld Music Awards recognized her years in the music business by awarding her the Legend Award. She returned to Def Jam in 2007 and released her second holiday album,Miss Patti's Christmas. In 2008, LaBelle briefly reunited with Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash as Labelle on the group's first new album in more than 30 years,Back to Now.[23]
On September 14, 2010, LaBelle made a return two decades after her last Broadway performance to star in the award-winning musicalFela![24] aboutAfrobeat legendFela Anikulapo-Kuti. She replacedTony Award-nomineeLillias White as Fela's mother,Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, and performed with the production through the end of its run on January 2, 2011.[25]
On May 23, 2011, LaBelle appeared on "Oprah's Farewell Spectacular, Part 1" the first show in a series of three shows which was the finale ofThe Oprah Winfrey Show, singing "Over the Rainbow" withJosh Groban.[26] She was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at theBET Awards on June 26, 2011.[27] On January 2, 2012, LaBelle sangThe Star Spangled Banner at the2012 NHL Winter Classic atCitizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. LaBelle andAretha Franklin, among others, performed at the "Women of Soul: In Performance at the White House" concert hosted by PresidentBarack Obama at theWhite House, recorded on March 6, 2014.[28]
On June 10, 2014, LaBelle returned to Broadway as the cast and creative team of the Tony Award-nominated smash hit Broadway musicalAfter Midnight, welcomed her as "Special Guest Star".[29] In 2014, she appeared in a guest role on the fourthseason of theFX horror anthology television seriesAmerican Horror Story which was subtitledFreak Show.[30]
In 2015, LaBelle was one of the celebrities who competed on the20th season ofDancing with the Stars.[31] She partnered with professional dancerArtem Chigvintsev.[32] The couple was eliminated on Week 6 and finished in eighth place.[33] She has consistently toured the United States selling out shows in various markets. In 2012 and 2014 she appeared with Frankie Beverly & Maze on cross-country U.S. tours. In 2015 LaBelle made a guest appearance onFox's television seriesEmpire as herself.[34]
She appeared as a "key advisor" forChristina Aguilera on thetenth season of theNBC seriesThe Voice.[35]
She returned to theVH1 Divas stage in 2016, headlining aholiday-themed concert alongsideChaka Khan,Vanessa Williams, and her goddaughterMariah Carey.[36] Her first jazz album,Bel Hommage, was released in 2017.[37] In 2018 she began appearing in recurring roles on the television seriesDaytime Divas,Greenleaf andStar.[38][39][40]
On July 2, 2019, LaBelle was honored in Philadelphia with her very own street namePatti LaBelle Way between Locust and Spruce Street.[41] On November 20 of the same year, LaBelle was revealed to have competed on thesecond season ofThe Masked Singer as "Flower".[42] LaBelle continued her acting career with roles alongsideCedric the Entertainer onThe Neighborhood andDulé Hill onThe Wonder Years.[43][44] In September 2020 live from The Fillmore in Philadelphia, LaBelle participated in the Americanwebcast seriesVerzuz, alongside longtime friendGladys Knight with a surprise appearance byDionne Warwick.[45]
On December 10, 2022, LaBelle's Christmas concert in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was disrupted when a bomb threat resulted in evacuation of the venue.[46] While celebrating her 80th birthday in 2024, LaBelle revealed she was releasing a new album,8065, celebrating her 80 years of life and 65 years in music.[47] A few weeks later she announced a tour of the same name, kicking off on July 7 in Los Angeles.[48]
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.[49] She has served on several national boards as a devoted advocate for health causes, includingdiabetes,AIDS,Alzheimer's, andcancer.[50]
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.[51] She used her influence to raise awareness around theAIDS crisis and the treatment of gay and lesbian community.[52] She has been a vocal about her support for theLGBT community and has performed at numerouspride events.[53][54][55]
LaBelle dropped out of Philadelphia'sJohn 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 wrote that she was sexually assaulted byJackie Wilson while at the Brevoort Theatre inBrooklyn in the 1960s.[56][57] Around 1966, LaBelle was engaged toOtis Williams, founding member ofThe Temptations. The engagement lasted a year before LaBelle broke it off after fearing Williams would force her to move toDetroit and retire from the road.[58]
On July 23, 1969, LaBelle married a longtime friend, Armstead Edwards, who was aschoolteacher. After LaBelle started her solo career, Edwards became her manager, a position he would remain in until 2000. That year, LaBelle and Edwards legally separated, with their divorce finalized in 2003. They have a son, Zuri Kye Edwards (born July 17, 1973), who is now her manager. After Zuri's birth, LaBelle suffered frompostpartum depression for a year and said singer-songwriterLaura Nyro helped to take care of Zuri while LaBelle recovered. Through Zuri (whose name means "good" inSwahili), LaBelle is a grandmother of two girls and one boy.
LaBelle's mother Bertha died from diabetes in October 1978 at age 62.[59] Her father, Henry Holte Jr., died of complications fromemphysema andAlzheimer's disease in October 1989 at age 70.
All three of LaBelle's sisters died young. Her eldest sister, Vivian Hogan Rogers, died of lung cancer in October 1975 at 43. Seven years later, in October 1982, her elder sister Barbara Holte Purifoy died from complications of colon cancer at 40. In July 1989, three months before her father's death, LaBelle lost her youngest sister, Jacqueline "Jackie" Holte-Padgett, to brain cancer at 43. A day after she buried Padgett, an emotionally-wrecked LaBelle shot the music video to "If You Asked Me To" where she was seen crying in various shots; the video was shot on what would have been Padgett's 44th birthday. The singer dedicated her 1991Burnin' album, and her famous rendition of the song "Wind Beneath My Wings" during her concert tour in 1991–92 to Padgett.
LaBelle said that because of her sisters and parents dying "before their time", she wrote in her autobiography that she feared she would not make it to 50. Once she reached that age, however, the singer said she felt her life "had just begun". A year later, LaBelle was diagnosed withdiabetes and later became a spokesperson for several organizations dedicated to fighting the disease.
She has a home in the Philadelphia suburb ofWynnewood and also has condos inLos Angeles and inEleuthera, theBahamas.[60] LaBelle is an honorary member of theAlpha Kappa Alpha sorority.[61]
In 2010, LaBelle yelled at a woman and spilled water on her baby; that happened in the lobby of the Trump Place Apartments inManhattan. LaBelle agreed to a settlement of $100,000 to avoid a trial. The family donated the award to a charity.[62]
In June 2011, aWest Point cadet filed a civil suit against LaBelle after he was allegedly assaulted by her bodyguards atGeorge Bush Intercontinental Airport inHouston, Texas. LaBelle and her entourage were on their way to a gig inLouisiana when Richard King, a 23-year-old cadet on spring break, was waiting to be picked up in the ride-share area. King alleged that Labelle's entourage attacked him, causing a concussion, Labelle's entourage said that he had provoked the attack. King lost his court case after five days of testimony.[63][64] King was suspended from the U.S. Military Academy. He sued LaBelle and Holmes for assault, seeking $1 million in civil court. LaBelle filed a counter-suit. Efrem Holmes, Labelle's bodyguard, was acquitted of misdemeanor assault on November 12, 2013, stemming from the incident.[65]
Patti LaBelle has been described as "the greatest gay icon of all time and a prime example of the intersection of theLGBT community and black female artists".[66] In a 2017 interview, she said: "when I think about it, the gay fans are some of the reason–one big reason–I'm still standing, 'cause they loved me when other people tried not to. Everybody always says, "What makes gay men like you?" "I have no clue," I say. I still don't. But I know that love has lifted me up for many, many years."[67]The New York Times called LaBelle one of three of "America's Most Beloved Divas" alongsideDolly Parton andBarbra Streisand.[68]
LaBelle is the primary character on the popularweb parodyGot 2B Real.[69] During the 2010s, her performance of "This Christmas" at the 1996 National Tree Lighting Ceremony broadcast live onC-SPAN began going viral annually during the holiday season due to LaBelle's reactions to technical difficulties and other performance challenges.[70] The viral video is referenced in LaBelle'sA Black Lady Sketch Show appearance, including the episode's title.
LaBelle made some headlines in late 2015 when James Wright (No Channel), avlogger spoke enthusiastically onYouTube of her brand of sweet potato pies. The video quickly went viral and for a time, one pie sold every second atWalmart, selling out at stores across the country. She has appeared in two Walmart commercials[71] also anOld Spice commercial.[72]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | A Soldier's Story | Big Mary | |
| 1986 | Unnatural Causes | Jeanette Thompson | TV movie |
| 1989 | Sing | Mrs. DeVere | |
| Fire and Rain | Lucille Jacobson | TV movie | |
| 1990 | Parker Kane | Cartier | TV movie |
| 2001 | Santa Baby | Melody Songbird (voice) | TV movie |
| 2002 | Sylvester: Mighty Real | Herself | Short |
| 2005 | Preaching to the Choir | Sister Jasmine | |
| 2006 | Idlewild | The Real Angel Davenport | |
| Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy | Moneisha | TV movie | |
| 2007 | Cover | Mrs. Persons | |
| 2008 | Semi-Pro | Mrs. Moon | |
| 2012 | Mama, I Want to Sing! | Sister Carrie | |
| 2018 | Christmas Everlasting | Mrs. Swinson | TV movie |
| 2019 | A Family Christmas Gift | Dora Douchon | TV movie |
| 2022 | A New Orleans Noel | Loretta Brown | TV movie |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | American Playhouse | Cleaning Woman | Episode: "Working" |
| 1983 | Great Performances | Herself | Episode: "Ellington: The Music Lives On" |
| 1987 | Dolly | Herself | Episode: "Episode #1.4" |
| 1987–2000 | Sesame Street | Herself | Recurring Guest |
| 1989 | Showtime at the Apollo | Herself | Episode: "Episode #3.8" |
| 1989–1995 | Soul Train Music Awards | Herself/Co-Host | Main Co-Host |
| 1990 | Big Break | Herself | Episode: "Episode #1.12" |
| 1990–1993 | A Different World | Adele Wayne | Guest: Season 3 & 5, Recurring Cast: Season 4 & 6 |
| 1991 | The Real Story of... | Miss Widow (voice) | Episode: "Spider Junior High" |
| 1992 | Out All Night | Chelsea Paige | Main Cast |
| 1993 | Essence Awards | Herself/Co-Host | Main Co-Host |
| 1994 | The Nanny | Herself | Episode: "I Don't Remember Mama" |
| 1995 | Great Performances | Herself | Episode: "Some Enchanted Evening: Celebrating Oscar Hammerstein II" |
| The History of Rock 'n' Roll | Herself | Recurring Guest | |
| Showtime at the Apollo | Herself | Episode: "60th Anniversary Special" | |
| The Puzzle Place | Herself | Episode: "Deck the Halls" | |
| 1997 | NAACP Image Awards | Herself/Co-Host | Main Co-Host |
| Cosby | Charlene | Episode: "The Return of the Charlites" | |
| 1998 | Soul Train Music Awards | Herself/Co-Host | Main Co-Host |
| Soul Train Christmas Starfest | Herself/Host | Main Host | |
| 1998–2003 | Intimate Portrait | Herself | Recurring Guest |
| 1999 | Sesame English | Herself | Episode: "Do You Like It?" |
| 2000–2002 | Hollywood Squares | Herself/Panelist | Recurring Guest |
| 2001 | Biography | Herself | Episode: "Patti LaBelle" |
| Bravo Profiles | Herself | Episode: "RuPaul" | |
| Say It Loud: A Celebration of Black Music in America | Herself | Episode: "Express Yourself" | |
| Journeys in Black | Herself | Episode: "Patti LaBelle" | |
| 2001–2008 | E! True Hollywood Story | Herself | Recurring Guest |
| 2003 | Blue's Clues | Backseat Boogie Singer | Episode: "Blue's Big Car Trip" |
| 2004 | Evening at Pops | Herself | Episode: "Keith Lockhart's 10th Anniversary Special" |
| All of Us | Marvella James | Episode: "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" | |
| 2005 | Extreme Makeover: Home Edition | Herself | Episode: "The Ginyard Family" |
| Ballroom Bootcamp | Herself | Episode: "The Bodybuilder, the Nerd and the Tough Guy" | |
| 2006 | Unique Whips | Herself | Episode: "Blazing a Trail to NASCAR" |
| Hi-Jinks | Herself | Episode: "Patti LaBelle" | |
| 2007 | Celebrity Duets | Herself | Episode: "Episode #1.6" & "#1.7" |
| Real Life Divas | Herself | Episode: "Patti LaBelle" | |
| Clash of the Choirs | Herself/Judge | Main Judge | |
| 2008 | Iron Chef America | Herself/ICA Judge | Episode: "Cora vs. Symon: Chocolate Holiday Battle" |
| Living It Up with Patti LaBelle | Herself | Episode: "Holiday Special" | |
| 2010 | VH1 Rock Docs | Herself | Episode: "Soul Train: The Hippest Trip in America" |
| 2011 | The Marriage Ref | Herself | Episode: "Bill Maher, Patti Labelle, Ali Wentworth" |
| America's Got Talent | Herself | Episode: "Finale Results" | |
| Top Chef | Herself/Guest Judge | Episode: "Tribute Dinner" | |
| 2012 | The Real Housewives of New Jersey | Herself | Episode: "Jersey Side Step" |
| 2014 | American Horror Story: Freak Show | Dora Brown | Recurring Cast:Season 4[73] |
| 2015 | Dancing with the Stars | Herself/Contestant | Contestant:Season 20 |
| RuPaul's Drag Race | Herself | Episode: "Grand Finale" | |
| Oprah's Master Class | Herself | Episode: "Patti LaBelle" | |
| Empire | Herself | Episode: "Who I Am" | |
| 2015–2017 | Patti LaBelle's Place | Herself/Host | Main Host |
| 2016 | The Voice | Herself/Advisor | Recurring Advisor: Season 10 |
| The Chew | Herself/Guest Co-Host | Episode: "The Chew's Ultimate Shortcuts" | |
| 2017 | Soundtracks: Songs That Defined History | Herself | Recurring Guest |
| Daytime Divas | Gloria Thomas | Recurring Cast | |
| 2018 | American Idol | Herself | Episode: "119 (Grand Finale)" |
| Beat Bobby Flay | Herself/Guest Judge | Episode: "Food Star Face-Off" | |
| The Kominsky Method | Herself | Episode: "Chapter 2: An Agent Grieves" | |
| Greenleaf | Maxine Patterson | Recurring Cast: Season 3 | |
| 2018–2019 | Star | Christine Brown | Recurring Cast: Season 2-3 |
| 2019 | A Black Lady Sketch Show | Herself | Episode: "Where Are My Background Singers?" |
| The Masked Singer | Herself/Flower | Contestant: Season 2 | |
| Live in Front of a Studio Audience | Herself | Episode: "All in the Family" & "Good Times"[74] | |
| 2020 | To Tell the Truth | Herself/Panelist | Episode: "Mark Duplass, Patti LaBelle, Kevin Nealon, Constance Zimmer" |
| 2022 | Soul of a Nation | Herself | Episode: "Sound of Freedom - A Juneteenth Celebration" |
| Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock | Merggle Queen (voice) | Episode: "The Merggle Moon Migration" | |
| The Neighborhood | Marilyn Butler | Episode: "Welcome to the Mama Drama" | |
| 2023 | That's My Jam | Herself | Episode: "Billy Porter & Patti LaBelle vs. Darren Criss & Sarah Hyland" |
| The Wonder Years | Shirley Williams | Recurring Cast: Season 2 | |
| 2024 | The Simpsons | Herself (voice) | Episode: "O C'mon All Ye Faithful (Part 2)" |
| 2025 | American Idol | Herself | Episode: "138 (Grand Finale)" |
| Celebrity Family Feud | Herself | Episode: "The Arquettes vs Martha McBride and Patti LaBelle vs Fantasia" |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Richard Pryor: Live in Concert | [75] |
| 1995 | Queen: Champions of the World |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | The Breakfast Club[76] | Herself | "Ms. Patti LaBelle Graces The Breakfast Club To Talks Home Cooking, Haters + More" |
| 2023 | Drink Champs[77] | Herself | "Patti LaBelle On Her Iconic Career, Aretha Franklin, Her Verzuz Battle & More" |
Honorary Doctorates
| Emmy Awards | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
| 1985 | Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program | Motown Returns to the Apollo | Nominated | [79] |
| 1986 | Sylvia Fine Kaye's Musical Comedy Tonight III | Nominated | ||
| Grammy Awards | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Category | Work | Result |
| 1984 | Best Female R&B Vocal Performance | "The Best Is Yet to Come" | Nominated |
| 1986 | "New Attitude" | Nominated | |
| 1987 | Winner in You | Nominated | |
| Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group | "On My Own"(withMichael McDonald) | Nominated | |
| 1991 | Best Female R&B Vocal Performance | "I Can't Complain" | Nominated |
| 1992 | Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals | "Superwoman"(withGladys Knight &Dionne Warwick) | Nominated |
| Best Female R&B Vocal Performance | Burnin' | Won | |
| 1994 | "All Right Now" | Nominated | |
| 1998 | "When You Talk About Love" | Nominated | |
| Best R&B Album | Flame | Nominated | |
| 1999 | Best Traditional R&B Performance | Live! One Night Only | Won |
| 2004 | "Way Up There" | Nominated | |
| 2003 | Grammy Hall of Fame | "Lady Marmalade" | Inducted |
| 2005 | Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance | "New Day" | Nominated |
| NAACP Image Awards | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Category | Work | Result |
| 1986 | Entertainer of the Year | Patti LaBelle | Won |
| 1992 | Won | ||
| 1996 | Outstanding Performance – Variety Series/Special | The Essence Awards | Won |
| 1998 | Live! One Night Only | Won | |
| 2005 | Outstanding Female Artist | Patti LaBelle | Nominated |
| 2006 | Outstanding Actress – Television, Movie, Miniseries or Dramatic Special | Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy | Won |
| Outstanding Gospel Artist | Patti LaBelle | Won | |
| Year | Association | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1995[80] | Soul Train 25th Anniversary Hall of Fame | Hall of Fame induction |
| 1996[81] | Soul Train Music Awards | Heritage Award – Career Achievement |
| 1998[82] | The Essence Awards | Triumphant Spirit Award – Career Achievement |
| 2001[83] | BET Walk of Fame | Walk of Fame Award |
| 2001[84] | Lady of Soul Awards | Lena Horne Lifetime Achievement Award |
| 2003[85] | Songwriter's Hall of Fame | Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award |
| 2007[86] | World Music Awards | Legend Award |
| 2009[87] | Apollo Theater | Legends Hall of Fame |
| 2011[88] | BET Awards | Lifetime Achievement Award |
| 2013[89] | Black Girls Rock | Living Legend Award |
| 2016[90] | BET Honors | Musical Arts Award |
| 2022[91] | Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame | Legacy |
| Year | Association | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | American Music Awards | Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist | Herself | Won |
| 2007 | GLAAD | Media Excellence Award[92] | Won | |
| 2009 | UNCF Evening of Stars | UNCF Award of Excellence[93] | Won |
