May 24, 1944– When I consider the Gay Icons, I always consider Patti LaBelle. Born Patricia Louise Holte-Edwards in Philadelphia on this day, Labelle was a member The BlueBelles, regulars on the bill at The Apollo Theater in Harlem. In the early 1960s, the girl group had success doing covers of chestnuts like You’ll Never Walk Alone & Somewhere Over The Rainbow. In 1967, the aptly named Cindy Birdsong left the group to join Diana Ross as one of The Supremes, leaving the other BlueBelles to pull it together.
In 1970, The BlueBelles were dropped from their label. The girls: LaBelle, Nona Hendryx & Sarah Dash changed their name & their look to reflect the 1970s glam-rock fashion, & pushed the limits with their songs. The first single off their 1974 album, Nightbirds was about a special lady down in old New Orleans. Lady Marmalade became the LaBelle’s first #1 hit in 12 years. They become the very forst pop act to play at the Metropolitan Opera House, & the first black vocal group to be featured on the cover of Rolling Stone.
At the close of the 1970s, Patti LaBelle went it alone, scoring a #1 hit with the lovely On My Own, ironically, sung as a duet Michael MacDonald. The 1980s were LaBelle’s decade with hits songs like New Attitude (1984) & Stir It Up (1985).
LaBelle, the girl-group, reunited in 2008 for a top-selling album & world tour. Patti LaBelle was inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 2009.
The Grammy-winning Diva has survived 50 years in the music industry while never losing support from her friends in the GLBTQ community. LaBelle:
“That’s why I think I’m still in this business because my gay following keeps me going. I’m every gay man’s mother, come & sit on mama’s lap! It ain’t no sugarmama stuff either… we just really connect. Maybe because I looked like a drag queen back in the day & I still can go there if I want.
“Gay people, they can keep you in style. You better have a queen up there in that closet, honey. Trust me: It’s not that only gay people have style. I’m straight & I have style. I can dress myself, but it’s good to have a queen with a great eye. Most straight men can’t do hair, they can’t do makeup & they can’t be a stylist. I don’t know if there are any lesbian stylists, but it’s usually men who want to emulate a woman. I know some of my gay friends, they make their faces up & they put on drag. Like RuPaul: you can’t find a woman that looks as good as RuPaul… not many! So they practice what they preach. That’s why, honey, if you say a straight man is coming to do my hair or my face…leave them home! When I wore those outrageous hairstyles, I guess they said: ‘She’s really out.’ I’m not a gay woman; I’m just a woman who loves people.”
LaBelle is an accomplished writer, with a memoir Don’t Block The Blessings (1997), & 2 cookbooks aimed at diabetics: LaBelle Cuisine: Recipes To Sing About (1998) & Recipes For The Good Life (2008).
LaBelle is a darn good actor, with a bunch of film & TV credits, including the 4th season of American Horror Story: Freak Show. As one of the few to actually deserve the title of “star”, LaBelle danced with yummy pro Artem Chigvintsev on this year’s Dancing With The Stars, making it halfway through this season before her LaBelle had been rung. Pretty darn good for a 70 years old diva with diabetes.
“You can do anything at any age. Don’t let 70 stop you from having a life. I’m 70 years young & I feel great. Plus, I lost a few pounds on DWTS!”
Today also marks the birthday of Bob Dylan, turning 74 today, who is decidedly not gay, or in any way a Gay Icon, but a favorite at my house. So I have paired them together, LaBelle doing Dylan:
The post #BornThisDay: Patti LaBelle appeared first on World of Wonder.