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A diva in the tradition of Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner and Whitney Houston, Patti Labelle has been dishing out popular r&b/pop tunes for close to forty years, accumulating gold records, fame, fans and wealth in the process. From her early days as part of her self-titled soul-group Labelle, to her departure to pursue a solo career, Patti has remained as visible, and as talented, as her first day on the scene.
Her initial departure from the group she had practiced, recorded and toured with for fifteen years didn't go smoothly at first. While many bands give up the race after only one or two semi-dismal years, Labelle pursued stardom for close to ten years before finally achieving mass success and receiving the critical recognition she so richly deserved. From the first of her over thirty albums, 1977's Patti Labelle, the singer displayed a presence that commanded respect. With a glass-shattering vocal range and a style that can best be defined as "deep", new fans lead to awards which lead to new fans and stardom. She made her mark, but it was through hard work that she achieved this feat. There were no silver spoons in this woman's life.
In addition to musical prowess, Patti Labelle has proven that she is neither a theatrical, movie or television lightweight. Her credit's include television's Emmy-award winning Motown Salutes The Apollo and the long-running A Different World; the silver screen's A Soldier's Story, Broadway's Your Arm's Too Short To Box and the musical House of Flowers. While other aspiring stars dream of a moment in the spotlight, Labelle has lasted time of epic proportions. This is a testament to her abilities, and to her dedication.
The music world has, accordingly, awarded her as such. Labelle won a Grammy well into her career, the 1991 best R&B Female Vocal Performance for Burnin' LaBelle. Impressive as this award is, it remains both the Martin Luther King Lifetime Achievement Award and the Ebony Achievement Award which best displays the esteem Labelle holds.
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Labelle has recently re-emerged (surprised?) with her latest release, 2000's When A Woman Loves. A meeting of two powerhouses, this newest release blends the majestic heights of Labelle's vocals with the award-winning lyrical abilities of Diane Warren. A longtime fan of Warren's, Labelle notes "I wanted to do an album of Diane's songs because I love what she writes. I would hear the hits she has with other singers like Celine or Toni and I would say 'I should have had that one!' I knew what I would get from her if we worked together - great songs, great lyrics. We already knew each other from when I recorded "If You Asked Me To" (a Warren song that Patti originally cut in 1989 as for the James Bond movie, "License To Kill") so that made it much easier. The whole concept behind the album was to sing songs from a woman's point of view."
The collaboration creates one of the most successful R&B albums of recent years, no small feat given the rise of younger, established talent such as Mariah Carey and Macy Gray. When A Woman Loves will prove to the new school that the old school isn't out, just yet. Labelle sounds like she still has years left in her, and for a woman with her track record, it seems highly likely. Not content to life pass her by, she has established herself as an American icon in the tradition of McDonalds and rock 'n' roll. This is a good thing, as Labelle's talent continues to shine. Long live the Queen...
Erin Boyle CanEHdian.com, 2000
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