| There's something almost mystical about people who manage to maintain lengthy careers in the entertainment industry, and those, like Patti Labelle, who get to the very pinnacle must be of another realm completely. Labelle started in a girl-group in the '60s, powered through rock and soul in the '70s with dance diva group LaBelle, and has gone onto solo superstardom.
Labelle was born into the melting pot that was Philadelphia on May 24th, 1944. She discovered a gift for music in her church choir and soared up from that point. Patti Labelle & the Bluebells had a number of big hits, and Labelle created one of the anthems of the disco era with "Lady Marmalade" ("Voulez-Vous Couchez Avec Moi Ce Soir?"). Overcoming a huge disco hit is nothing to be sneered at, and Patti did just that. She went solo in the late '70s, but didn't climb back to her accustomed heights until a couple of her songs on the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack caught on with the public. She found a comfortable mix of her dance and pop leanings, and translated it into monstrous success yet again, defying the gods that seem to equal things out. She has been nominated for seemingly every award available including eight Grammys. She has been called the hardest working woman in show business, which puts her in good company across gender lines. She's never changed the face of music in any way, but has managed to keep herself at the crux of whatever the public is hungry for.
Labelle continues to put out records, has had numerous successes on Broadway and on television, being nominated for three Emmy Awards. In September 1998, she released the Live! One Night Only concert album and video, both of which feature performances by Mariah Carey and Eddie & Gerald Levert.
Without doubt she will continue with her tireless efforts to remain at the top of her game.
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