Patti Labelle
Nowadays, new school rhythm and blues flagrantly
breeds carbon-copy soul--here-today-gone-tomorrow artists
chartered by formulaic gimmicks, synthesized beats and digitalized
studios--but longevity is rarely synonymous with their futures.
However, authentic R&B veterans who revolutionize the
genre command respect and staying power. One notable soulful
maven whose indelible talent has earned her a rightful place
among rhythm and blues royalty is the incomparable, Patti
Labelle.
Even as the melodic doyen of the legendary
60s quartet, Patti Labelle & the Bluebelles, and the retro
70s trio, Labelle--Patti's kinetic performances and signature,
four-octave instrument served as the group's torch. For more
than 40 years in the music business, the two-time Grammy-winning
legend continues to solidify herself as a musical pioneer.
Never resting on her laurels, Patti embarks on a new genesis
as Def Soul Classic/Def Jam's premiere artist with the release
of her introspective masterpiece, Timeless Journey.
A musical tale, Timeless Journey
delivers seasoned sultry ballads and buoyant grooves. The
mid-tempo track and first single, "New Day," is
an inspirational ode to one's new found independence and embracing
the future with renewed fervor and intensity and can appropriately
serve as the sequel to Patti's 1985 chart-topper "New
Attitude." The girlfriend-to-girlfriend anthem "Sometimes
Love," offers advice on moving forward after an unrequited
love affair while the jazzy, bounce-heavy "Good Lovin'"
talks about a lover's willingness to seduce and satisfy her
partner. Patti's ability to evoke a ying yang of emotions
continues with the heartfelt "Not Right, But Real,"
which candidly encourages one to choose personal happiness
by walking away from a relationship that is not working. The
gut wrenching "More" is about wanting more than
just the obvious out of a relationship. The songstress admits
that she is partial to the entire album, but has created her
own barometer to measure the depth of a song. "When I'm
having a soul moment--that's when a song makes me dance and
do the funky chicken, get chills or makes me boo-hoo and get
all ugly in the face when I'm singing," she jokes. "Then
I know that's the song."
Patti's artistic evolution has enabled her
to be a chameleon without diminishing her edge, vocal prowess
or legion of fans. "I'm always moving and trying to discover
something new to entice me," explains Patti of why she
chose the album's title, the third and final pick. "I'm
always going to be on a journey and I can only hope with my
new discoveries that I will always be able to please my fans."
For Timeless Journey, Patti collaborated with prolific
songwriters, producers and performers such as Babyface, Carlos
Santana, Sammi McKinney and Gordon Chambers and recorded primarily
at Edwards Entertainment Studio, a Philadelphia studio owned
by her son Zuri Edwards.
Although Patti's widely-known for classic
moonstruck ballads such as the duet "On My Own"
with Michael McDonald, "If Only You Knew," "You
Are My Friend," and "If You Asked Me To," her
diverse musical tastes have only enhanced her versatility.
In 2003, DMX enlisted Patti's renowned pipes to season his
spiritual tribute "Thank You." Hip-hop aficionados
such as Outkast and Wyclef Jean ("Celebrate") have
also recruited Patti to grace their tracks. Today Patti continues
to receive a respectful nod from the new litter of pop-pound.
Pop princesses Christina Aguilera, Missy Elliott, Pink, Mya
and raptress Lil' Kim paid homage to the soulful diva with
a hip-hop infused rendition of the 1973 pop hit "Lady
Marmalade," which appeared on the soundtrack for the
Academy Award winning silver screen musical Moulin Rouge.
The Grammy-nominated neo-soul tandem Floetry, teamed up with
the soul queen on the single --"Hear Me Cry" for
their upcoming sophomore offering.
But the Philly songbird's resilience isn't
surprising since she's savored one of the longest lived careers
in contemporary music spanning from girl-group pop to space-age
funk to heavenly ballads. Despite her appreciation for today's
younger artists, Patti concedes that her goal has never been
to emulate younger artists. "Youth has nothing to do
with it because I'm not trying to stay young because I'm still
trying to love me no matter what my age. I just want to show
the world that at 60 you can still record like you're 20."
Still, Patti adheres to a few cardinal rules of her own when
it comes to her musical philosophy: "Foremost, the song
must always be age-appropriate," she says. "Then
I listen to the beat because I have to be moved emotionally.
I often find myself being moved by melody and sometimes it's
the modulation that moves me. Then the lyrics have to be something
that I want to say."
And rightfully so, Patti's soulful timbre
and earth-quaking crescendos have resonated with millions
worldwide. Def Soul Classics President Jheryl Busby, a heralded
label executive, former artist manager and entrepreneur, with
a penchant for perennial talent, has been an avid fan and
supporter of Patti's and can attest to her cross-generational
appeal. Busby worked with Patti when he was head of the Black
Music Division at MCA Records and has been instrumental in
overseeing some of Patti's biggest career hits. Labelle loves
Busby as a friend and mentor and says: "It's an honor
to be the first artist on Def Soul Classics especially when
I think that I would have been the first along with the legendary
Barry White, whom we regretfully lost. But I'm excited and
want to prove that I'm worthy to be the label's first artist."
While Patti's celebrated career has been
more than laudable, she has also endured and survived personal
strife. Within a 10-year period, she lost her mother, three
sisters and best friend to diabetes and cancer. However, Patti
persevered and refused to be hindered by sorrow and live her
dreams--something she knows her family and friends wanted
her to do. As a mother, author, actress, activist, the Philadelphia
native born Patricia Holte has transcended the music arena.
A devoted mother of four sons and one daughter (one biological
son, four adopted children of her late sisters), four rottweilers
and two cane corsos, Patti is a natural born nurturer. As
an author, she's written four best-sellers including Don't
Block the Blessings: Revelations of a Lifetime, Patti
Labelle's Lite Cuisine, Labelle Cuisine and Patti's
Pearls. Finally, as an actress, she's starred in her own
sitcom-series, "Out All Night", and numerous television
shows and specials. Patti recently launched a new lifestyle
show, "Living It Up With Patti LaBelle", which can
be seen on the TV One Network and has expanded her horizons
into fashion with Patti LaBelle Clothing, available on HSN
and at HSN.com.
Also a diabetic, Patti has been pro-active
in the fight against the very disease that claimed her dear
mother's life. She serves as a spokeswoman for the National
Medical Association that administers a scholarship in her
name, the National Minority AIDS Council's "Live Long,
Sugar" campaign and the American Diabetes Association.
Patti also serves on the Boards of the National Alzheimer
Association and the National Cancer Institute and the University
of Miami's prestigious Sylvestri Comprehensive Care Center
dedicated a special research laboratory in her honor for her
work on behalf of cancer awareness. In addition, Patti has
three Honorary Doctorate Degrees from Cambridge University,
Drexel University and the Berklee School of Music, among a
host of other accolades.
Undoubtedly, Patti's exemplary and multifaceted
career has enriched the music world and inspired intangible
lives in song and philanthropy. Amid today's flourishing,
but often lackluster newbie artists, Patti's incessant devotion
to rhythm and blues and her fans is the good stuff that real
artists are made of. "My motivation is having a public
waiting for my music because it makes me feel better about
what I've done. You think, 'Hey, I still got it and never
lost it,' she says.
"If you're feeling what you're doing,
if you have that soul, spirit and motivation you can do anything.
As for me, I'm ready for greatness - I am ready for the world."
And the world is always ready for a true nightingale.
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