Patti LaBelle has been a surefire award show staple over the years when it comes to delivering unforgettable tributes, but at Sunday’s BET Awards (June 25) her showing was a misfire and unforgettable for all the wrong reasons.
From technical glitches to forgotten lyrics, the Godmother of Soul had eyebrows raised as she awkwardly ad-libbed her way through a toast to Tina Turner at the 2023 iteration of the annual awards show.
And while the ‘Simply the Best’ performance wasn’t exactly Patti’s best, the legendary diva reassured fans there were previously undisclosed reasons why things didn’t go as planned.
Details inside.
In seeming response to ridicule from social media commenters, the 79-year-old admitted she wasn’t feeling the best during the memorial set to the Queen of Rock.
“I had a cold, but whatever I had I was giving it up for Tina Turner. I love her and I did my best,” LaBelle told ET‘s Kevin Frazier the night of the performance.
The sentiment is one she echoed the next morning (June 26) when she took to ‘Good Morning America‘ to reflect on the tribute.
“I was so blessed to ask to honor Tina Turner because that’s my friend from back in the day. Such a wonderful woman who’s done everything and so many people admire her,” she told resident anchor Michael Strahan. “When I did it last night I was proud; I felt really great.”
Click here to relive the viral moment and all the other performances from this year’s BET Awards.
Lies she coulda memorized the song did the cold make you forget the lyrics
The teleprompter forgot the lyrics
We love u Patti
They said Whitney was smoking crack when she was not .
she had a cold and sore throat let’s not do that with Patti she has a right to a cold
correction****they asked Whitney
What does a cold have to do with her not knowing the lyrics. No one said she sounded bad. Stfu🤣
ASSHOLE a cold She said she was ill but did her best.
ASSHOLE SHE IS ILL The teleprompter forgot the lyrics . U A STUPID ASS
Lots of people said she was horrible. When you are dedicating a song to someone, the worst Yiu can do is screw up.
Sore throat? This ashy h a g deepthroating too much eh???💅🏾
Poor Patti! You could tell she was disappointed in herself. It happens to the best of them. Patti been singing and performing for 50-something years. She deserves some grace y’all. Chill out.
The Teleprompter wasn’t working Properly, So Y’all get up off of Ms. Patti
Patti is OL’ SKOOL!
So I doubt she GAF. She is not this new generation.
Yall leave Mama Patti alone. She is a legend, and it wasn’t her fault. BET dropped the ball.