Patti LaBelle Talks BET Awards Tina Turner Tribute After Criticism: “I Had a Cold, But I Did My Best”

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.

[main photo source: Getty Images]