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 CHATTI PATTI
During her five-decade career, Patti LaBelle has remained what she calls a “raw” woman—open, honest and willing to take chances. But for such a raw woman, Patti certainly has a lot cooking—literally!
In addition to her line of hot sauces (and we do mean hot. Don’t believe us? Try LaBelle No. 3: Cayenne & Habanero Pepper Sauce), she also has relishes, cookbooks and a new cooking DVD. And just because you’re cooking doesn’t mean you can’t look fabulous, so she puts her name on a full line of clothing, jewelry, makeup, fragrances and, of course, her Especially Yours line of wigs.
The food comes from her desire to offer healthy dining alternatives, a cause that began when she fainted onstage in 1995 and subsequently learned she was diabetic. The clothes reflect her style which people have come to love. “I’m really just a drag queen,” Patti readily admits. “I’m flamboyant, over the top. I have big hair and the clothes. Maybe that’s why I’m so popular with the gay community!”
Last year Patti was honored with GLAAD’s Excellence In Media Award, and she performed at D.C. Black Pride. Gay people are very comfortable around the woman who’s inspired generations of drag queens, and she feels the same way.
“I’ve never seen one actually perform as me, but there is a very special one, Sybil, who always comes to my shows in New York,” LaBelle notes. “She finds out what dresses I’ve been wearing and then makes copies of them. I come out onstage and there she is in the front row, wearing one of my dresses. She brings me flowers, but then I tell her to go sit down.”
Are there people other than drag queens that Patti can see herself in? “Definitely Mary J. Blige,” she offers. “And when I talk to Fantasia, I call her ‘Baby Patti.’ It’s not because of their music as much as their presence and the way they present themselves onstage. They’re raw women, just like me.”
Later this year, LaBelle shares the screen with another R&B star in the film adaptation of the off-Broadway hit Mama, I Want To Sing! It features a young girl, played by Ciara, who, against her mother’s wishes, wants to sing secular music. Patti plays the mentor who helps her when her mother won’t.
The soulful veteran hopes audiences leave Mama with a message: “If a child has a talent, let them experiment. If they fail, welcome them home. A parent should never close a door, but always open one.”
And for Patti’s legions of gay fans, that message might hit close to home.
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Keep checking pattilabelle.com for info on her upcoming tour with Gladys Knight.
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Instinct Online 
