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Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more
Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more
Patti LaBelle has celebrated another trip around the sun with some words of wisdom about aging.
LaBelle celebrated her birthday with a concert at New York’s Barclays Center, featuring Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, and Stephanie Mills as part of the Queens Tour.
Speaking to the crowd early in the evening, the newly 81-year-old LaBelle said: “Let me say something. I have so many people who are afraid to say how young they are.
“Don’t be scared. 81 is wonderful, okay? Happy birthday.”
The performance carried on, People reported, but LaBelle was joined onstage by the end of the evening.
Flanked by her son and longtime manager, Zuri Kye Edwards, plus members of the organization behind the tour, an emotional LaBelle again addressed the audience.
LaBelle told her fans: ‘Don’t be scared. 81 is wonderful, okay?’ (AFP via Getty Images)
“We don’t take that for granted. We are such hardworking women,” she said of filling arenas alongside Khan, Mills, and Knight. “I’ve been doing it for 65 years, and to still have people come to see our show, we are truly blessed.”
“I can’t do all of this without my band, my crew, my lighting, my sound, my security — which I don’t need — but I’ve got Will. And this is for my son, Zuri,” LaBelle continued.
“God bless all of you.”
But the celebrations didn’t stop there. LaBelle was then presented with a giant cake that read: “Happy birthday to the Godmother. Cheers to 81 [years] young.”
She shared photos from the evening on her Instagram page, thanking everyone for their love and well wishes. Clad in a bright teal blue pantsuit, LaBelle was seen clutching a giant bouquet of flowers. The cake also featured dozens of decorative flowers.
The Queens Tour launched May 9 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Performances are slated to continue through June 1. The second leg of the tour will kick off in September and run through October.
Knight was on a solo tour weeks before the Queens gigs began. But she had to cancel a performance on March 8 at the Florida Theatre when she fell ill backstage.
According to a statement from Florida Theatre president Numa Saiselin, Knight was treated by medical staff before being taken to the hospital for further treatment.
Posting to Instagram, Knight reassured fans that she was “already feeling much better” as she revealed she had “that flu that is going around.”
“I’ll see everyone real soon and appreciate the good wishes.”
