Patti LaBelle proved once again why she’s considered one of the greatest singers of our time as she graced the stage at TheGrio Awards. The ceremony, which celebrated African-American excellence, was filmed back in October but didn’t air until last weekend on CBS, and fans haven’t been able to stop talking about the show ever since — particularly Patti’s performance.
The 78-year-old took to the stage to perform her 1983 song “If Only You Knew,” before being joined by Fantasia, Jennifer Hudson, Yolanda Adams, and Queen Latifah for Karyn White’s hit “Superwoman.” As Fantasia started off the song, Patti chimed in, saying “You better sing!” as each of the ladies took turns to show off their distinctive range.
I saw a portion of the Grio Awards tonight and Ms Patti Labelle sanged🎶🎶🎶🎶
— Jacqueline38 (@Mjsgirl82) November 30, 2022
I know y’all are watching Soul Train Awards but in case you missed out Patti LaBelle, Fantasia, Jennifer Hudson and Yolanda Adams shut down the Grio Awards performing Superwoman by Karyn White 👑
#SoulTrainAwards #theGrioAwards pic.twitter.com/3suhCOl3Oe— Starpush2 (@Starpush2) November 27, 2022
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Needless to say, by the end of the performance, there didn’t appear to be one audience member who wasn’t standing on their feet. Earlier in the show, Patti had accepted the Musical Icon Award and told the audience during her speech, “I’m not a talker. I’m a singer, and I get shy when I have to talk […] I love my fans. You call yourself fans; I call you friends. I’m 78 years young and for the last 78 years, you’ve been in my corner pushing me and I hope to never disappoint you all.”
Jennifer was also recognized at the ceremony with a Trailblazer Icon Award while Queen received the Television Icon Award. Bryon Allen, who is the CEO of Allen Media Group, previously revealed why this particular show was important to him, mentioning how he wanted to highlight “African-American excellence and the incredible champions from other communities who truly support us.”
You did a fantastic performance at the Grio award show to honor Patti Labelle! That outfit was FIERCE and the vocals were on point! ❤️
— Hail2theeQueen (@Hail2theeQ) November 28, 2022
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He continued, “Celebrating and amplifying iconic individuals is something we can never do enough of, especially for our children.” Patti, who is often considered the “Godmother of Soul” is one of the best-selling singers of her generation, having sold a reported 50 million records worldwide with a career that has spanned seven decades.
Some of her most notable accolades include her induction into the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Grammy Hall of Fame. To date, she has won two Grammys and a whopping 13 nominations.