The very finest there is. During the BET Awards on Sunday night, Patti LaBelle gave a moving performance that was an homage to her late friend and musical superstar, Tina Turner. Tina Turner passed away in August of this year.
LaBelle approached the stage to pay respect to the late Tina Turner, who was known as the unrivaled Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll. She did so by performing a performance of the song “The Best.” The Godmother of Soul showed off her powerhouse vocals as she belted out the song’s lyrics while wearing a sparkly minidress with fringe that was reminiscent of Tina Turner’s signature style. However, she was not without the occasional stumble as she struggled to keep up with the teleprompter that was used to guide her through the entirety of the song. Nevertheless, she was able to show off her powerhouse vocals.
Although LaBelle’s vocals were strong during the tribute, she confessed that she was unable to read the lyrics shown on the teleprompter the whole time. She told the audience, “I can’t see the words and I don’t know. I’m tryin’, y’all!”
At one point, LaBelle remarked, “Where are my background singers?” in reference to her notorious rendition of “This Christmas” at the 1996 National Tree Lighting Ceremony. During that performance, the “Lady Marmalade” singer’s cue cards were in the wrong sequence.
Nevertheless, LaBelle battled through her missteps and came back in rhythm with her support singers as the crowd sang and danced along with them. At the conclusion of the tribute, the audience gave LaBelle a standing ovation. She then cried, “God bless you, Tina Turner,” as she was on stage.
Backstage following her performance, LaBelle gave an interview to ET’s Kevin Frazier. During their conversation, LaBelle talked up on why it was so important for her to commemorate Tina Turner at the event and what it meant to her personally.
“It meant that no matter what voice I’m in — I’m hoarse, I have a cold — but whatever, I had to, I was giving it up for Tina Turner, ’cause she’s simply the best,” LaBelle added, as she became a touch teary thinking about the late legend. “So you heard a little tweak here and there out there, but I love her, and I did my best to take care of her,” you said.
Last month, Turner passed away at her home in Kusnacht, which is close to Zurich, Switzerland, following a protracted bout with sickness. Her age was 83.
In a statement sent to Entertainment Tonight, Turner’s representative confirmed the tragic news and remarked on the “Proud Mary” singer’s remarkable history as well as the effect she had on rock music.
Tina Turner, known as the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” passed away today at her home in Kusnacht, which is located close to Zurich, Switzerland. She was 83 years old and had been ailing for a long time. According to the statement, “with her passing, the world loses a music legend as well as a role model.”
Anna Mae Bullock was born Tina Turner on November 26, 1939 in Nutbush, Tennessee, in the United States of America. She first rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead vocalist of the band Ike & Tina Turner Revue, but she went on to have solo success on a global scale much later in her career. Tina Turner enthralled millions of admirers with her music and her boundless energy, and she served as an inspiration to countless musicians and artists of later generations,” the statement read. Her distinctive career includes worldwide successes such as “What’s Love Got to Do With it,” “Private Dancer,” and “The Best,” as well as more than 180 million albums sold, 12 GRAMMY Awards, and over three decades of sold-out stadium tours across the globe.
Oprah Winfrey, Beyonce, Cher, Angela Bassett (who portrayed Tina Turner in the biographical film What’s Love Got to Do With It from 1993), Diana Ross, Barack Obama, Dolly Parton, and Mick Jagger, along with many other famous people, have paid tribute to the late music superstar Tina Turner.
And on May 25, BET presented an exclusive Entertainment Tonight news special titled BET & ET Present Tina Turner: Life and Legacy to pay respect to the artist.
The one-hour program included historical material spanning more than 40 years that was kept in ET’s vault as well as highlights from more than 30 interviews that were conducted with the 12-time GRAMMY Award winner and two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member at different phases of her life and career. It also detailed pivotal episodes in Turner’s life, such as how she didn’t believe her best-selling song from 1984, “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” would become a global smash; how she never gave up on finding genuine love; and how she dreamed of becoming an actress.
Turner is survived by her husband, Erwin Bach, a German music executive whom she wed in 2013, as well as her adopted kids Michael and Ike Jr. Ronnie Turner and Craig Turner, both of whom were her sons, passed away in December 2022 and July 2018, respectively.