Patti LaBelle

Was among the guests at Usher's 26th birthday party.

Patti LaBelle was born Patricia Louise Holte on May 24, 1944 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Patti began her career in the early 1960s as lead singer of the band Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles. A decade later the group changed their name to Labelle and recorded the hit song "Lady Marmalade".

She and her husband had one biological son Zuri (born 1973), adopted her late sister Jackie's son and daughter and raised two foster sons, Dodd and Stanley.

Oddly enough, when she and Michael McDonald first recorded the Burt Bacharach/Carole Bayer Sager song "On My Own", neither artist had even met. LaBelle recorded her part of the song in Philadelphia while McDonald completed his part in Los Angeles. Even after filming a video for the song, both singers had still not met. Not until after the song went to number one on the charts in June 1986 did the two artists finally meet when they performed *together* for the first time on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962).

Received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Berkeley School of Music [1996]

Godmother of Cyndi Lauper's son, Declyn (B. Nov 19 1997)

Release of her book, "LaBelle Cuisine: Recipes to Sing About" by Patti with Laura B. Randolph. [1999]

Husband and manager of 30 years separating. [February 2000]

Release of her book, "Patti's Pearls: Lessons in Living Genuinely, Joyfully, Generously" by Patti with Laura Randolph Lancaster. [2001]

Release of her book, "Patti LaBelle's Lite Cuisine: Over 100 Dishes with To-Die-For Taste Made with To-Live-For Recipes" by Patti with Laura Randolph Lancaster. [2003]

Release of her book, "Recipes for the Good Life" by Patti with Judith Choate and Karen Hunter. [November 2008]