Update, June 26, 10:52 am: Following LaBelle’s performance on Sunday, she appeared on Good Morning America early Monday, where both she and co-host Michael Strahan touched on the performance but nothing on the botch itself.
“You’re fresh off your performance at the BET Awards honoring the late, great Tina Turner,” Strahan started with LaBelle, who promoted her guest appearance on The Wonder Years this week. “How important was it for you to honor her in this way?”
“I was so blessed to honor Tina Turner because that’s my friend from back in the day,” LaBelle responded. “Such a wonderful woman who has done everything. And so many people admire her. When I did it last night, I was proud. I felt really great.”
Watch the video below.
“It was always a great feeling being with her and just watching her go from where she started, which was not so pleasant, to where she ended up as a super, super woman. I’m just in awe of Tina Turner.” — @MsPattiPatti on her tribute to the late Tina Turner at the #BETAwards. pic.twitter.com/TisXkCKHA9
— Good Morning America (@GMA) June 26, 2023
Original Story, June 26, 2023, 09:21 am: Patti LaBelle needed the audience’s help after her Tina Turner tribute went wrong at the 2023 BET Awards on Sunday (June 25).
One of the high spots of the event, which was airing live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, was LaBelle performing her rendition of Turner’s song “Simply the Best.”
“Give it up for Tina Turner,” she shouted to cheers from the audience as she began her performance in honor of the star, who died on May 24 this year at the age of 83. LaBelle was wearing a Tina Turner-style sparkly fringe mini dress.
Unfortunately, LaBelle then had teleprompter issues and flubbed the song’s lyrics as she belted out the classic.
#BETAwards whose idea was this? #PattiLabelle #TinaTurner pic.twitter.com/43vCQFBmrD
— All Tea All Shade (@TeaTimeTips2) June 26, 2023
“I can’t see the words and I don’t know,” she told the crowd. “I’m tryin’ y’all,” she added as she appeared to be squinting to read the words from the teleprompter, which was situated at the back of the theater. A post on twitter from someone attending the event said that the problem was because some audience members were standing up and blocking LaBelle’s view of the words.
Lmaooooo #BetAwards2023 pic.twitter.com/qGuVqAe8Kz
— Rae Christine (@raechristine__) June 26, 2023
Nevertheless, she persevered, and audience members who were clearly more familiar with the lyrics joined in the singing in a bid to help LaBelle. Midway through her performance LaBelle hilariously shouted out, “Where my background singers?” in reference back to a previous mishap she had at the 1996 National Tree Lighting Ceremony when her cue cards were out of order as she sang “This Christmas.”
Despite her issues with “Simply the Best,” LaBelle remained calm and classy, and her voice sounded as strong as ever.
“God bless you Tina Turner, BET, hip-hop!” she said as she finished the tune. And with that the crowd wildly cheered.
When asked what went wrong, a BET spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter: “Due to the crowd’s enthusiasm, the teleprompter was obstructed, obscuring Ms. LaBelle’s view of the lyrics. Nonetheless, we couldn’t be more grateful to Ms. LaBelle for lending her incredible talent to this moment.”
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