| You’ve heard of her before. Grammy award | | | | Aretha Frankin? Although these are great performers, |
| winning singer Patti LaBelle. She has sold millions of | | | | they can’t sing as high as Patti can. Try singing the |
| records. She is sixty five and still performing to sold out | | | | high part on the song If Only You Knew in Patti’s |
| venues. There is no one like her. I’m going to give | | | | key. Listen to her sing If Only For One Night on her |
| you my take as to why I think she is the best singer of | | | | television special to get a taste of her lower range. |
| all time. | | | | Third, she knows how to connect with an audience. If |
| First of all she has been around since 1962. First, think | | | | you watched American Idol, the winner was able to |
| of all the musical artists out there. Now, think of how | | | | connect with the audience. One of the judges |
| many artists can say that they’ve been around | | | | mentioned that to connect with an audience is a key |
| since the early 1960s and still performing. She’s | | | | to being a superstar. When Patti performs a song, the |
| spanned nearly FIVE DECADES. Not that many artists | | | | audience knows that she is singing from her heart. |
| can claim that. In order to survive she’s altered her | | | | Listen to her sing slow ballads. I’m going to use If |
| musical persona. First she started out in an all-girl | | | | Only You Knew. She makes you feel like that she is |
| group singing ballads. Then in the seventies she | | | | trying to actually tell her crush how she feels. Or take |
| removed the prom girl like dresses, to outrageous | | | | the duet Superwoman with Gladys Knight and Dionne |
| space like costumes worn by her and her group | | | | Warwick. You actually feel the emotions Patti displays |
| Labelle. Then in the 1980s, the decade that catapulted | | | | when she’s singing about a man who makes her |
| her into her superstar status, she had a plethora of hair | | | | feel unappreciated or the classic live version of the |
| styles. Remember the bucket and the fan? In the | | | | song You Are My Friend. Her powerhouse voice |
| 1990s and even today, she wears more relaxed | | | | can get ANY audience jumping up on its feet in |
| hairstyles. | | | | reverential applause of her raw talent. |
| Secondly, she has a wide vocal range. She can sing | | | | Tag on the fact that she can hold a note for a long |
| some low notes and some high notes. Listen to her | | | | time. In her remake of The Dells hit Stay in My Corner, |
| modulate in the song When You’ve Been Blessed, | | | | she held a note longer than the original singer. Add |
| (Feels Like Heaven). Rewind further back to You’ll | | | | some down to earth charm, (She says, “I’m like |
| Never Walk Alone when she sings the last refrain. Can | | | | you only I happen to make records.”) and you have |
| Beyonce’ sing as high as Patti? How about Ashlee | | | | the ultimate singer of all time. |
| Simpson, Brittney Spears, Michael Jackson, or even | | | | |