Patti LaBelle

Over her forty-year-plus career, Patti LaBelle has recorded everything from Brill Building Pop to wild Funk to Quiet Storm. She made the case for the importance of bilingualism with a Disco hit that dared to ask "Voulez-Vous Couchez Avec Moi Ce Soir?" The secret to LaBelle's longevity is that she brings buckets of sassy class and a fiery Soul foundation to everything she does. You may enjoy her '60s recordings with the Bluebelles the most, but LaBelle stormed the Me Decade with a crazy mix of souped-up Funk, Glam Rock, and R&B that defined the decadent '70s. She continued to chart in the '80s with Synth Pop productions and emotional Adult Contemporary recordings. LaBelle is now a Quiet Storm diva, but some wish that she would throw caution to the wind and record the album she was born to make -- a low-key, late night, torchy Soul affair that shines the spotlight on her glorious voice.