Patti LaBelle stumbled over lyrics while singing Tina Turner’s “The Best” during a tribute to the late singer at Sunday night’s BET Awards.
LaBelle took the stage wearing a sparkly black dress featuring fringe in honor of Turner. As she was singing, the teleprompter became obscured by the audience, and LaBelle lost her place in the song.
“Oh, Lord,” LaBelle said, before admitting, “Whatever, I can’t see the words, I don’t know.”
“I’m trying, y’all,” she added.
TINA TURNER DEAD AT 83
Tina Turner was honored at the BET Awards on June 25. (Getty Images)
Viewers criticized LaBelle on social media, calling her performance “disrespectful” and “unprofessional.”
“I wanna know who agreed to let Patti Labelle do the tribute to Tina Turner,” a viewer mused on Twitter.
One wrote, “The fact that #PattiLabelle couldn’t learn the f—ing words to a song as well known as ‘The Best’ is just downright disrespectful to #TinaTurner and the #BetAwards2023.”
“Said the same thing.. I mean, I think everyone knows the words, it’s a very easy song.. was embarrassing to watch, Tina deserves better,” a user responded.
Another wrote, “I’m sorry Patti Labelle, as much as I love you, your Tina Turner tribute and not knowing the words to the song was highly disrespectful and unprofessional.”
Meanwhile, Turner said she was “so blessed” to be chosen for the tribute.
“I was so blessed to be asked to honor Tina Turner because that’s my friend from back in the day. Such a wonderful woman who’s done everything and so many people admire her,” LaBelle told “Good Morning America.” “When I did it last night, I was proud. I felt great.”
Reflecting on her friendship with Turner, the singer said, “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.”
Patti LaBelle sang “The Best” as a tribute to Tina Turner at the BET Awards. (Getty Images)
Others defended LaBelle’s performance, writing, “Patti Labelle is 79! She has a right to forget some lyrics sometimes.”
“Only Patti LaBelle can sound that good and not only not [know] the words but sing that she doesn’t know the words,” another added.
A spokesperson for the BET Awards praised LaBelle as “incomparable” in a statement shared with Fox News Digital by a representative for the musician.
“It was an extraordinary privilege to celebrate the life and legacy of Ms. Tina Turner at ‘BET Awards’ 2023,” the statement read. “Having the incomparable Ms. Patti LaBelle on our stage honoring one of her contemporaries was an equal privilege. 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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Tina Turner passed away on May 23. (Getty Images)
Turner, known as the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, died on May 23, after a long illness in her home in Küsnacht, Switzerland, near Zurich, according to her manager. She became a Swiss citizen a decade ago.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Tina Turner,” a statement on social media said at the time. “With her music and her boundless passion for life, she enchanted millions of fans around the world and inspired the stars of tomorrow. Today we say goodbye to a dear friend who leaves us all her greatest work: her music. All our heartfelt compassion goes out to her family. Tina, we will miss you dearly.”
With admirers ranging from Beyoncé to Mick Jagger, Turner was one of the world’s most successful entertainers, known for a core of pop, rock and rhythm and blues favorites: “Proud Mary,” “Nutbush City Limits,” “River Deep, Mountain High,” and the hits she had in the ’80s, among them “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” “We Don’t Need Another Hero” and a cover of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together.”
Tina Turner performs on stage in the Netherlands in 1990. (Rob Verhorst/Redferns via Getty Images)
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LaBelle’s performance Sunday was not the first time the singer has fumbled lyrics during a show.
In 1996, the “Lady Marmalade” singer’s cue-cards got mixed up, and LaBelle stumbled over the lyrics to “This Christmas” at the National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony.
“It’s the wrong words on the cue cards; I don’t know the song!” she famously said during the moment.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
