Soul queens Aretha Franklin and Patti Labelle stood in the same room last week, as both were invited to perform for an audience at the White House for the latest In Performance At the White House, celebrating Women of Soul.
Yes, these reigning divas may have been in the same room, but that does not mean they had to acknowledge each other’s presence. In the clip below, watch Aretha Franklin enter the room to a standing ovation and throw the most legendary shade of all, snatching her hand away from the outward reach of Miss Patti Labelle.
This makes anything Beyonce has ever done to Kelly look like child’s play. Truly epic.
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According to Madame Noire, they eventually embraced:
While Aretha shut down the concert with an amazing performance, Patti sang along to Franklin’s song “I Never Loved A Man” and afterward Aretha greeted Patti with a big hug (perhaps the Lord spoke to her while she sang).
Snatched!
h/t boyculture
mz.sam
Oooh, Gurl! Just because they’re Ladies of Soul ain’t no way means they’re ‘Soul Sistas’.
Icebloo
Aretha is a tool. She hates gay people because of her “religious beliefs”.
Patti supported us for a while until that notorious anti-gay Pastor played the race card and Patti abandoned us and went to sing in his church.
Neither of these “ladies” is a REAL, GENUINE supporter of ours even though it is mainly gay money that has made them rich.
SteveDenver
I saw Patti sing at the stadium event for the closing ceremonies of Gay Games 1994 in New York City and she reduced me to tears with her performance and words. She’s made missteps, but I’m still a fan.
Aretha, on the other hand, is a bitch to everyone around her. I worked a gig at a nightclub my brother-in-law used to manage. We put out all the food on her rider — specifically nothing fried with an eye toward low fat. She showed up as big as a house and sent one of her assistants to Popeye’s to pick up chicken, fried catfish, mashed potatoes, red beans and rice, and mashed potatoes. The sound guy on the side of the stage said she farted death gas through the entire show.
BrianZ
Legendary shade? I expected more.
petensfo
A snub between two women…at the White House… as a guest of the President & First Lady… well, that only makes Aretha look tragic & small. Maybe it was something else; perhaps she didn’t realize it was Miss Patty reaching out.
Ridiculous.
Kieran
Everybody knows it is against official protocol to touch “The Queen” without permission.
Ditamo
@petensfo: If you look closely, Mrs. Franklin looked at her right in the eyes for at least 5-10 seconds while Mrs. Patty was trying to hold her hands. Even if you don’t see someone everyday, you still recognize a colleague, especially if you are from the same genre and about the same era.
It was shade. Pretty sad, to be honest.
manonyme
@petensfo: well said. . .
vaboyz07
They hugged right after the performance; maybe aretha was trying to grab her hand but fur got in the way – maybe lol.
manonyme
I still love them both, but I would like to think that when one reaches their level of BossLady-ness there’s at least a modicum of decorum. Smile and be professional. Not petty and frankly immature like Ms. Franklin.
There was also all that ‘mishegoss’ w/ Mary J. Blige regarding who’s the”Queen of Soul”. That stuff is so crazy. It’s ridiculous and doesn’t focus on the music. Ms. Franklin seems rather insecure.
vaboyz07
@manonyme: @Icebloo:
Um, Aretha has long vocalized her support for the gay community including performing at Bill White and Bryan Eure’s wedding in NY after Prop 8 passed.
Black Pegasus
@SteveDenver: LMAO!! ___________ Death!
jar
Perhaps Ri-Ri’s just jealous because Patti is in much better condition than she. Aretha’s pettiness is as legendary as her inability to accept her proper clothing size.
jonjct
I love love love Aretha. I don’t care if she isn’t a fan of gays, I just don’t care what her politics are, I love her fat ass. For me there is no woman on earth who is more gifted than Aretha. It’s a shame that she goes to the White House when Ronald Mc Donald is president. Too bad she isn’t being honored at a time when there is a president with conviction and intelligence hosting. She deserves more. I love you Aretha, call me soon baby. <3
Benjamindabrat
Miss Franklin has been throwing serious shade and giving off attitude and insecurity her entire career life. No doubt it began with her first early child hood pregnancy at 14 years old, and to be civil I will not mention the long rumored father of that child.
She has long given shade to many a female fellow performer such as Diana Ross, Martha Reeves and Gladys Knight not to mention her wrath upon Natalie Cole when she first began her career. It is legendary how she ignores fellow entertainers in her audiences. Being uneducated and very mistrusting has long held her back with many folks in and out of the business over her long successful career. Having made and lost numerous fortunes seems to never have given her an ability to develop any sophistication or genuine graciousness or class.I am sure she has no concrete feelings either way about gays as long as they are not in her life’s path.
Underneath all the lights, awards and accolades is still the reverends shy, insecure over weight daughter that no doubt never felt pretty.
WayDifferent
Patti Labelle is a prime example of a hypocrite.
I used to love going to her shows. Even if you didn’t like her music or voice, she was truly entertaining. I used to listen to her “gospel” of how she didn’t like being treated different just because she was a celebrity, how her sisters all died of cancer, her AIDS speeches…..it was all patronizing BS.
Her audience was always a true diversity rainbow. Everybody left with a smile on their face except for the last time I saw her at the beautiful Fox Theater in Detroit (yes, it a beautiful place and voted as having the classiest restroom in the nation – everybody always properly dressed for the show too – good memories!). She then started this rant about going to Fishbones in Detroit’s Greektown area and complained about how her “fish waddn’t right” and she called the manager and it sounded like he gave her a piece of her own ghetto highness. She even called out his first/last name on stage and the crowd boo’d her. Although I haven’t been there in 10 years, I NEVER heard a complaint about that restaurant.
Although I’ll still enjoy her voice, songs, arrangements I walked out of there knowing I would never spend another nickel on this phony wig-wearing heifer again.
She’s just as much a phony NWA as Aretha is. They deserve each other. I only hope that the gays of today see through this and quit supporting it. Unfortunately, the vicious cycle continues with the likes of Lady Gaga, Madonna, et al.
WayDifferent
@Benjamindabrat: How many of these gay icons are “educated”? Please!