No one can sing as Tina Turner could, but if anyone could do her justice it’s Patti LaBelle. The powerhouse vocalist took on Turner’s “The Best” during the BET Awards on Sunday (June 25), and despite a few stumbles along the way, she powered through the challenging performance.
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Tributes for Turner have been pouring in since her death in May. Given that the BET Awards celebrate iconic Black creators, the night couldn’t pass by without another star-studded tribute to the Queen of Rock & Roll.
LaBelle took the stage in a Turner-esque fringe number before launching into the 1989 hit. The first roadblock came as LaBelle got off-tempo with her background singers. “Oh Lord,” LaBelle said as things started to go awry.
From there, she hit even more hurdles as she started to forget the lyrics. Nevertheless, LaBelle managed to make confusion sound just as stunning as the correct lyrics would’ve. Whatever, I can’t see the words, I don’t know, she ad-libbed.
LaBelle pulled it together once she regained sight of the teleprompter, and delivered a performance worthy of the Turner name.
Watch a clip of the performance, below.
Turner passed away at the age of 83 after fighting off a long illness.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Tina Turner,” a Facebook post announcing her death read. “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.”
In light of her death, fans of Turner were invited to remember the icon at a twilight memorial service honoring her legacy. The event was held at the Tina Turner Museum in Brownsville, Tennessee.
“Tina has touched so many of our lives with her music and her story of perseverance,” said Center Director Sonia Outlaw-Clark. “This memorial will afford us the opportunity to have her family of fans share their sentiments and extend comfort to each other.”
(Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for AIDS Healthcare Foundation)
