Why Labelle Matters
Adele Bertei
- 182 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
Why Labelle Matters
Adele Bertei
About This Book
"A smart, shrewd, joyful read, as piercing as any top C shriek from the woman who gave Labelle their name." âBarney Hoskyns, author of Glam! Bowie, Bolan, and the Glitter Rock Revolution Performing as the Bluebelles in the 1960s, Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx, and Sarah Dash wore bouffant wigs and chiffon dresses, and they harmonized vocals like many other girl groups of the era. After a decade on the Chitlin Circuit, however, they were ready to write their own material, change their name, and deliverâas Labelleâan electrifyingly celestial sound and styling that reached a crescendo with a legendary performance at the Metropolitan Opera House to celebrate the release of Nightbirds and its most well-known track, "Lady Marmalade." In Why Labelle Matters, Adele Bertei tells the story of the group that sang the opening aria of Afrofuturism and proclaimed a new theology of musical liberation for women, people of color, and LGBTQ people across the globe.