Patti LaBelle Turned Down “Shug Avery” Role, But Wait ‘Til U See Why

Posted On : August 12, 2015

Patti LaBelle and Shug Avery

Before the world came to know actress Margaret Avery as the “Shug Avery” in the film, The Color Purple, there was supposed to be a completely different “Shug” and her name is Patti LaBelle.
The Color Purple

Word on the Old School curb is that the deal was almost sealed, but just before everything was finalized on paper, Patti slammed on her brakes and was like “Nuh-uh!” You see, she wanted to do the film, but there was this one minor detail that she found out about to make her axe that idea. Here’s what happened…

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Steven Spielberg wanted Patti LaBelle to play “Shug Avery” in “The Color Purple” but she turned it down because of the..

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We salute the incredible people and beautiful memories of that "old school". We’re not saying that every artist and every facet of the soul era was perfect, but the artists’ contributions to soul music and the old school memories of that particular time are PRICELESS.