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Many people probably don’t know that Patti LaBelle was once engaged to a Temptations singer. They were in love, and for a while, it seemed like they would last forever, despite the demanding schedule of their careers. They kind of kept their love on the low at the time, so fans were mostly in the dark about Patti’s walk down the isle that almost happened, before coming to a screeching halt. So who was Ms. Patti gonna say ‘I do’ to, you ask? Scroll down and prepare to be amazed…

The Temptation Whom Patti Was Engaged To…

Patti’s ex-fiance’ is none other than Otis Williams, one of the founding members of the iconic Temptations! Who woulda thought it, right?

Patti Explains Why She Called Off Their Engagement- There Was Someone Else

After Otis proposed to Patti she later admitted that she had to follow her heart and go with her gut feeling about who she should be with. Although she loved Otis, her heart was with someone else. That someone else was the man she eventually was married to for 34 years, Armstead Edwards (he and Patti are now divorced).

Patti and and Armstead were actually close platonic friends for years prior to dating, and it wasn’t until Otis popped the question to Patti that Armstead and Patti realized they were more than just good friends. See what they revealed in their prior interview with Ebony Magazine:

Via Ebony: While their friendship continued to grow, romance didn’t enter the picture until Patti told Edwards of her plans to marry. “Patti got engaged to Otis Williams of the Temptations and it hit me like a rock,” says Edwards. “It really made me realize how much she meant to me and I became very persistent. I guess you could say it was the classic story: we were miserable with each other but even more miserable without each other.”

Apparently Patti felt the same way. “After Otis gave me the engagement ring he asked me to move to L.A. I said ‘Oh no, no, no, I could never move to L.A. because all of my family is here in Philly.’ Plus I felt like Otis wanted me to slow down my singing role and I knew that was something I didn’t want to give up. He understood and we’ve always remained friends. We’re still friends to this day.”

After Patti and Otis were a wrap, she and Armstead started a committed relationship. Although Patti turned down Armstead twice when he popped the engagement question, she ultimately regretting that decision and ended up proposing to him:

Via Ebony: “Pat asked if she could talk to me and we walked down to the drugstore, then came back to my apartment where we spent hours just talking. That night she proposed. That was a Friday and we eloped the following Wednesday, [said Armstead].”

“It’s true,” says Patti. “I begged him because I realized if he got away I’d be in trouble. I was scared of marrying him, but I was more scared of losing him. He made me sweat it out for two days before accepting and I never let him forget it.”

Much respect to Patti for being strong enough to follow her heart; and respect to Otis Williams for keeping it cordial with Patti after breaking off their engagement. Like we mentioned earlier, Patti and her ex-husband, Armstead divorced after 34 years together, they have 3 children together (2 adopted sons and one biological son), and from what we hear, they too, are still very close friends. All’s well that ends well.

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Patti LaBelle and Diana Ross are two of the greatest to have ever done it! They may have also set a record for being two of the greatest icons to have one of the longest running feuds in the history of soul music. It’s a good thing entertainers had major class back in the day though, because based on Patti’s recollection of her beef with Diana, this could have easily turned into a stiletto shoe throwing, weave-pulling diva fist fight, had it been some of today’s entertainers.

Nevertheless, there was a time when Patti wanted to “pimp slap” ‘the boss,’ Ms. Ross. Nope, we’re not exaggerating whatsoever- “pimp slap” were Patti’s exact words.

‘THAT HEIFER COPIED OUR STYLE’

In the interview below, Patti hilariously revealed what caused the four-decades-long tension between she and Diana. According to Patti, when they toured together back in the day, Diana used to try to make Patti and her fellow LaBelle group members look bad in front of their fans.

OPRAH FINALLY ENDED PATTI & DIANA’S 40-YEAR FEUD

Patti also gave a slightly different version of the story to Oprah at that time, but her claims of Diana copying LaBelle’s style still remained unchanged.

THEY PUT ON THEIR POKER FACE & PLAYED NICE FOR THE FANS

On the flip side, Diana has a history of beefs with several soul singers and other old school celebs (*coughs* Gladys Knight, some of “The Wiz” actors, Berry Gordy, Marvin Gaye, etc), but the question is: Was Diana just super petty; or did she get a bad wrap for being super competitive? Whatever the reason, we’re glad this is all behind Patti and Diana now…alls well that ends well.

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When you’ve been peacefully performing on stage for over half a century – and still goin’ – the last thing you’d probably expect is for there to be a b💥mb threat at your concert, just after your loyal fans gifted you a bouquet of flowers. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what transpired at Patti LaBelle’s latest concert in Milwaukee, WI (scroll down for video).

The terrifying ordeal went down Saturday (12/10/22) night at the Riverside Theater, where Ms. Patti had just finished taking a slight pause in between her set to chat with fans and accept a bouquet from someone in the audience. Soon as she was revving up to give us that ‘Patti magic’ through song, suddenly mass confusion was sparked. Why? Because Patti’s security rushed the stage grabbed her and proceeded to sweep her, her mic, and her bouquet away, toward backstage.

Naturally, everyone was confused as hell, including Patti. As security grabbed her she was startled and screamed on ’em, saying “Hold up! WAIT!!”. However, her security was not trying to hear all that, and whisked her away anyway, understandably so.

The audience continued to look on in utter confusion and had no idea a bomb threat was in the mix…until soon afterwards, when they were informed that the entire building must be evacuated immediately.

Patti’s concert was then canceled and will be rescheduled at a later date.

According to TMZ, ‘Cops say everyone was evacuated safely, and they’re investigating the source of the bomb threat.’

As far Pattti LaBelle’s well-being at this time, no physical harm was seemingly done to her during the chaotic scene, thankfully. However, at 78 years young the last thing she needs is to be put into situations like this. Hopefully the icon is A-okay on all levels – physically, mentally, and psychologically – because an ordeal like that can take a toll on anyone.

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Before Aretha Franklin’s passing in 2018, there were allegations that she and Patti LaBelle were at odds. Both singers denied that they had any problems. However, there was always this elephant in the room. To put those rumors to bed, Patti LaBelle made it a point to pay homage to the queen when she died.

Patti LaBelle Sings “You Are My Friend” For Aretha Franklin:

While both ladies denied their alleged beef, there were often rumors that the two divas were at odds. For instance, back in 2014, Aretha Franklin appeared to snub LaBelle at the “Women of Soul” concert at the White House, by refusing to shake LaBelle’s hand when she offered it. Then, when Patti was asked about the incident on “Watch What Happens Live,” she denied that it was her – stating that the lady in the green jacket was unknown!

“I don’t know who the lady was,” LaBelle told Andy Cohen. “I just know she had on a green coat.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-mtlGyS4r0 Always maintaining that they were good, it appeared as if their beef resurfaced after Aretha Franklin announced, in 2016, that she was launching her own food line – following the success of LaBelle’s sold-out sweet potato pies at Walmart.

“Ms. Patti’s gonna have to move that pie to the side!” Aretha Franklin stated.

For years, many people believed that there was this feud between Aretha Franklin and Patti LaBelle. While she was the “queen of soul,” our beloved Aretha was also known as the “queen of shade.” We love her, but c’mon now, let’s not act like we don’t remember how Ms. Franklin he was known for trading her not-so-subliminal, yet entertaining shade with Patti (and others) over the years. However, when Aretha passed away from a long battle with pancreatic cancer, Patti took to Twitter to let everyone know that there was love between the two of them. http://gty.im/115346541 Despite their alleged rivalry, Patti claimed she had no beef with any industry ladies and she cleared up any rumors of animosity with her endearing post to the Queen:

“I am deeply saddened about the passing of the Queen of Soul and my sister in song, Aretha Franklin. Today the world has experienced a tremendous loss. Aretha was a rare treasure whose unmatched musical genius helped craft the soundtrack to the lives of so many… My sympathy, love and prayers go out to her family, loved ones and fans around the globe.”

Rest in peace Aretha. ❤ pic.twitter.com/QT7HeY5SIf

— Patti LaBelle (@MsPattiPatti) August 16, 2018

Aretha Franklin Requested Patti Sing At Her Memorial:

Patti LaBelle stopped by “Good Morning America” on Monday, to discuss her then-new role on “Greenleaf,” and she also paid respects to her dear friend, Aretha Franklin. In speaking with Robin Roberts, Patti shared that Aretha was one of her better friends in life. Patti referred to Franklin as a hero and stated that she was the best singer of all time.

Known as the “Godmother of Soul,” Patti sang one of her all time favorite songs during her concert at The Dell Music Center in Philadelphia. The song was pre-recorded to play at Aretha’s funeral because Patti was already booked at that time. With Aretha Franklin’s accomplishments playing in the background, Patti brought the house down, while everyone took a moment to remember the queen.

What many people may not know is that LaBelle was reportedly the first person that Franklin requested to perform at her memorial service, according to Franklin’s family members. Both Patti LaBelle and Aretha Franklin are true class acts that we should forever cherish.

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This is a perfect example of why we must pay homage to the soul music greats, because through it all, Patti has continued to share her gift of song with us….and we will always respect that. As we all know, celebs are people just like us, who have endured some hardships in life, but this one is a shocker! Patti LaBelle has said that a very well known, iconic soul singer attempted to rape her back in the 60’s.

Her story of being sexually assaulted was one that we hadn’t heard her speak of before, until she released her book, “Don’t Block The Blessings“ a few years ago.

LaBelle Detailed The Alleged Sexual Assault

According to Patti, it was Jackie Wilson who attempted to rape her backstage at a theater.

Here’s her account of what happened that day, via news publication, Michigan Chronicle:

Patti Labelle has had her share of downs, one of which involves being the victim of an attempted rape by another of the greatest singers and performers of all time, the iconic Jackie Wilson. It happened, LaBelle alleges, in the early 1960s. At the time she was with the group Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles. The scene was backstage at a theater and LaBelle happened to be alone. Someone, she says, came up behind her.

“It was Jackie Wilson,” she recalled. “He was kissing my neck and I could smell the liquor on his breath. As I struggled to free myself, Jackie’s accomplice started dragging me in backwards. I was kicking with all my might, but I was no match for him.” Next thing she knew, she was locked in a room.

“Jackie started touching. I started screaming, but no one could hear me. I didn’t have a knife, but I had my voice. I started screaming even louder, at the top of my lungs, and I can scream every bit as loud as I can sing.”

There’s more:

“It worked. Suddenly they backed off. They let me go. I ran as fast as I could in the direction of the lights.” Gladys Knight didn’t deny the accuracy of Patti LaBelle’s story, but remembers Jackie Wilson as a perfect gentleman who always went out of his way to help Gladys Knight & the Pips in the group’s early days. One man, two remembrances.”

It’s extremely tough to hear stories like this about legends, whom we have great respect for from an artistic standpoint. But again, it’s also a reminder that celebs are people, just like us- some of them are incredibly flawed and some of them not-as-flawed.

Overall ILOSM fam,’ are y’all surprised by Patti’s reveal about Jackie Wilson, or nah?

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We’ve all likely had our share of “bad” relationships, but it seems Mrs. LaBelle had the “perfect” relationship, but still had to end it. Well if you didn’t know, Patti LaBelle was once married to a man by the name of Armstead Edwards. LaBelle and Edwards became husband and wife in 1969. They were best friends who loved each other as they never argued. However, despite their perfect marriage, Patti decided that it was best that they split ways.

Why Leave Him?

It seems like marriages that are long lasting are a thing of the past. Marriages that last over 10 years, particularly in the entertainment industry are rare. Despite the odds, Patti LaBelle was married to Armstead Edwards for over 30 years. Before they fell in love, Armstead served as Patti’s manager but he eventually he had fallen for her. So in love with Patti, Armstead asked Patti to be his wife 3 times. Each time Patti said no, but one day, she asked him.

[He] asked me to marry him three times, and I said no. The fourth time, I asked him, LaBelle says. He said, ‘Let me give it a few days.’ So he gave it a few days, and he said yes, LaBelle revealed on Oprah’s Master Class.

Interestingly enough, Patti didn’t ask Armstead to marry her because she loved him. However, she asked him to marry her because he was such a nice man and she felt that she wouldn’t find anyone as nice. When Patti grew up, her parents were in a turbulent marriage. Patti shared on Oprah’s Master Class that her parents fought all the time and it was difficult to watch. When her parents divorced, Patti rejoiced as she believed that being apart was best for them. From her parent’s example, Patti knew that she didn’t want a marriage like that.

So, in 1969 at the justice of the peace, Patti and Armstead had a small “cute wedding” with beer and hard-shell crabs. Four years later they gave birth to their son, Zuri. For 32 years, Patti and Armstead were married. While most married couples fight, Patti and Armstead never fought. Their marriage was rare.

Somewhere along those 32 years, Patti and Armstead grew apart and they realized that they no longer should be married. While great friends, Patti and Armstead parted ways as they divorced in 2003.

I never hated him. He never hated me, Patti said. We just couldn’t live together — not because of physical fights or anything. We never fought, thank God, in 32 years. We got along even when we didn’t get along! But then we realized that we had to leave each other.

While Patti (77) is no longer romantically involved with Armstead, she was once linked to her then-41-year-old drummer, Eric Seats…Patti was 71 at the time.

LaBelle has never publicly confirmed if she’s dating, nor dated Seats, but she definitely has a smile on her face.

See Patti LaBelle Speak On Her Marriage Below:

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]]> https://www.iloveoldschoolmusic.com/patti-labelle-revealed-why-she-had-to-leave-her-husband-even-though-they-had-the-perfect-marriage-2/feed/ 0 118608 https://www.iloveoldschoolmusic.com/patti-labelle-boldly-confessed-why-she-once-wanted-to-pimp-slap-diana-ross/ https://www.iloveoldschoolmusic.com/patti-labelle-boldly-confessed-why-she-once-wanted-to-pimp-slap-diana-ross/#respond Wed, 16 Mar 2022 22:52:53 +0000 https://www.iloveoldschoolmusic.com/?p=118396 Patti LaBelle and Diana Ross are two of the greatest to have ever done it! They may have also set a record for being two of the greatest icons to have one of the longest running feuds in the history...

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Patti LaBelle and Diana Ross are two of the greatest to have ever done it! They may have also set a record for being two of the greatest icons to have one of the longest running feuds in the history of soul music. It’s a good thing entertainers had major class back in the day though, because based on Patti’s recollection of her beef with Diana, this could have easily turned into a stiletto shoe throwing, weave-pulling diva fist fight, had it been some of today’s entertainers.

Nevertheless, there was a time when Patti wanted to “pimp slap” ‘the boss,’ Ms. Ross. Nope, we’re not exaggerating whatsoever- “pimp slap” were Patti’s exact words.

‘THAT HEIFER COPIED OUR STYLE’

In the interview below, Patti hilariously revealed what caused the four-decades-long tension between she and Diana. According to Patti, when they toured together back in the day, Diana used to try to make Patti and her fellow LaBelle group members look bad in front of their fans.

Patti claimed that Diana would peek into the LaBelle’s dressing room to see their show outfits, and then go buy the same outfits for the Supremes. The Supremes would then perform with those outfits and the LaBelles would have to perform right after with the same outfit that the Supremes wore, making it look like the LaBelles copied their style instead. But there’s more to this story and it also had something to do with a LaBelle jumping ship to join the Supremes. But there’s more to this story…

OPRAH FINALLY ENDED PATTI & DIANA’S 40-YEAR FEUD

In the above video Patti later revealed, on “Oprah’s Where Are They Now,” that if it weren’t for her forcing them to sit together at the celebrity luncheon she held at her home some years ago, she and Diana probably still wouldn’t be speaking.

Patti also gave a slightly different version of the story to Oprah at that time, but her claims of Diana copying LaBelle’s style still remained unchanged.

THEY PUT ON THEIR POKER FACE & PLAYED NICE FOR THE FANS

Oprah’s home wasn’t the first time Patti and Diana were forced to be together, there were others, such as the one during an awards ceremony in the video up top. Damn, they sure did play that off well, because we, the fans, had no clue they didn’t say two words to each other afterwards.

On the flip side, Diana has a history of beefs with several soul singers and other old school celebs (*coughs* Gladys Knight, some of “The Wiz” actors, Berry Gordy, Marvin Gaye, etc), but the question is: Was Diana just super petty; or did she get a bad wrap for being super competitive? Whatever the reason, we’re glad this is all behind Patti and Diana now…alls well that ends well.

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