Patti LaBelle

Disco diva Patti LaBelle was originally a singer in a 60s soul group called The Bluebelles, who enjoyed some moderate success without ever really hitting the big time. In the 70s they renamed to Labelle with Patti as lead singer, and ditched their Atlantic-soul sound for more glam and attitude. They struggled for a while but in 1975 signed with Epic Records and released Nightbirds (1975), accompanied by a single called "Lady Marmalade". Famous for the line "voulez-vous coucher avec moi (ce soir)?" (which means "do you want to sleep with me (tonight)?" in French), the single packed disco dance-floors and was an international chart-topper, leading to great success for the album also. "Lady Marmalade" has retained its popularity and been covered by a host of other musicians, most notably by Christina Aguilera, Mýa, Lil Kim, Pink and Missy Elliott for the 2001 Moulin Rouge soundtrack.

Labelle's success declined after this, but Patti LaBelle went on to a very successful solo career. She became famous for her wild live performances and her powerful voice. She enjoyed many dance-floor hits in discos, and a R&B chart hits too, including "Music Is My Way Of Life", "If Only You Knew" and "Love, Need and Want You". A duet with Michael McDonald in 1986 yielded another pop No.1 in "On My Own".