Cee Lo Green, Beyonce, Mary J. Blige and others paid tribute to Patti LaBelle on Sunday night, where the legendary singer received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Green, never one to miss a chance to surprise with his choice of costume, actually dressed up as LaBelle — in sparkly jacket and spiky wig that he sprayed with hair spray — to perform her song “Somebody Loves You.” (He also managed to slip in a curse word, calling the crowd “motherf—ers,” during the live telecast that slipped through censors for the live East Coast airing.)
Also taking the stage were Shirley Ceaser and Marsha Ambrosius, the latter of whom performed LaBelle’s “If Only You Knew.”
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Blige, Beyonce and Gladys Knight also praised LaBelle, with Beyonce telling the audience: “When anyone asks me who I want to be like, I always say Patti LaBelle.”
Added Blige: “Patti’s voice is the most powerful thing on earth.”
And Knight weighed in: “Music is forever indebted to you for following your calling.”
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LaBelle herself also took the stage to perform two of her hits, including “Lady Marmalade.”
In accepting the honor, LaBelle said: “I plan to hold myself up higher because I’ve gotten this wonderful award.”
