R&B singer and actress Patti Labelle caused a stir during her tribute performance to Tina Turner at the 2023 BET Awards. While singing Turner’s 1989 hit, “(Simply) The Best,” LaBelle forgot some of the words to the song. The first time it happened, she said to the crowd in a sing-song voice, “I am trying y’all” before powering through to the chorus.
She would go on to repeat “I am trying y’all” after forgetting the lyrics for the second time. Before then, she said “Oh lord” sang a couple of words and said “Whatever, I can’t see the words” to the song’s rhythm.
But according to a statement from BET, the mishap happened due to a teleprompter dysfunction.
“It was an extraordinary privilege to celebrate the life and legacy of Ms. Tina Turner at BET Awards 2023,” the statement released to The Hollywood Reporter read. “Having the incomparable Ms. Patti LaBelle on our stage honoring one of her contemporaries was an equal privilege. Due to the crowd’s enthusiasm, the teleprompter was obstructed, obscuring Ms. LaBelle’s view of the lyrics. Nonetheless, we couldn’t be more grateful to Ms. LaBelle for lending her incredible talent to this moment.”
News that 79-year-old LaBelle would be paying tribute to Tina Turner, who passed away in May, had been met with excitement.
The Audience View
Before BET provided additional context to the situation, opinions were divided in regard to the performance. Some felt that LaBelle, a skilled singer well-versed in paying tributes to the likes of Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, and others, wasn’t an ideal choice for Sunday night’s tribute to Tina Turner.
One person tweeted, “#PattiLaBelle YOU SHOULD KNOW THE WORDS this the 3rd time this happened to you.”
Another called it “disrespectful.”
“The fact that #PattiLaBelle couldn’t learn the words to a song as well known as “The Best” is just downright disrespectful to #TinaTurner and the #BetAwards2023” they wrote.
Others, however, were viewing the situation with more empathy and advocating for more understanding.
“Patti LaBelle is 79! She has a right to forget some lyrics sometimes!” one person noted.
However, a Twitter user by the name Rae Christine posted a video sharing that LaBelle did indeed have trouble seeing the teleprompter because her section had blocked it out.