Patti LaBelle fumbled the lyrics to a Tina Turner song while performing her tribute to the deceased singer on Sunday, and social media is dragging her with angry memes.
The 79-year-old Godmother of Soul is the laughing stock of social media after making a mess of Turner’s lyrics. LaBelle was honoring the late singer with a tribute performance but couldn’t weave her way through the lyrics when the teleprompter failed. LaBelle didn’t make it too far into singing “The Best” before it became obvious that she had no idea what the lyrics were. “I can’t see the words and I don’t know,” she said to the crowd. “I’m tryin’, y’all!”
That Patti LaBelle tribute to Tina Turner. Simply Awful. #PattiLabelle #TinaTurner #BETAwards #BetAwards2023 pic.twitter.com/AZMTXEdpx8
— Tammi “Did you wash your hands?” Sparks 👋🏾🧼🧴 (@tammirsparks) June 26, 2023
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She struggled through the lyrics and added a few vocals to the song, but ultimately needed help from the crowd. Attendees began shouting out the correct lyrics to the Turner classic, in an effort to help her along. ‘
“Where my background singers?” LaBelle quipped. The crowd chuckled and she managed to get through the set. The live audience was far more kind than social media was.
The internet erupted with memes and jokes about her ‘epic fail,’ as Turner’s fans directed their anger at the failed tribute performance.
One fan called LaBelle’s segment “simply awful,” while another said, ”
Tina Turner is looking at patti labelle like…. #BetAwards2023 #BETAwards pic.twitter.com/sf5gfWb24P
— Shells (@_itsshells) June 26, 2023
One fan simply couldn’t hide his disappointment at LaBelle’s fumble.
“I’m sorry Patti Labelle,as much as I love you, your Tina Turner tribute and not knowing the words to the song was highly disrespectful and unprofessional. 😪🙏🏾” Frederick Grigsby said.
I’m sorry Patti Labelle,as much as I love you, your Tina Turner tribute and not knowing the words to the song was highly disrespectful and unprofessional. 😪🙏🏾
— frederick grigsby🥋🐘 (@payne12) June 26, 2023
Fans were angered by the fact that this very special moment honoring the legendary Tina Turner had been tainted so dramatically. Many called LaBelle’s performance “the worst,” and said it was “so disappointing.”‘
Other social media users posted memes of what they thought Turner’s face would look like if she had seen it. (RELATED: Adele Resorts To Dirty Jokes After Forgetting Her Own Lyrics)
Tina Turner looking down at this tribute from Patti Labelle…#BETAwards pic.twitter.com/qc7Txe18wb
— Rose TheArtist (@rosethaaartist) June 26, 2023
Turner died in her home in Switzerland May 24 at the age of 83.