Patti LaBelle (born Patricia Louise Holt on May 24, 1944 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a highly revered, Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter, author, businesswoman and actress. Patti has fronted two moderately successful groups Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles and LaBelle, before rising to superstardom as a solo artist in the late 1970s. She is best known for her strong soprano vocals and her signature high-octave vocal belting. She has been largely compared to Aretha Franklin during the 1970s