Patti LaBelle Talks Being An 'Old Spice Queen'
Exclusive: Patti LaBelle Talks Being An ‘Old Spice Queen,’ Her Beauty Regime, And Going Back On Tour
In honor of Black Music Month, MadameNoire had the privilege to speak with the legendary songstress herself, Ms. Patti LaBelle.
The icon got her start in the industry singing in girl groups in the 1960s. She became the lead singer of Patti LaBelle and the Blue Belles, later known as LaBelle, the first Black vocal group to land a Rolling Stone cover. Her subsequent decades–long solo career has garnered Grammys, produced iconic albums, and given music lovers chart-topping hits that are nostalgic and span generations. You know the ones — “Stir It Up,” “New Attitude,” “On My Own,” and numerous others. As one of Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Singers and a respective member of the Grammy Hall of Fame, Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the Apollo Theater Hall of Fame, LaBelle is aptly known as the “Godmother of Soul.”
At 77 years young, she’s proved for decades that she’s more than her music – having worked as an actress both on TV and in film, and also as a businesswoman, particularly passionate about her love of cooking. Patti pie anyone?
The songstress chatted about all that and more. We even discussed one of her most recent gigs — playing a “bad mother-in-law” in an Old Spice commercial alongside actor-comedians Deon Cole and Gabrielle Dennis. LaBelle previously worked with Dennis on “A Black Lady Sketch Show.”
MadameNoire: How was it working with Deon and Gabrielle on the Old Spice set?
Patti LaBelle: It was fun — being on the sketch show with Gabrielle was awesome. To know that she was my daughter in this Old Spice commercial, I said, “Wow, that’s great.” And Deon is particularly crazy and fun. I had fun doing the commercial, so much fun. I want to do another one [laughs].
MN: I know you play a “bad mother-in-law” in the commercial — how was it taking on that role?
LaBelle: That’s me! I’m such a bad mother-in-law [laughs]. I have a son who’s married, and I played that part [in the commercial] well. I was the “dirty” mother with Queen Latifah and Brandy when I did some episodes on “Star,” so I’m used to being a bad mama [laughs].
MN: How did your cameo in the Old Spice commercial come about? Do you have a personal connection to the brand?
LaBelle: First of all, let me say that I have on the moisturizer with shea butter from the Fresher Collection, and I took my shower with the body wash today. So I’m smelling like an Old Spice queen.
Back in the day, my father, my uncles, the men in my family — all the men in my life used Old Spice. So when I was asked to play the role, I said this is right up my alley, because I know about Old Spice.
MN: So on top of being an “Old Spice queen,” what else does your beauty regimen consist of? We want to know because you look really good Ms. Patti!
LaBelle: Thank you, honey [laughs]! I try! I wake up every morning and I just take care of my body and my face. I have great makeup artists and great hair people and stylists. I’m the stylist too — and I make sure whatever I have on looks decent.
Sometimes I use things on my face. I don’t like to give plugs, but I’ve been using this certain thing on my face forever, and it’s Vaseline. I use it to take off makeup and to moisturize. And after that, I use a great cream. I won’t give that cream a plug — but I’ve been blessed with good creams [laughs].
MN: Blessed with good skin too, for sure! [laughs] Another thing that the commercial touches on is the tensions brought on by quarantining with loved ones. Just like between you and your “son-in-law,” Deon, something as simple as using someone’s soap in the shower can become a problem. I know I’ve had things like that happen here and there over the last year and a half — how was quarantining for you?
LaBelle: Quarantine has been decent for me. I have a bunch of safe people around me who watch me like a hawk. If I touch a doorknob by accident, my son is right there with some disinfectant spray. They’re watching me all the time [laughs]. But I’m pretty careful now, you know, with the last 15 months.
And I’ve been having company in the house. We stay distant but we have fun. We dance far apart. You gotta party, honey – you can’t let 15 months make you an old lady.
Quarantine was safe and necessary.
MN: That’s great, I’m happy to hear that you were able to find joy within the last 15 months. And I definitely agree about needing to have a balance of enjoyment while keeping things safe — especially now that it’s the summertime and people are getting vaccinated so we can gather and party again.
I know you’re a queen of cookbooks – what recipes are on your radar for summertime gatherings this year?
LaBelle: Everything I make is on the radar and on the menu [laughs]!
Of course, we’re going to grill a lot. There’s turkey burgers, there’s fish, there’s shrimp — anything that you can put on the grill, we’ve done it here. For the Fourth of July, we’re going to do it again. The inside meals are going to be the macaroni, the potato salad, kale greens with smoked turkey, turkey chili — just anything you’d think of, we’ll be doing it.
You know I have my Patti desserts, so I have to make those. It’s gonna be a fun Fourth of July.
MN: I’m looking forward to snagging your pies for the holiday [laughs]! Lastly, I know you’re going back on tour this fall, and I want to wrap things up by asking how you’re feeling going into that. Where’s your headspace at in terms of going back out on the road?
LaBelle: I’m so excited to sing on stage with a microphone, with a live audience, so I can see if they’re moving, if they’re crying, if they’re laughing, if they’re hugging each other.
We still have to be careful [with COVID precautions] so the people who will be coming to my concerts will be safe. We’re going to make sure everybody shows their vaccination cards.
For me to get back to the stage after 15 months — I’m just happy to see a breathing audience, you know? After the quarantine, I think we all know how to act now. And it’s not over — the quarantine is not over, so don’t act like it’s over. Just be extra careful. But I’m ready to put on some pumps and go on stage and stomp. I can’t wait, honey.
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