Chuck Stewart, Jr.
Peekskill - The Paramount Center for the Arts held it’s Fifth Annual Red Carpet Gala Saturday night, with Patti LaBelle headlining the event.
Paul Rubin, President of the Paramount Center for the Arts Board of Trustees said, "Tonight is truly a cause for celebration as we close our 78th year with another successful season."
From the moment LaBelle stepped onto the stage, her vocal prowess took control. For the next hour and a half, she would entertain the audience with her hard learned life lessons, musical history, and of course, her soulful voice.
The two-time Grammy Award winner electrified the audience with her performances of "If You Don’t Know Me By Now," "Lady Marmalade," and "If Only You Knew," to name a few.
For more than four decades, the legendary rhythm and blues soul singer has entertained thousands of fans. Saturday night was no exception.
Michael, a long-time fan, caught the ear of LaBelle as he shouted, "I love you Patti." It turns out that Michael saw LaBelle in concert, 30 years prior. Calling him to the stage, she reminisced with him for a moment, to his and the audiences delight, before continuing her performance.
LaBelle would also introduce another "special guest," Brandon. The Peekskill native travels all around the country to see her in concert. When the two met earlier in the day, LaBelle gave him a ticket to the show. He would later return the favor, as he would tell her the "George" she was "teasing" in the front row was the former Governor of New York State, George Pataki. Whether staged or real, the audience enjoyed it as much as the former governor.
LaBelle arrived on the music scene in the ‘60s as part of the girl group the Blue Belles. The group would split in the late ‘70s and LaBelle would begin her solo career. In the 80s and 90s she had a number of hits, including "On My Own" with Michael McDonald. She also appeared frequently on "A Different World," in the 90s and wrote "Don’t Block The Blessings" her autobiography, which became a New York Times best-seller. A diabetic, she also wrote two cookbooks, "LaBelle Cuisine" and "Patti LaBelle’s Lite Cuisine."
The 64-year-old LaBelle ended her stellar performance with "Over the Rainbow," dedicated to United States service men and women. Paul, a US Army soldier (wearing military fatigues), was invited onto stage prior to the special tribute. "I thank God for people like you," LaBelle said, wishing them all a safe tour of duty and speedy return home.
At the conclusion of her performance, she received a standing ovation from the Paramount Theater’s audience in gratitude for her unforgettable evening of music.
