Patti LaBelle's Tina Turner tribute dubbed 'disrespectful' as she forgets lyrics
Patti LaBelle's tribute to the late Tina Turner at the BET Awards has been described as "disrespectful" by some viewers after she struggled to read lyrics from a monitor.
The annual awards ceremony was held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles last night and included a special tribute performance to Tina, who died last month, aged 83.
It saw Patti, 79, take to the stage to perform the song The Best but she didn't know the lyrics at certain points and she seemingly couldn't read the teleprompter for assistance.
Footage on social media showed the Grammy Award winner appearing to have difficulty before the first chorus, seemingly missing a line. She said: "I'm trying ya'll, come on".
Later in the performance, she appeared to say "oh lord" before telling the audience moments later: "Whatever, I can't see the words, I don't know. I'm trying, y'all!"
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Patti LaBelle performed during the BET Awards in Los Angeles last night (Getty Images for BET)The live performance prompted reaction on Twitter, with one viewer having suggested that it was "disrespectful" that Patti hadn't known the lyrics for the tribute yesterday.
Another person said: "You should know the words". Whilst a third person wrote about the situation: "The performance was disrespectful and disappointing as a tribute".
"I'm sorry [Patti], as much as I love you, your Tina Turner tribute and not knowing the words to the song was highly disrespectful and unprofessional," said another viewer.
Others described the performance as "terrible" and "simply awful". Whilst some people seemed to wonder whether Patti had rehearsed for the performance prior to the event.
Some people have defended Patti amid the criticism, with one person having written in a tweet about the situation: "[She] is 79. She has a right to forget some lyrics sometimes".
Another fan said: "Patti is 79 goddamn years old. She went up there, paid tribute to her friend the best she could and people are saying it was disrespectful? [Get the f*** out]".
"[She] sounded awesome considering [she couldn't see] the teleprompter with the words. [...] She's simply an amazing artist," wrote another fan as part of their tweet about it.
Sharing their thoughts, another fan said: "Everyone is entitled to their opinion [...] I saw Patti LaBelle give an awesome tribute to Tina Turner. If you didn't like it, oh well."
She took to the stage to pay tribute to the late singer Tina Turner at the awards ceremony (Jim Ruymen/UPI/REX/Shutterstock)Whilst another person said amid the backlash: "[Patti] looks amazing, sounds great. Her voice is perfect for these songs. I love the way the stage is set up. I mean, s*** happens".
A BET spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter that the teleprompter was obstructed during the performance so Patti was unable to view the lyrics in the live show.
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They commented: "It was an extraordinary privilege to celebrate the life and legacy of [Tina] at BET Awards 2023. Having the incomparable [Patti] on our stage honoring one of her contemporaries was an equal privilege."
"Due to the crowd's enthusiasm, the teleprompter was obstructed, obscuring [her] view of the lyrics. Nonetheless, we couldn't be more grateful to [Patti] for lending her incredible talent to this moment," the spokesperson added.
Patti herself spoke about the event on Good Morning America earlier today, though she's understood to have not addressed the reaction to her tribute performance.
She said: "I was so blessed to honor [Tina] because that's my friend from back in the day. Such a wonderful woman who has done everything. And so many people admire her. When I did it last night I was proud. I felt really great."
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