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Patti LaBelle had a hell of a time trying to get through a 1996 performance of "This Christmas"
Her background singers were late and the cue cards were mixed up
She powered through like a champ
We all have our off days. For Patti LaBelle, that off day just happened to be in front of an audience and also on tape forever.
This week, we’re taking a look back at LaBelle’s now-infamous and eminently watchable performance at the 1996 National Christmas Tree lighting. In the video above, LaBelle is just a testament to the art of rolling with it.
These are the most memorable moments, although I highly recommend watching the whole thing.
The first indication we are in for a trip comes when LaBelle jumps the gun and walks onto the stage before her introduction is over. She opens her mouth, shocked, when she realizes this fact, then turns to walk off stage, hand in the air as if to say “my bad.”
After her triumphant return to the stage, she charges confidently into the first line of “This Christmas.” After, of course, the music starts too soon.
She starts off strong, however, before she realizes that her backup singers aren’t, in fact, backing her up. So she, naturally, asks where they are. Everyone watching is now invested in the case of the missing backup singers.
After the first line, her confidence drops a bit. Because, honestly, who among us knows the lyrics to that song? But clearly there was a contingency plan in place: cue cards.
But those also fail her.
“It’s the wrong words on the cue cards. I don’t know the song,” she admits before switching back to her singing voice and belting out the only two words she/any of us know: “This Christmas.”
“I’m going to ad lib all I can. Because I don’t have the right words and I have no background singers,” she continues, to the tune of the song. Like the American hero she is.
At some point, the background singers show up. No one really acknowledges it. Several eyerolls, pleas to the cue card guy and exasperated sighs later, the song concludes. It can probably be convincingly argued that she really only improved it.
After President Bill Clinton and first lady Hillary Clinton had entered the stage, LaBelle was slated to read something.
“No more singing for me, honey. I already blew,” LaBelle says.
But she’s won two Grammys and has a famous sweet potato pie recipe. She’s doing fine.