Before LaBelle was best known as the last name of a certain powerhouse singer with a penchant for wearing skyscraping wigs and rolling around on the floor, it was a group.
In fact, the trio (featuring Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash) may very well have taught millions their very first French words ("Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?" from "Lady Marmalade").
Days before the rocking funk trio with the otherworldly harmonies (and outfits) returns to the Atlanta concert stage together after almost three decades, LaBelle, Hendryx and Dash discussed ...
How they've spent the past three decades:
LaBelle: "Doing Patti LaBelle performances. Patti LaBelle cookbooks. Patti LaBelle television specials. [Laughs]. Patti LaBelle hot sauces. Patti LaBelle hair pieces."
Hendryx: "Making my own solo records ... touring with Peter Gabriel and David Bowie. Finding other artists. Writing music for theater and for television. That's actually what finally brought us back together for [their new album] 'Back to Now,' and this tour."
Dash: "First there was the solo work ... then to Keith Richards & the Expensive Winos and recording 'Steel Wheels' with the Rolling Stones. Compilation work with Sylvester. I stayed in the disco world for a long time. To doing more concert-type jazz shows. I sang some gospel stuff ... And then when [a knee] injury came I started doing motivational speaking to children at risk and women [victims] of domestic violence."
What's been fun about being on the road again as LaBelle:
LaBelle: "Being with the girls again. It's like we never really left each other."
Hendryx: "The shows, specifically. Top of the list. And just Pat and Sarah and I sitting around talking about what's going on with us; laughing, crying and rediscovering."
Dash: "The fun is that you have all of these personalities coming together — band, road crew, hairdressers, makeup artists and, Lord, us! The fun part is really us onstage."
Why there are so few girl groups now:
LaBelle: "You know, that's really weird to me also! I don't know why. Maybe it's hard for girls to get together and stay on the same page. ...That's why I'm so happy to be back together showing them how it's done."
Hendryx: "These are 'American Idol' times. 'Idol' as in singular. I mean, yes, we have ['Making the Band'] but that's not really real. They don't end up with a real group. It's just something made for television."
Dash: "The industry has just changed over the years since we were Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles. They were everywhere then. The Crystals. The Shirelles. I think we all wanted to be the Shirelles. ... Now it seems like they only put groups together to launch solo projects."
Favorite memories of Atlanta:
LaBelle: "I just love Atlanta, period. The warm people. Such beautiful people. Mmmm-hmmm!"
Hendryx: "Oh, yeah, many! Playing the Royal Peacock so many times. Such great audiences. I just love Atlanta. I have a lot of family there. My sister lives in Stone Mountain. My nephew's a rapper in SouthWest Click. It goes on!"
Dash: "Playing the Fox Theatre when I toured with Keith Richards & the Expensive Winos. I loved the feeling that Atlanta brought."
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