The “Empress of Soul” and “Godmother of Soul” lit up the digital and physical stage Sunday night with spotless, soul-stirring delivery of their signature songs and heartfelt storytelling.
Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle delighted more than half a million fans in the Apple Music-sponsored Verzuz battle Sunday. Bringing more than six decades of wisdom and musical majesty to the Fillmore in Philadelphia, the two icons, who are both 76, showed off their varied catalogs, which have gained them both Grammy recognition and extensive tour careers.
The vocal acrobats left fans in awe Sunday, and the anecdotes laid on an extra dollop of good vibes throughout the three-hour presentation. The night was peppered with surprises including an appearance by fellow legend Dionne Warwick and the humorous commentary from Knight and LaBelle.
Fans pointed out their favorite moments throughout the night and Monday morning, but few could truly name a winner between the sultry songstresses.
Gladys Knight
The Georgia native kept a smooth, sweet tone and demeanor during the friendly battle. Even when a technical glitch interrupted one of her biggest hits, “Midnight Train to Georgia,” Knight’s mission of belting out her hits could not be stopped.
She also shared some inspirational nuggets as she reminisced over her songs, including the Curtis Mayfield-penned hit “On and On.”
"We gotta [keep going]. Long as he keeps giving us the breath, the love, the spirit, and the talent!”
One of the highlights the “If I Were Your Woman” singer provided Sunday was inviting Warwick on the stage to harmonize with her and LaBelle.
Patti LaBelle
Fans could not get enough of LaBelle’s soaring vocals, hilarious comments about technical issues nor her now-infamous hand mirror, which she checked throughout Sunday’s performance.
Her hits including “When You’ve Been Blessed (Feels Like Heaven),” “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” and “Right Kind of Lover” strung together like a symphony. Like Knight, she had no problem flawlessly singing live along with her tracks, which many Verzuz contenders did not do in past battles. Besides the teleprompter issues, which caused her lyrics not to show at times, LaBelle delivered with no hesitation.
Her performance and her commitment to her fans, including her longtime LGBT fans, were discussed online Sunday and Monday.
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