Patti LaBelle is a legend in her own right, but she failed to do justice to another legend, Tina Turner, at the 2023 BET Awards. The 79-year-old singer was supposed to honor Turner, who passed away last month at age 83, with a rendition of her 1989 hit “The Best”. However, LaBelle seemed to have no clue what the lyrics were and resorted to humming, mumbling and improvising throughout the song. LaBelle blamed the teleprompter for being blocked by the enthusiastic crowd and admitted that she couldn’t see the words. “Whatever, I can’t see the words, I don’t know,” she sang at one point. “I’m tryin’, y’all!” She also asked for her background singers, referencing a previous mishap when she performed “This Christmas” at the 1996 National Tree Lighting Ceremony and the cue cards were out of order. While LaBelle tried to make the best of a bad situation with her powerful vocals and charismatic stage presence, it was clear that she was not

prepared for the tribute and did not rehearse enough. It was disrespectful to Turner, who was a trailblazer and an icon in the music industry. Turner deserved a better tribute than a half-baked karaoke session by someone who didn’t bother to learn her song. The BET Awards spokesperson confirmed that LaBelle was indeed blocked from seeing the prompter and praised her for lending her talent to the moment. “It was an extraordinary privilege to celebrate the life and legacy of Ms. Tina Turner at BET Awards 2023. Having the incomparable Ms. Patti LaBelle on our stage honoring one of her contemporaries was an equal privilege,” they said in a statement. However, many viewers on social media were not impressed by LaBelle’s performance and mocked her for forgetting the words. Some even wondered how Turner would react from heaven to such a lackluster tribute. Others defended LaBelle and blamed the BET Awards for not providing her with a better teleprompter or a backup plan.