Origins In 1960, 16-year-old Patricia "Patsy" Holte won her first talent contest at a
Philadelphia high school. Following this, she sought to form her own singing group the following year called the Ordettes. much to the chagrin of Patti LaBelle, who feared the group would alienate their older fans with a new laid back "earthier" look. Wickham also advised them to change their name to simply "Labelle". After the incident, LaBelle advised the group to disband, fearing for the other members' well-being and that the mounting tension could also put an end to their friendship. Hendryx and Dash agreed and the trio formally announced their split at the end of 1976 after fourteen years together.
Solo careers and reunions Following her departure from the Blue Belles, Cindy Birdsong enjoyed success as member of
The Supremes, singing on hits such as "
Up the Ladder to the Roof", "
Stoned Love", "
Nathan Jones" and "
Floy Joy". Birdsong left the group in 1972 to start a family, returned in 1973, then left again in 1976, and thereafter only recorded sporadically as a solo artist in the 1980s, briefly joining the
Former Ladies of the Supremes alongside former Supremes members
Jean Terrell and
Scherrie Payne. The Labelle song "(Can I Speak to You Before You Go To) Hollywood", from
Pressure Cookin', was allegedly written by Hendryx as a response to Birdsong's departure, featuring each member of the group singing verses. Sarah Dash found some solo success after signing with
Don Kirshner's label, with the disco single "Sinner Man". Dash eventually sang backup for the Rolling Stones and sang for
Keith Richards' spinoff group
X-pensive Winos. The more experimental Nona Hendryx has recorded in various genres including
hard rock,
hip-hop,
house and
new age, and charting with the singles "Keep It Confidential" and "Why Should I Cry?". Patti LaBelle became an international solo superstar following Labelle's breakup, recording crossover hits such as "
New Attitude", "
Stir It Up" and "
On My Own", resulting in Grammy wins and a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1991, Patti LaBelle reunited with Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash on the track, "Release Yourself", from LaBelle's Grammy-winning album, ''
Burnin'''. The trio reunited onstage at the Apollo Theater in 1991 to perform the song on LaBelle's second concert performance video while promoting the release of
Burnin'. In addition to "Release Yourself", Hendryx and LaBelle composed the gospel-flavored ballad "
When You've Been Blessed (Feels Like Heaven)". In 1995, the trio reunited again for the dance single, "
Turn it Out", for the soundtrack to the film
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar. The song became their first charted hit in 19 years peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard dance singles chart. Four years later, the original Blue Belles (including
Cindy Birdsong) reunited to receive an award from the R&B Foundation for Lifetime Achievement. In 2006, the trio of LaBelle, Dash and Hendrix briefly came together to record a Hendryx-written track called "Dear Rosa" for the soundtrack to a film called
Preaching to the Choir. In 2008, Labelle announced their reunion and released their first studio album in 32 years, the critically acclaimed
Back to Now. That year, the trio went back on tour together which carried through the spring of 2009. In an interview with the
Toronto Star, They continued to perform with each other sporadically; Dash sang with Patti LaBelle at one of the latter's concert two days before her death on September 20, 2021. ==Legacy and influence==