Way Back Wednesday: Patti LaBelle’s Immortal Voice

Patti Labelle.

Patti LaBelle is a true wonder of nature. With a recording career that spans over 50 years, the legendary singer has achieved the near impossible – her voice has remained almost completely intact.

It is normal for singers to experience changes with their voices as they age and encounter various health issues. Indeed, we have heard the coarseness develop in Christina Aguilera’s voice and the gradual thinning of Mariah Carey’s once thunderous instrument. Yet, at the age of 67 years, LaBelle still sounds similar to her younger self.

Hence, Way Back Wednesday pays tribute to LaBelle and her immortal voice as she stands an unstoppable force in the music industry. Watch some of her best performances throughout the years below:

1974 – ‘Lady Marmalade (with Labelle)’

1986 – ‘Forever Young’

Mid-1990s – ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’

2004 – ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’

2010 – ‘If Only You Knew’

So, how exactly does LaBelle maintain her voice? The answer is found in her approach to belting and the fact that she generally sings in her mixed voice, which prevents overt pressure on the vocal cords.

Singing in mixed voice allows LaBelle to easily move to the top of her range without strain. That is how she manages to belt those insane high notes without screeching or causing her throat to catch ablaze. Additionally, singing in the mix helps LaBelle to maintain her voice; a feat that many other artists have not mastered.

Of course, each singer as well as each voice is different so it would be unfair to compare everybody to LaBelle. Really, Carey has struggled with vocal nodules, Aretha Franklin smoked cigarettes and Aguilera blatantly doesn’t know how to belt.

Thoughts?