We probably don’t want to calculate exactly how much Patti LaBelle ended up giving the audience in Prada shoes and false eyelashes Saturday night at the Civic Center. Twice during the Labelle reunion concert —-the singer’s first tour with former girl group mates Sarah Dash and Nona Hendryx in 33 years —- she kicked off her stiletto heels and sent them flying. By the end of the nearly two hour show, LaBelle’s eyelashes were dripping off so she handed them out to the front row.
As always, Labelle hit the stage in trademark fashionable frocks, with Dash looking regal in purple, LaBelle in a magenta gown with tail feathers and Hendryx, all space-glammed-up with a sexy, tight-fitting black ensemble with matching eye make-up.
The near-capacity crowd were mostly old school fans of the group who cheered when Hendryx reminisced about the group’s gigs here at the Royal Peacock on Auburn Avenue in the 1970s. The trio performed more than half of the musical selections from the brand-new reunion record, “Back to Now,” but the classic Labelle songs got the crowd out of their seats, including “Are You Lonely?” “Nightbird” and their biggest hit, “Lady Marmalade.”
As LaBelle, Hendryx and Dash belted out the opening strains of “Somebody Somewhere,” one fan shouted “Take me back, take me back!” By the end of the concert, Hendryx had climbed up on top of the drum set and was playing the cymbals —- with her feet.
When LaBelle requested more circulation from the stage fans, Stone Mountain fan Yvonne Robinson, 51, ran down front and handed “Miss Patti” her blue battery-operated hand fan. A touched LaBelle handed Robinson the microphone.
“If you only knew how much your music has helped get me through!” Robinson told the singer as all four women teared up. Back in her seat, Robinson’s twin sister Yvette Holland was also wiping away the tears.
The sisters first bought the group’s albums “Nightbird” and “Chameleon” on vinyl as high schoolers. They were among the first in line at Publix to buy the reunion show tickets when they went on sale last year.
“We had the records, the eight-tracks, the cassettes, the CDs and we brought the iPod with us tonight,” Yvette told us. “Their music is just so inspiring. It’s something that’s taken us through our lives.”
On getting to express her feelings directly to LaBelle, Yvonne added: “I never dreamed I would ever have that chance to tell her that Labelle’s music got us through all those relationships and marriage and a divorce and childbirth and just everything. It’s a real blessing to be here tonight.”
A magical move to Majik 107.5
Expect a few major changes on the radio dial this morning.
Popular syndicated hosts Steve Harvey and Michael Baisden today have moved from Grown Folks 102.5 to R&B station Majik 107.5, a much stronger signal. Majik will also be simulcast on 97.5. The signal at 107.5 skews northeast while 97.5 skews southeast so overall, they cover virtually the entire metro market.
Radio One, which owns the stations, made the move with hopes that Majik will be better able to take on Kiss 104.1, the dominant R&B station in the market.
Gospel station Praise 97.5 moves to where Grown Folks had been at 102.5, a signal that best covers south Atlanta, where many of the gospel listeners already are. Grown Folks effectively goes away, with talk show hosts Al Sharpton and Warren Ballentine off the Atlanta airwaves.
Surprise songs, awkward answers
Country music star Keith Urban performed a surprise two-song set for reporters to kick off his day at the Daytona 500, where he was the featured artist for Sunday’s pre-race concert.
“First time playing a pressroom,” he quipped before launching into “Sister Golden Hair” by America.
Urban took brief questions and laughed awkwardly when asked what his favorite racing movie is.
“Uhhhhh … ‘Cars’?” he stammered, choosing the animated movie over “Days of Thunder” that featured his wife, Nicole Kidman, with her ex-husband, Tom Cruise.
Urban also said he and Kidman were glad to offer help to victims of the wildfires in their native Australia. They recently donated more than $300,000 to a relief fund.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actor LeVar Burton is 52. Rapper-actor Ice-T is 51. Guitarist Andy Taylor (Duran Duran) is 48. Drummer Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters is 37.
Contributing: Rodney Ho
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