Living legends Patti Labelle and Gladys Knight took the midnight train to Verzuz as headliners of the first iconic matchup that gave us timeless classics, spicy leg shimmies, powerful pantsuits, flying heels and soul-soothing energy on a beautiful night in Black music.
The beloved icons showered each other with love between live performances of their golden jams that dazzled over 500K fans, brands, industry tastemakers, celebrities, influencers, politicians and artists who tuned in for an unforgettable experience live from Philly.
And yes, there were meme-able moments. Lots and lots of hilarious meme-able moments that took the star-studded event to hilarious heights.
LaBelle and Knight, 76 and 77, are a smidge older than Verzuz’s typical demo that’s mostly zoomers and millennials but they showed up and showed out with a spectacular set that included Patti’s luxurious shoe rack, fairy tale and heavenly chandeliers on a special night where they received their much-deserved flowers.
According to Billboard, LaBelle landed the first of her 43 hits on the R&B chart in 1963; her signature hits include “If Only You Knew,” “On My Own” (with Michael McDonald) and “Lady Marmalade” with her group LaBelle.
She’s also known to shut stages down with spectacular soul-stirrer “Somebody Loves You Baby” that’s been sampled by Plies and others.
Knight’s run of 64 R&B chart hits, which began in the early ’60s with the Pips, includes “Midnight Train to Georgia,” “Neither One of Us,” “Save the Overtime (For Me),” “Men” and “Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me.”
Over the years, the glamorous divas have also collaborated on several songs that include the 1991 smash hit “Superwoman” with Dionne Warwick who made a surprise appearance in a wonderful moment that sent social media into a tizzy.
Did you love Patti & Gladys’s Verzuz? Who would you want to see next? Tell us in the comments and peep the HILARIOUS reactions (and memes) on the flip.
