Patti LaBelle Will Perform Tina Turner Tribute at BET Awards 2023
Patti LaBelle will honor Tina Turner’s life at the BET Awards, Rolling Stone can exclusively reveal Friday. The singer will perform a set in honor of the Queen of Rock & Roll during Sunday’s awards show.
“Tina was a trailblazer and someone I have a tremendous amount of respect for because of all that she overcame and all that she accomplished,” LaBelle tells Rolling Stone in a statement. “She was and is everything! And I am honored that I am able to pay tribute to her in this way.”
No details were made available about what exactly LaBelle will perform in Turner’s honor but a BET Awards statement said it will be “nothing short of extraordinary” and will “capture the essence of Turner’s unparalleled legacy.”
Turner died on May 24 in her home in Küsnacht, Switzerland after facing a “long illness” at age 83, her family said in a statement at the time. Though her exact cause of death was not made available, Turner had a stroke and faced both kidney failure and intestinal cancer in recent years.
Following news of her death, LaBelle shared a tribute for the legend on her Instagram. “Tina, the world will forever be grateful for your voice, your fearlessness, and your grace!” she wrote. “You truly are the Queen of Rock & Roll and your spirit will reign forever! Rest in eternal peace and love!”
This Sunday’s BET Awards is set to be filled with performances from the likes of Doechii, GloRilla, Coco Jones, and Lil Uzi Vert. The event will also feature a tribute to the 50 years of hip-hop with performances from the likes of 69 Boyz, E-40, Remy Ma, Chief Keef, Soulja Boy, Tyga, Trina, and the Ying Yang Twins. Busta Rhymes will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
“From music to dance and fashion, we are digging through every crate as we celebrate 50 years of Hip Hop and its diversity, evolution, and global impact,” said Connie Orlando, a BET executive. “This wall-to-wall party will reverberate with the amazing energy and passion these artists bring to the stage and the culture.”
Drake is the most-nominated artist at this year’s awards show with seven total nods. He’s up for awards such as Best Male R&B/Pop Artist, Album of the Year for Her Loss with 21 Savage, and Best Male Hip Hop Artist. GloRilla has the second-most ndods with six, including that of Video of the Year for “Tomorrow 2” with Cardi B and Album of the Year for Anyways, Life’s Great.
This show is set to air live on June 25 at 8 p.m. ET from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. It’ll be simulcast on BET, Comedy Central, Logo, MTV, and VH1.
