Sarah Dash, of Labelle, dies aged 76
One of the co-founders of Labelle - known for 'Lady Marmalade' - has passed away
Last updated 21st Sep 2021
Singer Sarah Dash, who co-founded the all-female group Labelle has died at the age of 76.
Labelle - which also comprises of lead Patti LaBelle and Nona Hendryx - announced the singer's death on social media, with no cause of death given.
Labelle are best known for their smash hit 'Lady Marmalade', which was released in 1974.
Paying tribute to the singer, Patti Labelle wrote "She was a true giver...always serving, always sharing her talent and her time. I am heart broken, as I know all of her loved ones and fans are. But, I know that Sarah's spirit and all that she has given to the world live on!"
Dash was born in New Jersey in 1945 and was one of 13 children. Her father's career as a bishop influenced her early on, as she began singing gospel in the church at a young age, before moving to Philadelphia in the 1960s where she met Nona Hendryx and Patricia Holte (Patti LaBelle). The trio began their musical career together as a doo-wop group - named The Ordettes - in 1962.
The Ordettes then morphed into The Bluebells and then again into Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles. In the early 1970s, they simply shortened it to Labelle, marking the groups shift to the world of funk.
Labelle also made gospel-soul covers of rock songs, and their original tunes included the ballad 'Can I Speak to You Before You Go to Hollywood?', 'Morning Much Better' and 'Touch Me All Over.'
Yet, Labelle's best-known tune is the chart-topping 'Lady Marmalade,' which tells the story of New Orleans sex workers. The single was released as part of their 1974 record Nightbirds.
'Lady Marmalade' reached No. 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Soul Singles, which was later voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003. The song gained a second lease of life when it featured in Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge (2001) which later want on to become a Broadway musical inspired by the film.
When the group disbanded in 1976, Dash continued to perform as a solo singer, releasing a string of albums between 1978 and 1988 with Krishner and EMU Records. Dash also teamed up with Keith Richards to write music and also toured with the Rolling Stones.
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