It goes without saying that Patti Labelle is a legend since quite honestly she’s been around for long enough to have influenced a great deal of pop culture and seen her music spread far and wide. She started out fairly young and was singing well before she became famous, finding a passion for the music that allowed her to simply enjoy what she was doing before anyone decided to sign her. Since the time she started getting big her songs have been heard all over the place, though a select number of them have been seen to really be used for movies and TV. It does seem fair to say that those growing up in the current generation and a couple of generations before might not fully realize who she is, but thankfully all it takes is a quick search to see what she’s done, what she means to the music industry, and how great of a legend she’s been for the past several decades. If you don’t know who she is then it’s time to take to Google and do your research, hopefully as you have one of her songs playing in the background.
Here are some of the best uses of her songs in TV and movies.
5. Evan Almighty – Ready for a Miracle
This song was used in the movie’s predecessor, Bruce Almighty, as well but seems to mean just a little bit more here. While people didn’t seem to get as excited for this movie as they did Bruce Almighty there was still enough hilarity and fun to be had in this one. Taking off from the first movie, Evan Baxter is now a congressman that’s on his way to the top and isn’t stopping for anything. Unfortunately this means he has to spend a great deal of time away from his family and as a result he’s losing touch with the lot of them. When God intervenes and tells him to build an ark however he quickly learns the same lesson that Bruce did, that nothing worth having is ever easy to attain.
4. American Idol – Lady Marmalade
There’s something to be said for a star making their way onto the stage at American Idol in order to either help out or just perform a song for the crowd. Some might think that this is the moment that is strictly for those that are competing, but now and then it’s been a treat to have a big celebrity take the stage and remind everyone of how it’s done. Patti is always a joy to see with a mic in her hand and a song on her lips. In fact it’s the kind of moment that many contestants would either love to join in or just stand there and admire her as she goes on in a voice that has been popular since before most, if not all, of the contestants were born.
3. Happy Feet – I Wish
People know this mostly as a dancing movie with penguins since that’s really how it was hyped up throughout the promos and trailers, and it kind of worked since a lot of people really wanted to see it after all that. The sequel was kind of a hit and miss thing with a lot of folks since once a thing is done the first time it takes a lot of effort to really make the sequel pop as much as the first one. But all in all this was a fun and engaging movie that took a lot of music and put it to a beat that was fun to listen to and entertaining to watch. The fact that it took so many tracks and remixed them in such a convincing way was great.
2. Brewster’s Millions – In the Nick of Time
It seems that it would be easy to spend $30 million in 30 days, right? Well, now it would since you could buy a stable of fancy cars or a single luxury home in a prominent city. But for Brewster it was tough since the deck was stacked against him and he had someone always trying to help him make money, which was apparently against the rules. But by the end of the movie he managed to inherit a whopping $300 million because he played by the rules, despite the fact that others were trying to trip him up. Spending $300 million over a lifetime might not be possible, but it would be a great cushion to have for the rest of one’s life.
1. Beverly Hills Cop – Stir It Up
Foley is the working-class kind of guy that likes to have fun and do his job, but the problem is that he tends to work outside the boundaries more often than not. When a friend of his is killed and his boss tells him to let it go that’s the last thing on his mind as he makes his way to Beverly Hills. The trouble he starts there is nothing less than epic as he gives the cops no end of trouble and a certain drug dealer and prominent businessman a headache that just won’t stop.
Patti is undoubtedly one of the best singers still around today.
