Patti LaBelle said she underwent a rhinoplasty in the 1980s after a manager repeatedly criticized her appearance, the singer told hosts of the radio program "The Breakfast Club." LaBelle, 81, described being pushed by a former manager to change her looks to advance her career and said she ultimately decided to have her nose refined after seeing the results of a friend.
"It was a manager I had back in the day. A white gentleman, and he said so many things to me, but whenever I sang, he said, 'My God!'" LaBelle said on the program. The singer recalled asking, "Is it alright if I keep this nose?" before deciding to have the procedure, and she described the manager as "mean."
LaBelle said she was influenced by a visit to the home of fellow performer Stephanie Mills, who had a rhinoplasty performed by Dr. Steven Hoefflin, a surgeon who had operated on Michael Jackson. "I think Michael got a little addicted," Mills observed on the program, adding that other singers, including Natalie Cole, also had procedures. "All of them do it. You know, all of the girls do it," Mills said.
Charlamagne tha God, one of the hosts on "The Breakfast Club," said he had not known about the procedures. LaBelle responded, "Chile, I had to. This wasn't cute," describing the choice as a response to industry pressures.
Also on the episode, Chaka Khan forcefully denied having a Brazilian butt lift. "How long has my butt been like this? My whole life. I have the same behind I've always had," Khan said. "You could not cut me for nothing! Hell naw!"
LaBelle, Mills, Khan and Gladys Knight are scheduled to resume the second leg of their 20-date The Queens: 4 Legends, 1 Stage tour this week, beginning at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. The performers are also slated to appear on the Bravo talk show "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" to discuss the tour and their careers.
Patti LaBelle, born Patricia Holte, rose to fame as a powerhouse R&B vocalist with hits including "Lady Marmalade" and "New Attitude." A two-time Grammy winner, she has sold more than 50 million records worldwide and continues to maintain a presence on streaming services. LaBelle has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame and the Apollo Theater Hall of Fame.
Outside of music, LaBelle operates a lifestyle business, Patti's Good Life, which markets foods, beverages, condiments and housewares. Her comments on "The Breakfast Club" add to a long-running public conversation in the music industry about appearance, age and the pressures faced by performers to conform to changing beauty standards.