Oddly enough, when she and Michael McDonald first recorded the Burt Bacharach/Carole Bayer Sager song "On My Own", neither artist had even met. LaBelle recorded her part of the song in Philadelphia while McDonald completed his part in Los Angeles. Even after filming a video for the song, both singers had still not met. Not until after the song went to number one on the charts in June 1986 did the two artists finally meet when they performed *together* for the first time on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" (1962).

Was among the guests at Usher Raymond`s 26th birthday party.

Close friend of Luther Vandross.

Godmother of Mariah Carey.

She has 5 children. She has a son named Zuri. She adopted her sister Jackie`s son and daughter after she died of cancer. She raised her neighbor`s two boys, Dodd and Stanley, after her neighbor died of pneumonia, although she and her husband were too old at the time to legally adopt them.

All three of her sisters died of the same form of cancer before their 44th birthdays.

Ranked #41 on VH1`s Greatest Women of Rock N Roll

Godmother of Cyndi Lauper`s son, Declyn (B. Nov 19 1997)

Was once engaged to Otis Williams of the long-time R&B singing group, The Temptations.

Suffers from diabetes

Lost all three of her sisters to some form of cancer

Authored Don`t Block the Blessings: Revelations of a Lifetime and cookbook LaBelle Cuisine: Recipes to Sing About

Often takes off her shoes while performing

Known to give her devoted fans one of her fake eyelashes when performing in concert

Owner of Chez LaBelle dinner theater in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Has two fragrances and a line of lipsticks and nail polishes

Was given the name LaBelle (which in French translates to the beautiful) by a record exec whom originally thought she was too dark and unattractive to head the then all girl group The Blue Belles

Has five children; two of whom are adopted and the orphaned children of one of her sisters and her biological son.

Received star on Hollywood Walk of Fame [1993]Received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Berkeley School of Music [1996]

Husband and manager of 30 years separating. [February 2000]

Spouse, Armstead Edwards (23 July 1969 - 1 January 2000) (divorced) 5 children