[WATCH] Patti LaBelle Drops The Ball During Tina Turner Tribute At 2023 BET Awards

After her Tina Turner homage on Sunday (June 25) at the 2023 BET Awards went wrong, Patti LaBelle required assistance from the crowd.

LaBelle’s performance of Tina Turner’s song “Simply the Best” during the event, which was broadcast live in Los Angeles at the Microsoft Theater, was one of its highlights.

She started her tribute to the icon, who passed away on May 24 of this year at the age of 83, by shouting, “Give it up for Tina Turner,” to applause from the audience. LaBelle was donning a mini-dress with sparkling fringe in the Tina Turner fashion.

Unluckily, LaBelle then experienced teleprompter difficulties and mispronounced the song’s lyrics as she sang the classic.

Lmaooooo #BetAwards2023 pic.twitter.com/qGuVqAe8Kz

— Rae Christine (@raechristine__) June 26, 2023

Patti LaBelle Has Classic Moment at 2023 BET Awards

LaBelle said to the audience, “I can’t see the words and I don’t know.” Appearing to strain her eyes to read the lines from the teleprompter at the rear of the theater, the iconic songstress stressed, “I’m tryin’ y’all!” According to a tweet from a spectator at the awards, the issue was caused by several attendees in the crowd getting up and obstructing LaBelle’s view of the lyrics.

But she persisted, and many in the audience who were obviously more familiar with the song’s words joined in the singing in an attempt to support LaBelle.