The Blue-Belles

Biography & Overview

Labelle was an American band that originated out of The Blue Belles, a girl group who were a popular vocal group of the 1960s and 1970s. The original act was formed after the disbanding of two rival girl bands in the area around Philadelphia, in Pennsylvania, and Trenton, in New Jersey: The Ordettes and The Del-Capris, forming as a new version of the former, then later changing their name to The Blue Belles (and further Bluebelles). The founding members were Patti LaBelle (born Patricia Louise Holte), Cindy Birdsong, Nona Hendryx, and Sarah Dash. As the Bluebelles, and later Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles, the band found success with the ballads "Down the Aisle (The Wedding Song)", "You'll Never Walk Alone", and "Over the Rainbow" and as a consistent performing act, most notably at the Apollo Theater.